Travis Barker is opening up about the healing power of love. The Blink-182 drummer shared how falling in love with Kourtney Kardashian helped him overcome his debilitating fear of flying, more than a decade after surviving a deadly plane crash that killed four people. Speaking at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his new Hulu documentary , Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear, Barker credited his wife with giving him the hope he needed to board a plane again.
“Falling in love again, my wife gave me so much hope that I ended up flying again and believed that I could do it, and now my kids fly,” he told E! News. “The power of love is amazing.” The documentary chronicles his seven-year journey from tragedy to healing, following the traumatic 2008 crash that left him with third-degree burns on 65% of his body and survivor’s guilt that haunted him for years.
In September 2008, Barker was aboard a private Learjet that crashed during takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina. The tires blew out, the plane veered off the runway, smashed through a fence, and burst into flames. Barker and his friend Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein were the only survivors. Both pilots, Barker’s assistant Chris Baker, and his security guard Charles “Che” Still died in the crash.
Barker suffered catastrophic injuries. He spent 11 weeks in the hospital, underwent 27 surgeries, and multiple skin grafts. His body was covered in jet fuel, and he later recalled “burping jet fuel for almost three months.” The trauma left him with severe PTSD. He refused to fly for 13 years, convinced he would never board a plane again.
Barker didn’t fly again until August 2021, when he joined then-girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian and her family on Kylie Jenner’s private jet to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He shared a photo of the milestone moment, writing, “With you anything is possible.” A source close to the musician revealed that Barker had been working on overcoming his fear for some time, and Kardashian’s unwavering support was instrumental. “It’s through her love, help and confidence in him that he was able to finally do this,” the source said.
Barker has since flown more than 30 times, crediting Kardashian’s “healing love” for helping him tour again and enjoy life. He still finds flying stressful, calling it “unbearable” at times, but refuses to let fear control his future. The documentary, Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear, premieres on Hulu August 13 and promises an unfiltered look at his journey from trauma to redemption.
