Kris Jenner is known as the ultimate momager who has helped launch and solidify the careers of her daughters. Yet, Keeping Up With the Kardashians almost wasn’t until Mama Kris scammed her girls into participating. So, how exactly did she do this, and what was their reaction when all was said and done? Keep reading for all of the crazy but exciting details.
A Simple Commercial
When Kris Jenner wanted to propose the idea of a reality series to her daughters, she had to be creative. The family was known in a few ways. Kris’ ex-husband, Robert Kardashian, was a lawyer for OJ Simpson during his historic murder trial. Additionally, Kris was remarried to Olympian Caitlyn Jenner, and her daughter, Kim Kardashian, was best friends with Paris Hilton. She was actively working on launching her own career, so there was some name recognition that could not be ignored. However, the Kardashian girls, Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe, did not want to be on television at the time.
Rather, they were very invested in their clothing business and their store, DASH, which became the focus of their spinoffs. However, Kris Jenner was determined to get a show on the road, per Khloe Kardashian, so she became creative:
“And how my mom conned us into doing it was, she said, ‘Think of it as a commercial for the store.’ Because all we wanted to do [was the store].”
As fans have come to see, that was absolutely not the case, and it was all a lie. Yet, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian were desperate to get their business going. At the time, they were the only ones working in their California-based store. There were no employees, and it was just them. It was even a focal point of a KUWTK episode as Khloe and Kourtney were livid that Kim was so lazy. She could not be bothered to do anything, and that bothered them to no end.
Success & Failure
Keeping Up With the Kardashians was an incredible success, running for twenty seasons. When it ended, the family moved their series to Hulu and rebranded it The Kardashians. However, DASH did close, which was a sad moment for the girls as they worked so hard on building the brand. Yet, they did get to see what went into building a brand, which was great as the sisters all became moguls. Kim has her Skims line wheres Khloe has Good American jeans, while Kourtney is in the wellness sphere, so they take business very seriously.
Although being on the show was not something the girls initially wanted, Kris Jenner had a method to her madness. She knew it would change her kids’ lives, and it secured their futures. What was an alleged commercial became a path to more than they could have ever imagined. Did you have any idea this was all built on a lie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.
