Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom 'separate'... how NBA star once revealed fears he was haunted by his father's drug 'demons'

He is reported to have 'separated' from his wife of four years, Khloe Kardashian amid a storm of cheating and drug abuse allegations.
But for Lamar Odom, the claims that he is abusing hard drugs are especially shocking, given his own family history.
During a 2011 episode of his spin-off series Khloe & Lamar, the basketball star revealed that his father Joe Odom is a 'heroin addict,' and was largely absent after his mother passed away from colon cancer when he was just 12-years-old.

Troubled life: Lamar Odom claimed his father Joe was a 'heroin' addict during a 2011 episode of spin-off reality show, Khloe & Lamar

'I witnessed things that a 10-year-old definitely wasn’t supposed to see,' he told his reality star wife on the show after his father arrived unannounced at a Kardashian book signing event.
The 33-year-old star was largely brought up by his grandmother and later Jerry DeGregorio, the coach of his Rhode Island college team, according to People.
But the knowledge of his father's drug addictions appeared to play on his mind in the early stages of his basketball career when he was suspended for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy for the second time in eight months.

Getting to know you: Khloe Kardashian and Joe Odom filming a scene together for their reality show

'A lot of times I'd think about it and say, "Damn, am I fighting my father's demons with this?" he told The Miami Herald in a 2003 interview, two years after admitting to using marijuana while in Los Angeles playing for The Clippers

Separated? Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom have reportedly 'split' after she allegedly threw him out of the house last Wednesday

'I just couldn't control myself in LA. I look back at it, the lifestyle that I was living and the things I had access to, it could have been something else.
'I was so weak and vulnerable in my life,' he added. 'I was just like, "I need to go somewhere and release. I need to feel different." There were times where I said, "Yo, I gotta go away for two days." I would go to practice, then nobody could find me.'
In the interview, Lamar claimed he had not smoked marijuana since his second suspension and put his drug use behind him. He declared he would 'probably start crying' if he did the drug again.
However, recent reports allege that Lamar is now in far deeper trouble, with his 'drug problem' reportedly the real reason behind his 'split' with wife Khloe, according to TMZ.
(Representatives from both Lamar and Khloe have yet to comment on the drug use allegations and reports of a split.)
Khloe has reportedly been attempting to 'save' her husband of four years from his alleged abuse of drugs after recently driving to see him at an undisclosed location.
The website alleges that Khloe and her family attempted to stage an intervention last week which resulted in Lamar leaving the marital home. He was pictured on Wednesday as an associate loaded a number of large suitcases into his car in Calabasas, California.
Sources familiar with the situation told TMZ that 'Khloe has not given up on Lamar' but 'will never get back with him until he's clean.
The 29-year-old TV personality is also said to have taken 'no steps to file for divorce because she believes there's still a chance for Lamar to be saved,' the report adds.
'They really do love each other,' a source told People. 'But she really feels that this problem is out of control, and she's hurt that he won't get help.'

Sad: Lamar's mother, right, died of colon cancer when he was 12-years-old and his father, right was not around when he was a child

No other members of the Kardashian family have commented on the alleged issues between the couple, with Kris Jenner looking in good spirits as she visited a friend in Beverly Hills on Sunday.

But Khloe appears to be feeling the pressure, taking to her Twitter page in an expletive filled rant following more reports about her NBA star husband.
She wrote on Sunday: 'Really hard to sit here and listen to people talk s*** about my family! F*** you and shame on you! I'm too protective for this s***!'

Solace: Kris Jenner was spotted visiting a friend in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon amid reports her daughter Khloe has separated from husband Lamar Odom

Reports included the allegation that people close to the NBA star had been unable to find or contact him for 72 hours over the weekend although a representative for Lamar denied this.
A spokesperson for the basketball star told TMZ on Sunday afternoon that he was fine but would not reveal his whereabouts.
'Lamar is not missing. His wife knows exactly where he is,' his agent Jeff Schwartz told ESPN.
Back in August last year, Khloe is said to have urged Lamar to go to rehab and after he entered a San Diego facility she hired private investigators to make sure he didn't leave.

At her breaking point: Khloe finally tweeted her frustration with people talking 's**t' about her current marital situation

Online affirmation: Khloe posted a tweet on Friday citing the importance of strength to survival

Heartfelt: Lamar posted a tweet last month supporting Khloe as claims of his infidelity surfaced

Lamar reportedly constantly threatened to leave the rehab clinic and Khloe visited several times to convince him to stay, but he left after three weeks, sources said.
Lamar, who won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, stayed clean and played well last season for the Los Angeles Clippers, but sources said he resumed using drugs after the season.
The couple have also been subject to persistent rumours that their marriage is in trouble after Lamar, allegedly cheated on Khloe with two different women. 

'Thrown out': Lamar was seen outside the home he shares with Khloe in Calabasas, California on Wednesday

Packed bags: A man was seen loading large amounts of luggage into Lamar's car while the basketball star stood by

TMZ reported Khloe is 'convinced it happened' as regards reports of Lamar's infidelity, but feels his drug abuse has been the main problem in their relationship.
'Khloe is more concerned about saving Lamar than ending her marriage,' a source told TMZ.
The couple got married in 2009 about a month after meeting each other.
Representatives for Lamar did not respond to MailOnline's request for comment.

Cute as a button: Khloe posted a photomicrograph of herself on Monday as a child looking rather gloomy