Despite appearances and fan speculation, longtime friends Kylie Jenner and Anastasia “Stassie” Karanikolaou remain close, according to a source.
The clarification follows Karanikolaou's absence from Jenner's recent 29th birthday celebration, where Karanikolaou was instead vacationing in Ibiza with influencer Alix Earle. This led to widespread fan conjecture about a rift between the childhood friends.
“Kylie and Stassie are still friends. There hasn’t been some big falling out or anything like that,” a source told Page Six exclusively. “They actually traveled together pretty recently. They just haven’t been hanging out as much as they used to.”
The source explained that the perceived distance is a natural evolution of their lives and social circles rather than any behind-the-scenes drama. Jenner is reportedly spending more time with her current partner, Timothée Chalamet, and engaging in couple-oriented activities.
“Kylie’s in a really serious relationship now and she’s been spending more time doing things with Timothée [Chalamet] and other couples, like dinners, double dates, group stuff like that,” the insider said. “It’s not the first time Kylie has been in a relationship while Stassie was single, so it’s not just that. Their lives and social circles are just a little different right now and they’re not overlapping as much. It isn’t personal.”
Karanikolaou, who is currently single, has been spending more time with friends who share similar life circumstances, including Earle. The two influencers have been frequently photographed together in recent months, documenting various travels and vacations on social media.
Karanikolaou has publicly acknowledged Jenner on social media, posting birthday wishes on her Instagram Stories and commenting on Jenner's posts. Jenner has reciprocated with supportive emojis.
“Stassie really grew up with Kylie and was such a huge part of her everyday life,” the source added. “They were attached at the hip for so many years that any change looks bigger than it actually is. They used to travel together all the time, work together, make TikToks, dress alike, basically do everything together.”
Jenner and Karanikolaou met in their early teenage years and became integral to each other's lives, even collaborating on a Stassie x Kylie Cosmetics collection in 2022. However, their once-constant proximity has naturally decreased as their individual lives have progressed.
“When you go from being together constantly to still being close but having your own lives and your own social circles, people are obviously going to notice it and assume something happened,” the insider explained. “But that doesn’t mean there was a fight.”
Representatives for Jenner, Karanikolaou, and Earle did not immediately respond to requests for comment.