Kim Kardashian, best known for her role in reality TV show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, is one of the most famous celebrities in the world today. She first gained media attention through her role as stylist and friend to Paris Hilton, but the TV series was most responsible for the fame that she and her family celebrate today. The family gave their fans insight into the everyday details of their lives, a move that would ultimately have an influence on celebrity culture today.
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A recent interview with Kim Kardashian on The Late Show with David Letterman has given us further insight into her life. Read on to discover more concerning Kardashian’s rapid rise to fame and the dark repercussions that this had for her…
Early Years
Kimberly Noel Kardashian was born on October 21, 1980. She was born in Los Angeles, California, to parents Kris Jenner (then Houghton) and Robert Kardashian. Rob Kardashian was a high-profile celebrity lawyer turned media businessman.
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Rob’s central role in one of America’s most notorious celebrity court cases would have a significant impact on the Kardashian family’s fame. This fame would only increase in the years to come. Kim’s mother Kris, would also end up making quite the name for herself, as one of the most distinguished celebrity managers, or “momagers” of all time.
Growing Up In The Hills
Kardashian had a very privileged upbringing, growing up in the extremely wealthy neighbourhood of Beverly Hills, California. The family were surrounded by celebrities, so it is no surprise that they eventually became part of that world themselves.
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While the young Kim felt comfortable with being connected to this world from an early age, this would not prepare her for the overwhelming amount of fame she would one day be confronted with, but let’s be honest, nothing really could!
Changing And Growing
Kim had a happy upbringing, surrounded by people. She grew up with three siblings: Kourtney, Khloe and Rob. Being part of a big family meant that she gained strong family values. These are reflected to this day, not only in the relationships she maintains with her siblings and mother, but also in her role as a mother of four.
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Kim’s parents divorced in 1991, when she was around ten years old. This didn’t prevent either of them from remaining loving and committed to their children. It wasn’t long before Kim’s mother, Kris, found herself a new husband, Olympic Gold Medal winning decathlete, Bruce Jenner. The family continued to thrive and grow, but something was about to happen that would change the course of their lives dramatically.
Caught In The Middle
In the aforementioned interview with David Letterman (pictured below), Kim opened up about the court case her father took on when she was just a teenager. It was a court case that threatened to tear her entire family apart.
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Robert Kardashian made the decision to reactivate his law license, when his friend, famous NFL player O.J Simpson, was accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Nicole Brown had been one of Kris Jenner’s closest friends. Kris was convinced that Simpson was responsible for her death, so when Rob Kardashian joined Simpson’s defence team, this led to a huge amount of tension within the family. “This happening was kind of unimaginable,” Kardashian recalled in the interview. “But then having your dad take one side and your mum take the complete opposite side was difficult.”
Turbulent Times
This was a very difficult time for the young Kim and her siblings. It created a rift which no amount of wealth and luxury could ever solve. The children didn’t know who to believe, while they had a traumatised mother to look after at home, they also wanted to support their father.
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“My mum was extremely vocal on her feelings,” she explained. “She believed that her friend was murdered by him and that was really traumatising for her. And then we’d go to my dad’s house and it was a whole other situation there… we didn’t really know what to believe or whose side to take as kids because we didn’t want to hurt one of our parents’ feelings… it kind of tore our family apart, I’d say for the whole time of the trial.”
Friends In High Places
The implications of her dad’s involvement in the Simpson case did not stop her from continuing to live her life and blossoming into a drop-dead-gorgeous woman. As a confident young adult, she immersed herself in the glamour of the Beverley Hills lifestyle.
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Though she was already very much a part of the celebrity circle, Kardashian started to gain media attention when she befriended the celebrity it-girl of the moment, Paris Hilton. The pair hit the town together, having become good friends after Kardashian took on the role of Hilton’s stylist. Little did she know, she was about to become a lot more famous than her new-found friend.
