With sistersKourtney andKhloé, she launched the fashion boutique chainDash, which operated from 2006 to 2018.[3] Kardashian founded KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance in 2017, both of which operated until 2022; the former was valued at over US$1 billion in 2021.[4][5] She founded the shaping underwear andfoundation garment companySkims in 2019, which is valued at over US$4 billion as of 2023[update].[6] Following the closure of her cosmetics and fragrance brands, Kardashian founded her skincare line, Sknn by Kim, in 2022.[7] She has released a variety of products tied to her name, including the 2014mobile gameKim Kardashian: Hollywood, the 2015 photo bookSelfish, and the 2015 emoji appKimoji. Her acting credits include the filmsDisaster Movie (2008),Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013),twoPAW Patrol films (2021 and 2023), and thetwelfth season of the anthology horror seriesAmerican Horror Story (2023–2024).[8]
Kimberly Noel Kardashian was born on October 21, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, toRobert andKris Kardashian (née Houghton).[19] She has an older sister,Kourtney, a younger sister,Khloé, and a younger brother,Rob.[20] Their mother is of Scottish and Dutch ancestry,[21][22] while their father is ofArmenian descent.[23] In 1991, their parents divorced and their mother marriedBruce Jenner,[a] the1976 Summer Olympicsdecathlon winner.[25] As a result of her mother's remarriage, Kim Kardashian acquired stepbrothersBurt,Brandon, andBrody; stepsister Casey; and, later, two half-sisters,Kendall andKylie Jenner.[26]
Kardashian attendedMarymount High School, aRoman Catholic all-girls school in Los Angeles.[27] In 1994, her father represented football playerO. J. Simpson duringhis murder trial. Simpson was Kardashian's godfather.[28] Kardashian's father died in 2003 of cancer.[29] In her teenage years, Kardashian was a close friend ofNicole Richie andParis Hilton, through whom she first garnered media attention.[11][30] After she totaled her car at age 16, her father agreed to buy her a new one on the condition that she agree to be responsible for paying all expenses related to any future damages.[31] She subsequently began working at Body, a local clothing store inEncino, California, where she worked for four years, assisting in the opening of the Calabasas location. In 2000, after entering into her first marriage, she resigned.[32]
Career
Beginnings (2003–2006)
By 2003, Kardashian was working as apersonal stylist to the R&B singer and actress,Brandy, the sister ofRay J.[33] Later, the siblings' mother (and manager) Sonja Norwood, alleged that in 2004 she had authorized Kardashian to make "one and only one" purchase on herAmerican Express credit card and that nevertheless Kardashian and her sisters Khloé and Kourtney had incurred over $120,000 inunauthorized charges to that card. Norwood also alleged that the bulk of the charges were attributable to purchases made at Kardashian's family-owned boutique in 2006 and 2007, after Kardashian was no longer employed by Norwood's daughter. Norwood further alleged that, at the request of her children, she did not file criminal charges, instead presenting her allegations personally to Kardashian, and that Kardashian apologized and promised to repay the debt. In 2008, when no payments had been made, Norwood filed a lawsuit. Kardashian has denied all these allegations. In 2009, the parties reportedly reached a confidential settlement and the lawsuit was dismissed.[34][35]
In 2006, Kardashian began working as a stylist forParis Hilton, a childhood friend of hers. She appeared in several episodes of the reality seriesThe Simple Life and was frequently photographed accompanying Hilton to events and parties.[36][37] Sheeraz Hasan, a PR strategist working with Hilton, had previously met Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner in 2005, and stated in a 202020/20 television special that Kardashian was "ready to do whatever it takes" to create a successful brand. Rick Mendozza, a freelance photographer on assignment for the tabloidTMZ, remarked in the same interview that, when Kardashian accompanied Hilton to nightclub Hyde, which was aHollywood hotspot at the time, he continued to get assignments from tabloids to get photographs of Kardashian for the next three years.[38] In 2021, Kardashian said that Hilton "literally gave me a career. And I totally acknowledge that."[39]
