Kim Kardashian has said that fame is not the cause of her younger brother Rob Kardashian's reported depression. The 28-year-old has kept a low profile after gaining over 100 pounds in the last two years, but Kim said he is slowly getting his life back on track.
"I think he's just going through a phase where he's not comfortable in his own skin," Kim told the Today show. "And he is working really hard to get back to where he wants to be."
However the 34-year-old doesn't think being in the public eye is the cause of his troubles. Kim suggested Rob is still struggling to get over the death of their father, Robert Kardashian, who passed away in 2003.
Kim Kardashian says her brother Rob isn't comfortable in his own skin
"I don't necessarily think it's because of the fame. I think it's been circumstances in his life that he just really hasn't dealt with.
She went on to say that a number of life events may have unsettled her brother. Among them, "the loss of our father" and "certain breakups" – perhaps most notably Khloé's split with Lamar. "He was extremely close to Lamar," she said. "When Khloé and him broke up, that was really hard on him.";
Rob's family have reached out to him on several occasions via social media. His younger sister Kylie Jenner recently posted a photograph of Rob on Instagram, writing: "My best friend, my heart, my brother."
In 2014 his mum, Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner, shared that her son was "struggling with some stuff".
Speaking on E! News in June she said: "He is struggling with some stuff but my job is to be there for him and love him as hard as I can."
Meanwhile Khloé Kardashian, who Rob is said to be closest to, previously explained that her younger brother has "a kind of social anxiety".
"I just feel, especially over the last year, Rob has become very introverted and has a kind of social anxiety," she told celebrity website Wonderwall while hosting a party at Las Vegas' 1 OAK.
However the 28-year-old made a rare public statement over the weekend when he tweeted his support to his step-dad Bruce Jenner, who confirmed that he is transgender in an emotional interview with Diane Sawyer.
"You have always been a role model to me and now more than ever, I look up to you. LOVE YOU," Rob wrote.