A Regrettable Decision
It wasn’t just Kim’s social life that was thriving, her love life was also taking off. It was around this time that she started dating music producer, Damon Thomas. The pair had a whirlwind romance, which sadly didn’t end too well.
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Kim married Damon in 2000, at the age of just 19. This came as quite the shock to the world and those close to the couple. However, it wasn’t to last. They were divorced in 2003. Kardashian went on to say that she deeply regretted the marriage and claimed that she was high on ecstasy when they got married.
The young socialite began dating rapper Ray J shortly before her divorce was finalised. Sadly, this wouldn’t be the last regrettable relationship decision for Kardashian.
Intense Scrutiny
As Kardashian became more famous, she was met with more intense scrutiny from the media. They took great interest in her dating decisions and, as she stated in the David Letterman interview, from an early age, she discovered just how far the media were willing to go.
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She spoke about an experience she had one night as a teenager, when she had gone to visit her father at his house. “There were all these cameras outside and that night on Hard Copy it said, ‘Robert Kardashian’s Mistress Pulling Up To His House!’ And I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ I couldn’t believe it that they were making this stuff up. And that was my first real lesson with the media.”
Business Launch
Despite the fact that the young Kim had a wild social life, she was also a very driven businesswoman. She devoted a lot of time and energy to her career when she wasn’t out socialising. In 2006, she launched her very own business, a high-end boutique clothes store called D-A-S-H.
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D-A-S-H launched in Calabasas, California and it wasn’t long before it had expanded its reach to three different locations in the United States. It also ended up inspiring its own reality TV series on the back of the KUWTK fame. However, Kardashian was about to hit the headlines for a different reason altogether, a much less positive reason.
A Devastating Blow
Just as things were going exceedingly well for Kardashian and she was making a name for herself in both the fashion and the business world, something from her past was about to resurface, which risked tarnishing her name to the point of no return.
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In 2006, a home video entitled Kim Kardashian Superstar was released. It had been leaked by Vivid Entertainment and featured some graphic footage of Kardashian and her then-boyfriend Ray J being intimate. Kardashian was absolutely devastated. All of her hard work up until this point hung in the balance. She was determined not to let this ruin her life, so she confronted the issue in an inspiring way which, ultimately, landed her even more fame.
A Positive Result
It was around this time that Kardashian and her family were working towards the release of their reality TV series, Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Kris Jenner had set the wheels in motion for this, suggesting the idea to Ryan Seacrest. She was convinced that it had potential since their family life was incredibly unique and each of her children possessed the kinds of qualities that would make for good TV.
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Kardashian was terrified that the release of this tape would threaten to dismantle all of the work that they had put into the launch of this series. However, fortunately for her, it turned out to have the opposite effect. Kardashian spoke openly about the tape on the first season of the show, expressing a lot of emotion on the subject. This genuine vulnerability and honesty served to draw fans to her even more.
Instant Success
Keeping Up With The Kardashians was an instant hit and instantly propelled the entire family to high levels of fame. Kim Kardashian was the leader of the cast, along with her siblings Kourtney, Khloe and Rob, as well as her half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, from her mother’s marriage to Bruce Jenner.
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While the whole family became instantly famous, Kim was the one who received the most attention. They were lauded by fans for their openness and seeming sincerity, however there was, in fact, a huge secret that was kept under wraps.
A Surprising Discovery
It wasn’t long before the Kardashians had a huge fanbase. People were fascinated by their lives and their willingness to share absolutely everything with the world. Kim opened up to Letterman about one secret that was hidden from the cameras for a long time.
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At the age of about 26, she walked in on her stepfather dressed as a woman. “Bruce called my phone,” she recalled. “And said, ‘Whenever you’re ready, I’d love to sit you down and talk to you, but in the meantime, don’t tell a soul. Your mum has no idea and she will kill me.'” At that point, Kim had no idea just how significant a discovery this would turn out to be.
