Kardashian-Jenner Family’s Biggest Controversies and Scandals

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Kardashian-Jenner Family’s Biggest Controversies and Scandals

All the drama! Over the years, the Kardashian-Jenner family has made headlines for the ups and downs that occurred in their personal and professional lives. Kim Kardashian's marriage to Kris Humphries went viral in 2011 after they called it quits 72 days after saying "I do." Humphries filed for an annulment in November 2011, citing "fraud" as the reason. The following year, Humphries defended getting caught up in their whirlwind romance. “To me it was real,” he said during an interview with Access Hollywood in February 2012. “I would never go through something and do something that wasn’t real or I didn’t believe in, so I can really only speak for myself in terms of that.” The KKW beauty mogul, for her part, moved on with Kanye West in 2012 and went on to have four children with the musician. Kardashian filed for divorce in February 2021, after almost seven years of marriage. That same year, the reality star recalled knowing that her relationship with Humphries wasn't going to work ahead of their nuptials. “I felt pressure, I thought I was going to let everyone down,” the Skims founder said during the Keeping Up With the Kardashians reunion in June 2021. “The show paid us, obviously, a fee to film the show. I took my entire fee and probably Kris’ [fee] because I wanted a bigger wedding than what they were going to pay for. So I used all of our production money on the wedding. So, if that was, like, fake, I would have saved my money!” [jwplayer pnmnapwl-zhNYySv2] Kardashian noted that she “handled it totally the wrong way” when it came to how she addressed her relationship issues with her ex-husband. “He’s very faith-based, and so, I’m sure he would have loved to not have marriage on his record,” she added. “He wanted an annulment. The only legal way to get an annulment is if fraud is involved, so he marked fraud to get an annulment. So the whole world wondered, ‘What is this fraud?’ ... If I was mature, I would have wanted the annulment too. I wish I was only married once.” Kourtney Kardashian's romantic life has also had its fair share of rocky moments after she started dating Scott Disick in 2006. The duo, who share three children, called it quits in 2015 after the Flip It Like Disick star was photographed getting close with another woman. The California native later found happiness with longtime friend Travis Barker, with Us confirming that the pair were dating in January 2021. Disick went on to make headlines when he allegedly texted Younes Bendjima, who dated Kourtney from 2016 until 2018, about the public PDA between the KUWTK alum and the drummer. “Yo is this chick ok!????? Brooo like what is this. In the middle of Italy,” Disick wrote to the model alongside a photo of Kourtney and Barker kissing in August 2021. In the screenshots, Bendjima replied, writing, “Don’t matter to me as long as she’s happy. PS: i aint your bro.” The comments came two months after Disick said that he supported his ex-girlfriend's new romance. “I think if you really love somebody, right, you want them to be happy no matter what. So I do give her a blessing to be happy,” the New York native told Andy Cohen during the Keeping Up With the Kardashians reunion in June 2021. Scroll down to revisit all of the Kardashian-Jenner family's biggest controversies and scandals through the years: [podcast_block]

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Kim Kardashian’s Sex Tape

The clan’s long-running E! reality series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, premiered just a few months after Kim’s sex tape with Ray J leaked online. “I’m not naïve to that fact that that’s pretty much how I was introduced to the world,” Kim said in a June 2012 interview. “It was a negative way, so I felt like I really had to work 10 times harder to get people to see the real me. I felt humiliated.”

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Kylie Jenner’s Lips

Kylie came under fire as a teenager for getting lip injections to enhance her pout. She revealed in a September 2017 episode of Life of Kylie that she decided to modify her appearance after a former boyfriend told her, “I didn’t think you would be a good kisser because you have such small lips.” Years later, she launched her own makeup line, Kylie Cosmetics, which generated $420 million in retail sales in its first 18 months and eventually made her a billionaire.

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Kim and Kris Humphries’ Marriage

Kim’s union with the NBA player crumbled after just 72 days, which led some fans to question whether it was a made-for-TV relationship, specifically in wake of the two-part E! special Kim’s Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event. But Kim clarified in a May 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that she knew the marriage was doomed from the beginning. “I just thought, ‘Holy s--t, I’m 30 years old. I better get this together. I better get married,’” she recalled.