In February 2007, asex tape made by Kardashian and singerRay J in 2003 wasleaked on the internet and gained national attention.[40][41] Kardashian filed a lawsuit againstVivid Entertainment for distributing the film asKim Kardashian, Superstar.[42] She dropped the suit 3 months later andsettled for a reportedUS$5 million, giving Vivid permission to market and sell copies of the tape.[2] Sales from the film reportedly generated nearly US$1.5 million in revenue in the first six weeks.[43] Several media outlets later criticized her and her family for using the sex tape's release as a publicity stunt to promote their forthcoming reality show.[44][45][46]
In October 2007, Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner, her step-parent Caitlyn Jenner (then Bruce Jenner), her siblings Kourtney, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian, and half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, began to appear in the reality television seriesKeeping Up with the Kardashians.[47] The series proved successful forE!, and led to the creation of a number of spin-offs, includingKourtney and Kim Take New York andKourtney and Kim Take Miami.[48] The flagship series concluded in June 2021 after 294 episodes.[49]
Kardashian posed in a nude pictorial for the December 2007 issue ofPlayboy,[50][51] and appeared on the cover of the November 2010 issue of RomanianPlayboy, promoting a pictorial titled "Poezia Unui Fund Bombat" (The Poetry of a Bulging Ass).[52] She made her feature film debut, oppositeCarmen Electra, in the disaster film spoofDisaster Movie (2008), in which she appeared as a character named Lisa.[53][54] In 2008, she was a participant onseason seven ofDancing with the Stars, where she was partnered withMark Ballas.[55] She was the third contestant to be eliminated.[56] In September 2009, Fusion Beauty andSeven Bar Foundation launched "Kiss Away Poverty", with Kardashian as the face of the campaign. For each LipFusion lipgloss sold,US$1 went to the Foundation to fund women entrepreneurs in the United States.[57] In October, she launched her first fragrance, self-titled "Kim Kardashian".[58][59] That year, she also released a workout DVD series, became a guest host–judge ofWrestleMania XXIV onAmerica's Next Top Model,[60][61][62][63] and guest-starred inHow I Met Your Mother,Beyond the Break,[64] andCBS'sCSI: NY.[65][66]
By 2010, Kardashian had ventured into several new endorsement deals, including endorsing various food products forCarl's Jr.[67][68] On July 1, 2010, the New York City branch ofMadame Tussauds revealed a wax figure of Kardashian.[69] Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé wrote an autobiography titledKardashian Konfidential, which was released in stores on November 23, 2010, and appeared onNew York Times'sBest Seller List.[70] In December 2010, she filmed a music video for a song titled "Jam (Turn It Up)". The video was directed byHype Williams;Kanye West makes a cameo in the video.[71] Kardashian premiered the song during a New Year's Eve party at TAO Las Vegas on December 31, 2010.[72] The song was produced byThe-Dream andTricky Stewart. When asked if an album was in the works, Kardashian replied, "There's no album in the works or anything—just one song we did forKourtney and Kim Take New York, and a video Hype Williams directed, half of the proceeds we're giving away to a cancer foundation, because The-Dream's and one of my parents passed away from cancer. It's just all having fun—with a good cause".[73] Jim Farber, writing for theDaily News, called the song a "dead-brained piece of generic dance music, without a single distinguishing feature", and suggested that the single made Kardashian the "worst singer in the reality TV universe".[74]
In 2011, Kardashian released her third fragrance, "Gold",[58] as well as a novel,Dollhouse, along with sisters Kourtney and Khloe.[78] In 2012,E! renewedKeeping Up with the Kardashians for two additional seasons, in a deal reported to be worth $50 million.[79][80] That year, Kardashian released her fourth fragrance, "True Reflection", which she worked with the company Dress for Success to promote,[81] and her fifth fragrance, "Glam", which was made available throughDebenhams.[82] InTemptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013), a romantic drama produced, written, and directed byTyler Perry, Kardashian obtained the role of the co-worker of an ambitious therapist. While the film was a moderate box office success, with a worldwide gross of US$53.1 million,[83] critical response was negative and Kardashian won theRazzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress.[84]
