Keeping Up With The Kardashians vet Jonathan Cheban makes major life change 20 years after meeting Kim Kardashian

Jonathan Cheban was spotted leaving the famed Japanese restaurant Nobu in Malibu on Thursday evening.

It was where longtime pal Khloe Kardashian was hosting an event for her new Hulu spinoff reality TV show titled The Girls: A Khloé Kardashian Project which stars some of her best friends, including Malika Haqq and Olivia Pierson.

Cheban had a California tan and a spring in his step as he headed to his car by the valet stand just after Beatles musician Ringo Starr, 86, left the venue.

That might be because the Keeping Up With The Kardashians veteran has made a major life change.

The Daily Mail has learned the best friend of Kim Kardashian has moved from his native New York City to Los Angeles for business reasons.

'He is living in Los Angeles these days and loving it,' a source told the Daily Mail. 'It's a new beginning for him. He is working on several new brands and may pop up in a new reality TV show.'

The move comes as New York City continues to deal with major problems such as homelessness.

Almost 100,000 people sleep in city shelters in Manhattan, and nearly 5,000 people live unsheltered on the streets, subways and parks.

The cost of living is also a challenge as rents have soared and consumer prices have gone up. There is also a heavy tax burden: New York City imposes a local personal income tax on its residents that is separate from and in addition to the New York State income tax.

Then there is the general ease. 'Jonathan moved back to Los Angeles because it's just nicer, it's cleaner and cheaper and easier to get around, even with all the traffic, he loves driving from here to there,' said a source.

'He loves the weather and a lot of the restaurants, he is FoodGood after all and eats out a lot.'

There is also his friendship with the Kardashians after he met the family in 2008.

'He is still close to Kim, Kourtney and Khloe, they all talk and hang out, it's nice,' said a source. 'He is glad they are all doing so well.'

As far as his career, he has his hands in a lot of pots.

Cheban has developed food-focused business ventures, including Foodgod Fresh (a national meal delivery service), Restaurant Imposters sauces and Cold Case Ice Cream. 

Earlier this year, Kim talked about her friendship with Cheban while on her sister's podcast Khloe in Wonder Land.

After some fans questioned why she had not been seen with the New Yorker in a while, she said, 'I love Jonathan. We should call him... Jonathan and I are good. Here's the thing, I had kids.'

She has four children with ex-husband Kanye West: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. 

The girlfriend of Lewis Hamilton added: 'It's really hard to maintain friendships when you have kids and you're like in it... Jonathan is not going to come and sit around Calabasas all day. He's like always on the move.'

Khloe then said: 'Especially when someone else doesn't have kids. It's not like you can do play dates with your kids. I get that — and we love Jonathan. There's so much history there.'

In March 2025 Cheban told the Daily Mail that he doesn't 'need anything' from his longtime friend 'except her friendship.

'I don't want anything from her, I don't need anything from her,' he said. 'We've been friends for 15 years and I don't ever want to have any issues - connecting her with a guy or connecting her with business. I don't need anything except her friendship.'

Cheban's career began in the 1990s when he worked for publicist Peggy Siegal in NYC.

After he left Siegal's firm he formed his own public-relations firm then went on to create CommandPR.

That is when he met Kim and started popping up on her reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians and could be spied in the spinoffs Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Kourtney and Kim Take Miami and Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons.

In 2010, Cheban starred in his own reality show, The Spin Crowd, then in 2016, Cheban entered the Celebrity Big Brother 17 house in the U.K.

In 2017, Cheban appeared on the second season of U.K.'s Celebs Go Dating.

In 2018 he was on his show Food God and on Celebrity Family Feud. Then in 2019 he appeared on Gemma Collins: Diva Forever. He now can be seen on The Kardashians occasionally. 

His brands have included the clothing line, Kritik, Sushi MiKasa restaurant in Miami, Glam Screen, which is both a protective cover for a smart phone, TheDishh, an entertainment and life-style website, the restaurant Burger Bandit in Lynbrook in New York and the podcast Foodgod: OMFG!