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Scott Disick Cheats on Kourtney Kardashian

Kourtney and Disick called it quits on their nine-year relationship in July 2015 after he was spotted cozying up to his ex-girlfriend Chloe Bartoli on a yacht in the South of France. “Kourtney is freaking out and kicked him out again,” a source told Us Weekly at the time. “She can’t believe he’d be so stupid to embarrass her and be photographed all over Chloe.”

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Lamar Odom Cheats on Khloe Kardashian

The former NBA player admitted to cheating on Kardashian with several women during their 2009 to 2016 marriage. "I [was] genuinely blown away. Like, ‘When did he fit that in?’ I don’t know,” Khloé said in a January 2016 interview with Howard Stern. Meanwhile, Odom told Us exclusively in March 2017, “Bitches and THOTs came out of the woodwork. If there is one thing I regret when I was married, it was having multiple affairs with different women. That wasn’t the stand-up thing to do. I wish I could have kept my d--k in my pants.”

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Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna’s Social Media War

Kris Jenner’s only son found himself in hot water after he posted several nude photos of his ex-fiancée on Instagram and Twitter in July 2017, in addition to accusing her of using drugs and being unfaithful during their relationship. Chyna was granted a temporary restraining order against him soon after. The exes reached a custody agreement over their daughter, Dream, that September.

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Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi Ad

The model faced backlash for a protest-themed Pepsi commercial that aired in April 2017. Social media users claimed the ad trivialized social movements such as Black Lives Matter in an attempt to sell soda. Pepsi pulled the commercial and issued an apology, while Jenner told Vogue in March 2018 that her “intention was not to hurt anyone.”

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Kendall and Kylie’s T-Shirts

The sisters were criticized when their clothing line, Kendall + Kylie, began selling vintage shirts featuring images of late rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur in June 2017. “The disrespect of these girls to not even reach out to me or anyone connected to the estate baffles me,” Biggie’s mom, Voletta Wallace, wrote on Instagram at the time. A photographer who shot one of the images filed a lawsuit against the Jenners, but it was dropped in April 2018.

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Kim’s Aaliyah Halloween Costume

The social media mogul issued an apology after many Twitter users called her Aaliyah Halloween costume “offensive” in October 2017. “Aaliyah was such an amazing singer and she will forever be a music legend. I saw online that some people thought my costume was in poor taste and I am truly sorry if that offended anyone,” Kim wrote on her website. “We don’t see color in my home. We were paying homage to people and artists we love and respect — it’s that simple!”

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Kim’s Blackface Controversy

After fans accused Kim of darkening her skin in promotional images for her KKW Beauty products, she told The New York Times, “I would obviously never want to offend anyone. I used an amazing photographer and a team of people. I was really tan when we shot the images, and it might be that the contrast was off. But I showed the image to many people, to many in the business. No one brought that to our attention. No one mentioned it.”

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Tristan Thompson Cheats on Khloe

Multiple photos and videos surfaced online in April 2018 of the Cleveland Cavaliers player kissing and getting physical with other women. Khloé was nine months pregnant with their daughter, True, at the time. A source close to Thompson told Us exclusively, “None of his friends are surprised by this and they all know he cheats.”

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Kim and Kanye West's Feud With Drake

The KKW Beauty founder was involved in her estranged husband's feud with Drake in December 2018. "Never threaten my husband or our family," she tweeted at the time. Days later, the "Gold Digger" rapper discovered that the "In My Feelings" MC was following Kardashian on Instagram. "It’s the most f—ked up thing of all," Ye wrote on Twitter. "Imagine having a problem with somebody and they follow your wife on Instagram. Who’s [sic] bright idea was it to tell Drake to follow my wife on Instagram ? This person is not [Drake’s] friend.”

Drake and West seemingly squashed their issues following a friendly reunion in November 2021.

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Scott Posts Controversial Picture of Penelope

Disick caused a stir when he posted a photo in January 2019 of himself and his daughter eating at a Japanese restaurant together. “Best date of 2019," he captioned the snapshot. Penelope was pulling at her eyes in the image, which many people took as being offensive. An Instagram user wrote, "Teach her not to do the Chinese eye thing at a sushi restaurant. Don’t teach her to be a racist. Cause that’s what’s gonna happen."