Another Wedding
A lot happened in Kardashian’s life over those few years. Not only had she started a business and become the star of a hugely successful reality TV show, but it was around this time that she started dating NBA player, Kris Humphries. This relationship began in 2010 and was, of course, made known to the world through his appearances on KUWTK.
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Kardashian and Humphries ended up getting married. The wedding provided some fresh content for KUWTK, as they produced a two-part special around Kardashian and Humphries’ wedding. These episodes attracted a whopping ten million viewers. Unfortunately, this relationship too would end in disaster.
An Emotional End
Just 72 days following Kardashian’s wedding to Humphries, she filed for divorce. The reason for this was put down to irreconcilable differences. The extremely short-lived nature of this marriage and the long build up to the wedding led people to wonder whether it had all been simply an act, in order to bring in more ratings for the show.
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When discussing her feelings about this on the show, Kardashian ended up crying hysterically. This has gone on to become one of the most infamous scenes from the show and a meme which has been circulated relentlessly on the web.
Ocean Disaster
Another iconic moment from the show happened around this time, when the family were on a luxurious holiday together in Bora Bora. After being pushed into the ocean by Humphries, Kardashian had the dreadful realisation that she had lost her $75,000 earring.
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Upon realising this, Kardashian again broke down in hysterical tears. Even more iconic than Kardashian’s own reaction, were the words of her notoriously sharp-tongued sister, Kourtney. She responded to Kim’s cries in saying: “Kim, there’s people that are dying,” this soon became a favourite phrase of the internet.
Enter West
It wasn’t long before Kim’s love life would hit an all time high. In 2011, she began dating rapper Kanye West, after being friends for many years. “I just knew I wanted her to be my girl for a long time,” Kanye later revealed to Ryan Seacrest.
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“I remember I saw a picture of her and Paris Hilton, and I remember telling my boy, ‘Have you seen that girl Kim Kar-dijon?'” West ultimately managed to progress past the friendship stage and get his girl, and what a stunning couple they make!
Iconic Couple
It wasn’t long before Kardashian and West became the celebrity power couple of the moment. Both well loved and respected in their own right, when they announced that they were in a relationship, fans went wild with excitement and joy.
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West’s influence on Kardashian’s life has been huge. One of the most notable influences has been on her fashion sense. West has always been a fashion guru and this has evidently had an effect on Kardashian, who is now considered to be a real style icon.
An Italian Wedding
Life finally seemed to be heading in the right direction for Kardashian. After two failed marriages, she really deserved to have this fairytale ending and the world was very much behind her on this one. On May 24, 2014, the happy couple tied the knot.
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The lavish ceremony took place at Fort di Belvedere in Florence, Italy. This is rumoured to have cost the couple the grand total of around $6 million. “Thank you for always being you and never letting the world change who you are,” Kardashian wrote in an Instagram post. “Life wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“Kimye”
Following the couple’s wedding, their fame reached new levels. They soon became one of the most high-profile and media-savvy celebrity couples of all time. Fans even adopted a joint name for them: “Kimye.” Kardashian, as a hugely successful businesswoman, knew exactly how to capitalise on the attention of fans around the world.
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Not long after the wedding, the couple announced that Kim was pregnant. As you can imagine, their fans again went wild. Kardashian’s iconic maternity wardrobe also received a lot of media attention. The couple’s first child, a daughter named North West, was born in the summer of 2013.
Breaking The Internet
Settling down with West and having a child in no way meant that Kardashian would be taking a break from being in the spotlight. In fact, the opposite happened. In 2014, she posed for a now-iconic cover feature for Paper magazine (pictured below).
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She also posted this on her Instagram page along with the caption “break the internet.” True to this statement, the magazine ended up accumulating over twice its usual amount of views. While her celebrity status continued to soar, she was about to enter uncharted waters in her personal life.
Pregnancy Struggles
The year 2015 brought about the birth of Kardashian and West’s second child, a son called Saint West. The couple couldn’t have been happier about the arrival of their little son, especially since this pregnancy had been such a challenge for Kim.
