Travis Barker is opening up about how Kourtney Kardashian helped him rebuild his life after one of the most traumatic experiences he has ever faced.
Speaking at the premiere of his documentary Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear at the Tribeca Film Festival, the Blink-182 drummer said his relationship with Kardashian gave him the emotional strength to confront the deep fear he developed after a deadly 2008 plane crash.
During an interview with E! News, Barker explained that falling in love again completely changed his outlook and played a key role in his recovery.
“Falling in love again, my wife gave me so much hope to where I ended up flying again,” he said. “And believed that I could do it, and now my kids fly. It's just insane.”
Barker also highlighted the importance of his children in his healing process, saying they gave him purpose and emotional stability during his recovery journey.
“The power of love is amazing. My kids were my strength from the time they existed,” he added.
His comments come more than 15 years after the tragic 2008 private jet crash that nearly took his life. The aircraft suffered a tire failure during takeoff and crashed shortly after, killing four people, including Barker’s close friend Chris Baker, his security guard Charles Still, and both pilots.
Barker and musician Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein were the only survivors of the crash.
He suffered severe injuries, including third-degree burns over 65 percent of his body, and underwent 26 surgeries as part of his recovery. The emotional toll was equally devastating, especially after Goldstein died less than a year later from a drug overdose, which deepened Barker’s survivor’s guilt.
Barker has previously spoken about how the trauma affected his daily life. In a 2021 interview, he admitted he struggled heavily with fear and anxiety after the crash.
“I was dark,” he said. “I couldn’t walk down the street. If I saw a plane, I was determined it was going to crash.”
He also described how the experience of trying to escape the burning aircraft and losing friends continued to haunt him for years afterward.
Because of the trauma, Barker avoided flying completely for more than a decade, choosing to travel by bus or boat instead. That changed in 2021 when he finally boarded a plane again, this time with Kardashian by his side.
Over time, he credits both therapy and distance from the event as part of his healing process.
“It’s gotten better the further I get away from it,” he said. “There are days when I’ll wake up and never think about it.”
Even after surviving the crash, Barker faced another frightening incident in 2018 when a school bus ran a red light and hit his car. He escaped that accident with only minor injuries.
He has since documented much of his recovery journey in his memoir Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums, which details both his physical and emotional battles.