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Kim’s Designer Snafu

The social media mogul sparked ire from fans when she posted a now-deleted video showcasing free goods she received from Dolce & Gabbana to her Instagram Stories in January 2019.

Followers were outraged by the post, with many pointing out that the controversial brand has come under fire multiple times over the years, most notably for a 2015 interview with Italian magazine Panorama in which designing duo Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce referred to IVF babies as "chemical offsprings" and "synthetic children.” (The Selfish author became pregnant with her second child, Saint, via IVF.).

Dolce later apologized for his "inappropriate" words.

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Tristan Cheats on Khloe Again

The Revenge Body host called it quits on her two-plus-year relationship with the NBA player in February 2019 after he was caught cheating with Kylie’s BFF Jordyn Woods at a party. “Khloé feels so betrayed,” a source told Us exclusively. “This time it hurts even more because the person who it was with is someone who knows very much what Khloé has gone through in the past year.” A second insider said that Thompson is “just a cheater and doesn’t care about anyone besides himself, his wants and his needs in the moment.”

Us confirmed that Thompson and Khloé were dating again in August 2020 after being in quarantine together during the coronavirus pandemic. They called it quits less than a year later.

Credit: Courtesy of Khloé Kardashian/Instagram

Khloe’s New Look

In May 2020, fans accused Khloé of looking “unrecognizable” in a series of photos shared via Instagram. She later joked that she gets “weekly face transplant[s].”

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Kylie’s Billionaire Status

After naming Kylie “youngest self-made billionaire” in the world in 2019 and 2020, Forbes recalculated her finances and alleged that Kylie Cosmetics sales were “significantly smaller than people have been led to believe.”

The magazine claimed Kylie and members of her team had lied about company figures and forged tax returns to “look even richer.”

Kylie disputed the 2020 “Inside Kylie Jenner’s Web of Lies” report, tweeting, “I’ve never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. period. ... i am blessed beyond my years, i have a beautiful daughter, and a successful business and i'm doing perfectly fine.”

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Kanye’s Controversial Presidential Campaign Speech

The Yeezy designer made headlines in July 2020 during his first campaign rally in South Carolina after he said that he and Kim almost aborted their first child, North. A source told Us that the Skims founder was “deeply upset with Kanye for talking about their personal life and for making matters that are very personal to them and their family public.” 

West then made several accusations against Kim and her family via Twitter. He claimed that the reality star tried to get him locked up and that he had been “trying to get divorced” from Kim for two years. The rapper later apologized for the rant, but the couple’s relationship continued to struggle. Six months later, Us confirmed that Kim and West had been “living separate lives for many months” and that the mother of four was “done dealing with Kanye’s unpredictable behavior.” Kim filed for divorce one month later in February 2021 after six years of marriage.

Credit: Courtesy Kim Kardashian/Instagram

Kim’s 40th Birthday Getaway

Kim came under fire in October 2020 after sharing photos from a family trip to an undisclosed private island to celebrate her 40th birthday amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I realize that for most people, this is something that is so far out of reach right now, so in moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is,” she tweeted at the time.

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Lamar Odom and Tristan Thompson Fight Over Khloé

After Khloé shared a bikini pic in July 2021, Odom and Thompson both left various flirty comments that included heart emojis in her comments. The Canada native later returned to add a threat which referred to Odom's overdose in 2015, writing, "@lamarodom God brought you back the first time. Play if you want, different results 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️.”

The Khloé & Lamar alum responded by retweeting a video with the caption, “NBA Twitter watching Tristan Thompson pretend to act tough on Lamar Odom.” He later addressed the situation explaining that "it could have really turned ugly" between the twosome.

“He made a mistake by saying it. I’m not going to say he’s stupid, but he don’t know me," Odom said during an appearance on “The Megan Pormer Show” at the time. "I mean, if I got rattled or bothered by the words that someone said about me, my armor’s built up to deflect that. I wish him the best.”

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Scott's DM Scandal About Kourtney and Travis Barker

In August 2021, Bendjima put Disick on blast when he shared a shady text that he allegedly received from the Talentless cofounder about their mutual ex.