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Kardashian was open about her pregnancy struggles, revealing that she had suffered, during both pregnancies, with a condition called pre-eclampsia. She also suffered from problems with her placenta and was warned by doctors that it might be difficult to get pregnant for a third time. However, having grown up in a large family herself, Kardashian was determined to have one of her own.
Loving Mother
Kardashian is constantly gushing about her children and how much love she has for them. While her work life is very chaotic, she always ensures that she takes enough time out to focus on her family. “We just took our daughter to a school dance and there’s a dance competition,” she told Letterman.
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“How will she feel if she wins? How will she feel if she doesn’t win? It consumes you, so much.” Kardashian spoke openly about the pressures of being a mother. While the pressure is immense, Kardashian is so devoted to her children and decided that she would stop at nothing to have another baby.
A Difficult Journey
In typical Kardashian style, Kim was extremely open about the struggles she’d faced concerning pregnancy. Keeping Up With The Kardashians gave fans an insight into some of the medical processes she endured in her attempt to get pregnant for a third time.
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After months of trying, Kardashian was informed by doctors that the safest thing for her to do, would be to give up trying to have another child of her own. Kardashian refused to let this deter her from continuing the pursuit. She began looking into other options and continued to share this journey with the world.
Determination
Kardashian, in addition to the impact she has had on reality TV and celebrity culture, has been influential in spreading awareness of the struggles that some women face during pregnancy. Kardashian and West turned to surrogacy for their third and fourth children.
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The identity of their surrogate was protected, however, this didn’t stop Kardashian from being completely open about the process itself. Through doing this on the show, Kim brought hope to women who faced similar struggles with natural conception.
Individual Successes
At this point, the Kardashian-West-Jenner clan had essentially built their own celebrity empire. On top of the show being one of the most popular reality TV programmes of all time, each individual member of the cast had gone on to become successful in their own right.
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Kardashian’s sister, Kendall Jenner had gone on to become one of the world’s most successful supermodels, and Kylie became one of the world’s youngest self-made billionaires thanks to the cosmetics company she started. Some families just have it!
Kardashian’s Wealth
One thing Kardashian tends to be fairly reluctant to discuss is her wealth. She admitted this when David Letterman pressed her on the subject, explaining that she feels that it is an inappropriate subject to talk openly about.
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“Who’s making more money?” Letterman asked. “Him, probably,” Kim grinned before adding: “we’re exactly even. We’re both really blessed and do extremely well and I’m really grateful.” Hey, at least she gave us something!
Strictly Business
The success of the Kardashian’s is a subject which has polarised American society. Some are of the opinion that the Kardashian’s are essentially “famous for being famous.” They believe that they have no real talent or substance.
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Others feel that they are an important symbol of women’s empowerment. They have taken media fascination and transformed it into a formidable business empire which works in their favour. Either way, their influence on American culture is undeniable.
Something massive was about to happen which would turn their lives upside down.
Revelation
Kardashian had put the encounter where she witnessed her stepfather dressed as a woman out of her mind, just as he had asked her to do. A number of years had passed since this incident, but her stepfather was about to make a shocking announcement that would bring it to the forefront of her mind.
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Following Kris and Bruce Jenner’s split, the Olympian came out with a statement that would completely shock not only the world, but also the entire Kardashian-Jenner clan. Jenner came out as a transgender woman, now going by the name Caitlyn.
A Difficult Period
In her emotional interview with David Letterman, Kardashian revealed just how difficult this period had been for the entire family and particularly for her mother, Kris Jenner. “It was just a little confusing because we all wanted to be there in support of (Caitlyn),” she explained.
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“But then also wanting to support our mum who this is news to. Married to someone for 22 years. Her heart is broken and they have children. It’s just a lot when you find out along with the whole world.” While this was a lot of emotional turmoil to go through, it didn’t end there. Something terrifying was just around the corner.