Kardashian releasedKim Kardashian: Hollywood, amobile game foriPhone andAndroid, in June 2014. The objective of the game is to become a Hollywood star or starlet.[85] The game supports afree to play model, meaning the game is free to download, but charges for in-game items.[86] It was a hit, earningUS$1.6 million in its first five days of release.[86] In July, developerGlu Mobile announced that the game was the fifth highest earning game in Apple's App Store.[86] She voiced an alien in the September 21, 2014, episode of theadult animated seriesAmerican Dad!.[87][88]
Kardashian appeared on the cover and in a pictorial inPaper's winter 2014 issue, photographed byJean-Paul Goude.[89] On the cover, her nude buttocks are featured above the caption: "Break the Internet", which generated considerable comment in both social and traditional media.[90][91] ATime magazine writer commented that, unlike previous celebrities' nudes that represented the women's rebellion against repressed society and "trying to tear down" barriers, Kardashian's exhibition was "just provocation and bluster, repeated images that seem to offer us some sort of truth or insight but are really just self serving. We want there to be something more, some reason or context, some great explanation that tells us what it is like to live in this very day and age, but there is not. Kim Kardashian's ass is nothing but an empty promise."[92] However, the stunt "set a new benchmark" in social media response,[93] andPaper's website received 15.9 million views in one day, compared with 25,000 views on an average day.[94][95]
Kardashian released a portfolio book calledSelfish, a 325-page collection of self-taken photos of herself, in May 2015.[96] It received positive reviews from critics,[97] with Kat Brown ofThe Telegraph describing it as "unexpectedly revealing" and "oddly moving".[98] That year, she was also the cover model for the August issue ofVogue Spain,[99] and released anemoji pack for iOS devices calledKimoji.[100] The app was a best-seller, becoming one of the top 5 most bought apps in its first week of release.[100]
By November 2016, as perCBC Marketplace and interviews with celebrity endorsement experts, Kardashian was reportedly paid at least US$300,000 for each post that she made onInstagram,Facebook andTwitter, endorsing beauty products like waist trainers, teeth whiteners as well as Coca-Cola and well-known charities.[101]Business Insider later estimated her fee to be around US$720,000 perInstagram post. Even though engagement data indicates that her posts are worth slightly less,[102] her regular features in the news allows her to demand a premium above any calculated Instagramsponsored post price.
KKW Beauty, KKW Fragrances, and Skims (2017–2019)
With sistersKourtney andKhloé, she launched the fashion boutique chainDash with an initial store in Calabasas, California.[60] The chain operated between 2006 and 2018.[103] In 2017, Kardashian launched both her beauty and fragrance lines, KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance.[104][105]
Kardashian andLaverne Cox co-executive produced theLifetime reality competition series,Glam Masters, which premiered in February 2018.[106] The eight-episode series revolved around aspiring beauty bloggers who competed for the title of "Glam Master"; prizes for the winner included collaborating with Kardashian on a makeup line for KKW Beauty and the opportunity to join her "glam squad".[107][108] Kardashian and the series' winner, Argenis Pinal teamed up on aneyeshadow sticks line for KKW Beauty, named "Créme Color Sticks".[109] She made a cameo appearance in the heist filmOcean's 8, which was released on June 8, 2018.[110] Kardashian's next project was thehidden camera-prank reality series,You Kiddin' Me. Co-executive produced by Kardashian andLionsgate Television, the web series premiered onFacebook Watch in September 2018.[111] She appeared alongside her sisters and mother Kris Jenner in the premiere episode of the series.[112] In November, Kardashian and Kris appeared in theNBC special,A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy.[113]
In May 2019, Kardashian appeared in the music video for DJ duoDimitri Vegas & Like Mike andParis Hilton's single, "B.F.A. (Best Friend's Ass)".[114] After announcing a new range of shapewear called Kimono in June, Kardashian was heavily criticized over the name of the brand, which critics argued disrespected Japanese culture and ignored the significance behind thetraditional outfit. Following the launch of the range, the hashtag #KimOhNo began trending onTwitter and the mayor ofKyoto wrote to Kardashian to ask her to reconsider the trademark on Kimono. In response to public pressure, she announced that she would change the name.[115] However, Japanese trade ministerHiroshige Seko stated that he would still be dispatching patent officials for a meeting at theU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and that Japan would keep an eye on the situation.[116] In August 2019, she rebranded the shapewear company to the name "Skims".[117][118] It launched the following month as aDTC operation via its webstore[119] and shortly after, was widely made available via multiple retail websites.[120] The brand has been recognized and praised for its inclusive sizing and apparel shades;[121] itscelebrity branding—including musicians, actors, and athletes—has received significant media attention and achieved prominence inpopular culture.[122] Since its launch, Skims has expanded to a variety of loungewear, women's apparel, menswear, andunisex clothing.[121][123][124]
In February 2020, the brand entered its first retail partnership with luxury store chainNordstrom.[125][126] Starting in 2021, it has opened variouspop-up stores in the United States, Europe and Asia.[127] Starting in 2024, Skims has opened several retail stores across the US and the UK.[128] Under a deal, it provided Team USA-branded athleisure to theUS Olympics team's female athletes at the2020 Summer Olympics andParalympics.[129] This partnership continued with the2022 Winter Olympics,[130] and a capsule collection released in collaboration with theUS Winter Olympics delegation.[131] In November 2021, Skims and luxury fashion houseFendi released a collaborative range of shapewear, leather dresses, and bodysuits.[132] In 2023, it became the official underwear partner of theNBA,WNBA, andUSA Basketball.[133][134][135][136] For her work on Skims, Kardashian received the Brand Innovator award at the 2021WSJ. Innovator Awards, and the Innovation Award at the 2023CFDA Awards.[137][138] The company made it toTime's list of 100 Most Influential Companies of 2022.[139] As of July 2023[update], it is valued at US$ 4 billion.[140]
The Kardashians and acting ventures (2020–present)
On April 5, 2020, the documentaryKim Kardashian West: The Justice Project premiered onOxygen, starring and executive produced by Kardashian. It follows her journey advocating forcriminal justice reform and highlightsmass incarceration in the US.[141][142] In September, she made a cameo appearance in theYouTube Originals documentary,This is Paris.[143] In December 2020, it was announced that Kim, the Kardashian–Jenner sisters, and their mother Kris Jenner had signed a multi-year exclusive global content deal with Disney-ownedHulu.[144] A reality television series titledThe Kardashians premiered in April 2022, co-produced by the sisters and Kris with British production companyFulwell 73.[145][146] Described as a "premium version" ofKeeping Up with the Kardashians,[147] the program had the most-watched series premiere for Hulu in its first three days in the US, and was the most-watchedStar Originals series on Disney+ and Star+ across global markets.[148] As of November 2023[update], it is the most watched unscripted series in Hulu history.[149] In July 2024,The Kardashians was renewed for a sixth and seventh season.[150]
In January 2022, in a class-action lawsuit filed against thecryptocurrency company EthereumMax that alleged the company is apump and dump scheme, Kardashian was named as a defendant, along with former professional boxerFloyd Mayweather Jr., formerNBA playerPaul Pierce, and other celebrities, forpromoting the EthereumMax token on their varioussocial media accounts.[159] In October 2022, theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Kardashian had agreed to pay a $1.26 million fine, to not promote cryptocurrency assets for three years, and to cooperate with an ongoing investigation without admitting or denying wrongdoing for failing to report receiving a $250,000 payment to promote the EthereumMax token.[160] In December 2022,Central California U.S. District Court JudgeMichael W. Fitzgerald dismissed the lawsuit on the basis that the claims were insufficiently supported given heightenedpleading standards for fraud.[161]