Gunpoint
In 2016 something traumatic happened to Kim that would shock the world. While on a trip to Paris for fashion week, she was held at gunpoint in her luxurious apartment. The perpetrators left her unharmed, but stole millions of dollars of jewellery from her.
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Kardashian opened up about this for the first time, publicly, during the Letterman interview. When recounting the horrifying experience, she became extremely emotional, unsurprisingly! “He tied me up with handcuffs and zip ties and duct tape,” she said, choking back tears. “I saw him have a gun… And I’m like, ‘Ok, this is it.'” Kardashian went on to reveal something even more shocking about the incident…
Coincidence?
What she revealed, was a seemingly prophetic conversation that she had with some friends just hours before the incident took place. “Me and my girlfriends, we had lunch that day,” she told Letterman. “And we said, ‘If you guys were robbed, what would you do?
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…Would you just give them the stuff?’ Why we had this conversation, it was so wild… And I said I would say, take everything, just take everything. Nothing is important. And then that night (the robbery happened).”
Forever Changed
After this terrifying experience, Kardashian’s life changed. She admitted to becoming paranoid following the incident (we don’t blame her!) and, from that point on, she was always extra cautious with matters of safety. It also gave her some serious perspective on what was most important to her.
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While Kardashian is one of the most glamorous celebrities out there, she has spoken openly about how she now places less importance on material things. These weren’t the only things that changed for Kardashian in terms of her outlook…
Perspective
After going through something so traumatic, it is unsurprising that Kardashian began to rethink the way she lives her life. In addition to placing more value on her own life, she considered how she might be able to help others.
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She decided that she wanted to give something back to the world. It certainly came as a surprise when Kardashian ventured into the world of philanthropy. She began to devote a considerable amount of time to social activism and the pursuit of policy change.
Jack Of All Trades
As if she didn’t have enough strings to her bow, Kardashian is now following in her father’s footsteps and has taken on a four-year apprenticeship with a law firm in the U.S. However, she isn’t doing this in the conventional way and is, instead, taking part in the at-home programme.
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She assured Letterman that it was a bona fide programme. “Abraham Lincoln did it this way, famously,” she revealed. “So it’s legit.” Kardashian isn’t doing this for herself, but rather so she can do some good in the world.
Fight For Change
Kardashian has already made an impact in the world of law. One thing she is particularly passionate about is helping those who have been unfairly incarcerated for relatively minor crimes. As part of her studies, she famously won clemency for Alice Marie Johnson.
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Alice Marie Johnson is a 63-year-old American woman who was given a life sentence for drug-related crimes. Having already served more than two decades behind bars, Kardashian fought for her release, stating that she had already more than paid her debt to society. She won the case and Alice was released. Kardashian also won a Stay of Execution for Death Row inmate, Rodney Reed. These two cases have won her worldwide support.
End Of An Era
Over the years, each individual from the Kardashian-Jenner clan has become more and more successful in their own right. In 2020, the world was stunned when they announced that Keeping Up With The Kardashians would finally be coming to an end after 20 seasons.
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The show has brought them all to where they are today, but they evidently no longer have a use for it. However, the decision is surprising considering the fact that Kardashian has always expressed that the show comes first. What has really brought about this decision?
Craving Some Normality?
Many believe that this decision has been made as a result of the long-running tensions between the members of this tight-knit clan. Has it all become too much? It’s enough to deal with these issues within the family, but to show them to the world adds another layer of intensity.
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While they have enjoyed filming the show, it is clear that, at times, they have all wished for a life out of the limelight. Perhaps they would just like to experience a bit of normality, after spending so much time without much privacy.
An Inspiration
Kim Kardashian’s story is quite the fairytale. While she did grow up in a position of immense privilege, she underwent quite the transformation, becoming one of the most famous, most talked about and, arguably, most successful women in the world.
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While many are of the opinion that she is talentless, there is no denying that she has successfully navigated the world of the media and used her fame as a platform to bring about positive change. She has openly shared this journey with the world and managed to stay true to herself all the while. She is a real inspiration to us all.