In April 2022, Kardashian founded Skky Partners, a private equity firm, with a former partner of theCarlyle Group. Her mother, Kris Jenner, is also a partner at the firm.[162] In July 2022, she made herParis Fashion Week modeling debut on the catwalk for fashion houseBalenciaga, along withNicole Kidman,Dua Lipa, and Christine Quinn (from the reality television seriesSelling Sunset).[163] The following month, Kardashian andBeats Electronics launched a collaborative range oftrue wireless earbuds in anearth tone palette inspired by her "signature minimalist style".[164] In September,Dolce & Gabbana debuted its spring-summer 2023 collection, which Kardashian creative directed—taking after the fashion house's archive "with a retrospective of [the years 1987–2007]"—by leaning into an alter ego of "a sensual Italian mob wife".[165][166] Under an exclusive deal withSpotify, she hosted and co-produced the eight-episode podcastThe System: The Case ofKevin Keith with networkParcast.[167][168] Premiering in October 2022, it outlines the discrepancies of Keith's case, in which he was convicted of triple homicide in 1994 inOhio.[169]
Kardashian co-led the twelfth season ofAmerican Horror Story, subtitledDelicate, alongsideEmma Roberts.[170] Her first scripted television role, she starred as Siobhan Corbyn, the protagonist's best friend and publicist.[171] The season is based on Danielle Valentine's novelDelicate Condition; it was divided into two parts, which premiered in September 2023 and April 2024 onFX.[172][173] Production for the season temporarily halted due to the2023 Hollywood strikes.[174] Kardashian's performance received positive reviews from critics.[175] Anthony D'Alessandro ofDeadline Hollywood called her "perfect" for the role of Siobhan Corbyn;[176] whilst Coleman Spilde ofThe Daily Beast found Kardashian to be "the best part" of the season.[177] In November 2023, it was announced that Kardashian is set to star in the comedy filmThe Fifth Wheel, which has been sold to Netflix. She is set to act and produce withPaula Pell.[178] In August 2024, Kardashian signed a first-look TV deal with20th Television to develop and produce scripted programmimg content.[179] The first project under this deal is the seriesGroup Chat, based onLa La Anthony's 2014 bookThe Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex and Happiness. Intended for Hulu, Kardashian will executive produce the series alongside Kenya Barris and Anthony, the latter who will star in the project.[180] She again collaborated with Beats Electronics to release the "Beats x Kim" collection, a trio ofBeats Studio Pro headphones in nude tones.[181]
Kardashian will executive produce and star as the protagonist—a divorce attorney—in the Hulu legal drama series,All's Fair, created byRyan Murphy; production will begin in late 2024.[182][183] She will also star in an untitledAmazon MGM Studios thriller movie written by Natalie Krinsky "with Kardashian in mind", which Kardashian will co-produce with Krinsky andBruna Papandrea.[184]
On December 23, 2024, Kardashian released a cover version and accompanying music video of "Santa Baby"[185]
In 2000, at 19 years old, Kardashianeloped with music producerDamon Thomas.[186] Thomas filed for divorce in 2003. Kardashian later blamed their separation on physical and emotional abuse on his part[187] and said she was high onecstasy during their wedding ceremony.[188] Before her divorce was finalized, Kardashian began dating singer Ray J.[186]
Kardashian then datedReggie Bush. Their relationship began afterMatt Leinart introduced them at the 2007ESPY Awards. They split on July 27, 2009[189] and got back together on September 28, 2009.[190] Kardashian also briefly datedNFL playerMiles Austin in 2010.[191]
In May 2011, Kardashian became engaged toNBA playerKris Humphries, then of theNew Jersey Nets, whom she had been dating since October 2010.[192] They were married in a wedding ceremony on August 20 inMontecito, California.[193] Earlier that month, she had released her "wedding fragrance" called "Kim Kardashian Love" which coincided with her own wedding.[58][194] A two-part TV special showing the preparations and the wedding itself aired onE! in early October 2011, amidst whatThe Washington Post called a "media blitz" related to the wedding.[195] After 72 days of marriage, she filed for divorce from Humphries on October 31, citingirreconcilable differences.[196] Several news outlets surmised that Kardashian's marriage to Humphries was merely a publicity stunt to promote the Kardashian family's brand and their subsequent television ventures.[197] A man professing to be her former publicist, Jonathan Jaxson, also claimed that her short-lived marriage was indeed staged and a ploy to generate money. Kardashian filed a suit against Jaxson, saying his claims were untrue, and later settled the case that included an apology from Jaxson.[198] A widely circulated petition asking to remove all Kardashian-related programming from the air followed the split.[199] The divorce was subject to widespread media attention.[200]
Kardashian began dating rapper and longtime friendKanye West in April 2012, while still legally married to Humphries.[201] Her divorce was finalized on June 3, 2013,[202] Kardashian and West became engaged on October 21, Kardashian's 33rd birthday,[203] and married on May 24, 2014, atForte di Belvedere inFlorence, Italy.[204] Her wedding dress was designed byRiccardo Tisci ofGivenchy[205] with some guests' dresses designed by designerMichael Costello.[206] The couple's high status and respective careers have resulted in their relationship becoming subject to heavy media coverage;The New York Times referred to their marriage as "a historic blizzard of celebrity".[1] West said Kardashian was hismuse.[207]
In January 2021,CNN reported that the couple were discussing divorce[208] and on February 19, 2021, Kardashian officially filed for divorce.[209] In April 2021, they both agreed before court that they would end their marriage due to "irreconcilable differences" and agreed to joint custody of their four children. They also agreed that neither of them need spousal support.[210] In February 2022, Kardashian filed a complaint to theLos Angeles Superior Court, asking for a quicker proceedings in the divorce from West, saying that West was trying to delay it and saying that "Mr. West, by his actions, has made it clear that he does not accept that the parties' marital relationship is over."[211] Kardashian was declared legally single on March 2, 2022.[212] She subsequently dropped "West" as her legal last name and ended their marriage.[213] A post-divorce settlement was reached on November 29, 2022.[214]
Kardashian was in a relationship with actor and comedianPete Davidson from November 2021 to August 2022.[215][216][217] From September 2023 to March 2024, Kardashian was reportedly in a relationship with NFL wide receiverOdell Beckham Jr.[218][219][220]
The Kardashian Sisters atMercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2010
Kardashian has four children with Kanye West: two daughters (born 2013 and 2018) and two sons (born 2015 and 2019).[227][228]
Kardashian has publicly discussed difficulties during her first two pregnancies. She experiencedpre-eclampsia during her first, which forced her to deliver at 34 weeks. With both pregnancies, she developedplacenta accreta after delivery, eventually undergoing surgery to remove the placenta and scar tissue.[229][230] After her second pregnancy, doctors advised her not to become pregnant again;[231] her third and fourth children were born viasurrogacy.[230][232]
Kardashian has also spoken about herpsoriasis.[233] In May 2021, it was reported that Kardashian had tested positive forCOVID-19 in November 2020. She confirmed this report[234] but denied reports that she caught the disease after hosting a party at a private island.[235]
Wealth
Kardashian in Australia for anE! News event in 2012
In May 2014, Kardashian was estimated to be worthUS$45 million.[236] In 2015,Forbes reported she had "made more this year than ever as her earnings nearly doubled to $53 million from 2014's $28 million", and reported that she "has monetized fame better than any other".[237] Much of her income in the early-to-mid 2010s included wholesale earnings of theSears line, the Kardashian Kollection, which brought in $600 million in 2013 and the Kardashian Beauty cosmetics line, Kardashian-branded tanning products, the boutique-line Dash, as well as sponsored social media posts which are collectively worth $300,000–500,000 per post.[238][239] As of July 2018[update], Kardashian was worth US$350 million.[240] She does not receivealimony payments from either of her first two marriages.[241] Kardashian became a billionaire in April 2021,[242] thanks to her shapewear company Skims, KKW Beauty, reality television, endorsements, and investments.Forbes has estimated her net worth at $1.7 billion as of December 2024[update],[243] making her one of thewealthiest celebrities.
Kardashian has been included in theForbes Celebrity 100 multiple times, which ranks the highest-earning celebrities annually. She first appeared on the list in 2012, as the seventh-highest-paid celebrity that year, with earnings of $18 million.[244] In 2016, Kardashian was the 42nd-highest-paid celebrity with $51 million; 40 percent of her earnings that year were from her mobile gameKim Kardashian: Hollywood.[245] In 2017, 2018, and 2019, she was ranked number 47, 30, and 26 with $45.5 million,[246] $67 million,[247] and $72 million;[248] the last of which is her highest reported annual earnings. She was ranked the 48th-highest-paid celebrity of 2020, with $49.5 million in earnings, majorly from her cosmetics line KKW Beauty, which generated $100 million in sales the previous year.[249] Kardashian is among the ten highest-paid individuals on Instagram. As of 2023[update], she earns over $1.68 million per sponsored Instagram post.[250] She was the twelfth-highest-paid celebrity on Instagram in 2024, with earnings of over $4.37 million across sponsored posts.[251]
Paris robbery
On October 2, 2016, while attendingParis Fashion Week, Kardashian wasrobbed at gunpoint in the apartment where she was staying. Five individuals, dressed as police officers, bound and gagged her, then stole $10 million worth of jewelry.[252] The thieves got in her residence by threatening the concierge. Once they accessed Kardashian's room, they held a gun to her head and ordered her to give them her ring, then bound her wrists and legs with zip ties and wrapped duct tape around her eyes and mouth.[253][254] Kardashian, who was placed in the bathtub, was physically unharmed and reportedly begged for her life.[255][256][257] She managed to wriggle her hands free from the zip ties on her wrists and scream for help. The thieves, after finding her jewelry box, promptly escaped.[258] On October 6, 2016, it was revealed that filming for the next season ofKeeping Up with the Kardashians had been placed "on hold indefinitely" after the robbery.[259]
After the robbery was announced, several critics expressed skepticism about whether it was staged or not, with some even drawing comparison to Olympic swimmerRyan Lochte's recent false robbery claim.[260][261] On October 10, 2016, a video was released showing Kardashian immediately after the robbery, as police began conducting their investigation. In the video, she is seen using the cell phone that she had reported stolen, and did not have any of the markings she claimed from being bound by her captors, prompting more questions as to whether or not the events were staged.[262] In response, Kardashian filed lawsuits against several media outlets the following day, and secured a gag order to get the video removed from any articles due to it being part of an active police investigation.[263][264][265] On October 25, 2016, Kardashian dropped the lawsuit, prompting more criticism that the robbery was a ploy to generate media attention.[266][267] Production resumed onKeeping Up with the Kardashians on October 26.[268]
On January 9, 2017, French police detained 17 persons of interest for questioning in the robbery case.[269] Later in 2017, 16 people were arrested for their alleged involvement.[270] It was revealed in 2020 that French prosecutors would seek trial for 12 of the suspects.[271] The suspects who allegedly entered her room were of, or near,senior age and were named the 'Grandpa Robbers' by the press.[272] In 2021, the suspects were still awaiting trial with at least one of the five who entered Kardashian's room reportedly set to pleadno contest to the charges.[273]
In January 2017, shetweeted a table of statistics that went viral, highlighting statistics that show thatgun violence in the United States kills 11,737 people annually whileterrorism in the United States kills 14 people annually. In December 2017, the tweet was mentioned by theRoyal Statistical Society in the announcement of its "International Statistic of the Year" for 2017.[276][277] On a trip to Uganda in October 2018, she and her husband met with PresidentYoweri Museveni. They had a press conference, and Kanye talked abouttourism in Uganda. They were criticized for meeting Museveni due to his being a dictator and his recent crackdown on the opposition and theUgandan LGBT community.[278][279][280]
In April 2019,Vogue reported that Kardashian was studying to pass thebar exam; instead of attending law school, she is "reading law".[281] In 2021, Kardashian said she had failed her first-year law exam (thebaby bar) for a second time, performing "slightly worse" than her first attempt earlier in the year.[282][283] In December 2021, she passed the "baby bar" law exam on her fourth attempt.[284]
In 2020, Kardashian condemned the actions ofAzerbaijan in the2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and expressed her support for Armenia and theRepublic of Artsakh.[285][286] On November 20, 2021, it was reported that Kardashian and the English soccer clubLeeds United F.C., with the help of Rabbi Moshe Margertten of the Tzedek Association,[287] had financially helpedfemale Afghan soccer players to make their way safely to England. The women and girls had escaped Afghanistan following theTaliban takeover, but were stranded in Pakistan.[288][289]
Kardashian has expressed pride in her Armenian and Scottish ancestry.[290][291] She is not a citizen of eitherArmenia or the United Kingdom, and does not speak Armenian.[292] She has advocated for therecognition of the Armenian genocide on numerous occasions and encouraged PresidentBarack Obama and the United States government to consider its acknowledgement.[293][294][295] In April 2016, Kardashian wrote an article on her website condemningThe Wall Street Journal for running an advertisement byFactCheckArmenia.comdenying the Armenian genocide.[296] In April 2021, Kardashian wrote a letter to PresidentJoe Biden thanking him for officially recognizing the Armenian genocide and becoming the first United States president ever to do so.[297][298]
In April 2015, Kardashian traveled to Armenia with her husband, her sister Khloé, and her eldest daughter and visited the Armenian Genocide MemorialTsitsernakaberd inYerevan.[299] On October 10, 2020, Kardashian announced she donated $1 million toArmenia Fund, a humanitarian organization that supports Armenia's development.[300][301]
Prison reform and clemency advocacy
Kardashian has worked in the area of prison reform, advocating for the commutation of the sentence of Chris Young and also ofAlice Marie Johnson, a woman who received a life sentence for a first-time drug offense as the leader of a major cocaine ring in Tennessee[302][303][304] which was granted by PresidentDonald Trump in June 2018.[305][306] Along withVan Jones andJared Kushner, she was instrumental in persuading President Trump to support theFirst Step Act, which enacted major reforms in the US prison system. Van Jones later stated that without Kardashian, the act would have never passed because it would not have received the president's support. It was later passed by a great majority in theUS Senate.[307][308][309]
Kardashian (second from right) welcomes sentence commutation recipients with PresidentDonald J. Trump, 2018
In 2019, Kardashian largely funded the 90 Days to Freedom campaign, an initiative to release nonviolent drug offenders from life sentences by attorneysBrittany K. Barnett and MiAngel Cody.[310] The effort resulted in 17 persons being released under provisions of theFirst Step Act.[310] Kardashian was widely credited for the success of the campaign in media headlines.[311] Commentary on her involvement ranged from praise, to assertions that it was a public relations stunt, to accusations that she was taking the credit for work she did not do.[310] In a Facebook post from May 7 of that year, Barnett commented on the divisive and underfunded nature of the "criminal justice reform space", adding, "Kim linked arms with us to support us when foundations turned us down. We and our clients and their families have a lot of love for her and are deeply grateful for her."[312][313]
In April 2022, Kardashian advocated for the clemency ofMelissa Lucio, the only woman of Hispanic descent on Texas' death row, in a series of tweets. She tweeted, "I recently just read about the case of Melissa Lucio and wanted to share her story with you. She has been on death row for over 14 years for her daughter's death that was a tragic accident."[314][315] Lucio is on death row for the abuse and death of her daughter, who was two years old. Kardashian deleted the series of tweets the same day.[314] When Lucio was granted astay of execution on April 25, Kardashian celebrated on her social media channels.[316]
In July 2022, Kardashian expressed support and petitioned for the release of rapperGunna, who was imprisoned without bond, charged with one count of violating theRacketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.[317] However, in October of the same year, Gunna was again denied release from jail ahead of his January trial.[318] In December, Gunna pled guilty to a single charge of racketeering and was sentenced to five years in prison, with one year commuted to time served and the rest of the sentence suspended subject to probation conditions. He was soon released from jail, and instead was ordered to serve 500 hours ofcommunity service.[319][320]
In December 2023, Kardashian publicly expressed her belief in the innocence of Alabama prisonerToforest Johnson, who has been on death row for more than 25 years despite calls for his conviction to be overturned from the original trial prosecutor in his case and the current District Attorney,Danny Carr.[321] Kardashian posted about Johnson’s case on her Instagram account, asking “Who is Toforest Johnson? And why does the state of Alabama have an innocent man on death row?”[322] She added a link toEarwitness, a serial podcast about Johnson’s case and also to an advocacywebsite that contains more information about Johnson’s case. Kardashian spoke out about Johnson’s case again in March and April 2024, when she posted a video of Johnson’s daughter Akeriya Terry on her Instagram account.[323] Johnson remains on Alabama’s death row and no execution date has yet been set.[324]
^Kim Kardashian (June 11, 2008)."Monuments And Momentous Times In Monte Carlo".Kim Kardashian: Official website. KimKardashian.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. RetrievedMay 13, 2015.But as we were digging down into our history we realized that on my mom's side, she is Scottish and Dutch.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Kim Kardashian gościnnie w serialu". dziennik.pl. January 4, 2010. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 16, 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Crist, Allison; Nordyke, Kimberly (July 31, 2016)."Teen Choice Awards: Winners List".Hollywood Reporter.Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. RetrievedAugust 30, 2021.