Although Disick never addressed the scandal, a source told Us that Disick's relationship with the Poosh founder is "more strained than ever."

“What's really got him riled up is the effect Travis and Kourtney's relationship is having on his relationship with Kourtney," the insider added at the time. "[Scott's] worried that she’s going to try to put a wedge between him and the kids."

Disick called it quits from girlfriend Amelia Gray Hamlin one month later.

Credit: Courtesy of Tristan Thompson/Instagram

Tristan's Messy Paternity Drama

In December 2021, news broke that Thompson was involved in a paternity suit with personal trainer Maralee Nichols. According to the July 2021 court documents, the professional basketball player acknowledged having sex with Nichols several times earlier that year.

Thompson, who had called it quits with Khloé again in June 2021, was with the reality star when he hooked up with Nichols. After the court filing, Thompson ordered genetic testing and allegedly wrote in several text messages to Nichols that he didn't plan to be involved in the child's life.

In January 2022, the athlete shared that he took a paternity test and is the father. "I take full responsibility for my actions,” the Sacramento Kings center wrote via Instagram Stories. "Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son."

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Ray J's Story About Kim's Sex Tape

Rumors surfaced in late 2021 that there was more footage of the former couple's 2007 sex tape floating around on the internet. The first three episodes of Hulu's The Kardashians, which premiered in April 2022, chronicled the Skims founder's attempts to recover the all of the footage. During episode 2, West gifted. an emotional Kim with the computers and hard drives that supposedly contained the alleged sex tape, stating that he flew from New York to Los Angeles in order to get them from Ray J himself. However, the "One Wish" singer claimed that the famous family's story was "a lie."

“I’ve sat in the shadows for over 14 years allowing the Kardashians to use my name, to abuse my name, make billions of dollars over a decade and a half talking about a topic I’ve never really spoken about,” Ray J told The Daily Mail in May 2022. “I’ve never leaked anything. I have never leaked a sex tape in my life. It has never been a leak."

In the interview, the musician claimed that he, Kim and Kris negotiated the release of the tape in the early 2000s, adding, "Once I pitched the idea to her, just playing around a little bit, that’s when she jumped on the idea, talked to her mom and it was out of my hands from there."

Ray J later shared a series of alleged DMs between himself and his ex talking about the Kardashians story line in which he once again claimed that Kim was involved in "leaking" the tape. "All of the meetings and convos about the plan — date and times of our meetings and the whole lie you and Kris planned this since the beginning," he allegedly wrote. "Your mom controlled this whole sex tape deal with [redacted] and [redacted] — it was her idea to put out the [tape]." The Kardashians did not responded to the Daily Mail article at the time, and Kim didn't address the claims in the responses she allegedly sent Ray J via Instagram.

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Kim's Met Gala Dress Drama

When Kim arrived at the 2022 Met Gala in the sparkly, nude Jean Louis gown that Marilyn Monroe famously wore to sing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy in 1962, she revealed that she had to lose 16 pounds in three weeks in order to fit into the gown. “It was such a challenge, it was like a role. I was determined, I was determined to fit in it," she told Vogue, later adding, "I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein. I didn’t starve myself, but I was so strict."

Following the May 2022 gala, Riverdale star Lili Reinhart slammed Kim for appearing to promote a "toxic" and dangerous mindset about body image and weight loss. "To walk on a red carpet and do an interview where you say how starving you are… because you haven’t eaten carbs in the last month…all to fit in a f–king dress? So wrong. So f–ked on 100s of levels," she wrote in a since-deleted Instagram Story at the time. "To openly admit to starving yourself for the sake of the Met Gala. When you know very well that millions of young men and women are looking up to you and listening to your every word. The ignorance is other-worldly disgusting."

In her defense, Kim's trainer Don-A-Matrix maintained that she lost the weight in a "healthy" way, telling TMZ, "We were working out sometimes twice a day." 

The reality star later publicly addressed the controversy by comparing her decision to an acting role.

“To me it was like, ‘OK, Christian Bale can do it for a movie role and that is acceptable.’ Even Renée Zellweger gained weight for a role. It’s all the same to me,” Kardashian said during an interview with The New York Times in June 2022. “I wasn’t saying, ‘Hey everyone, why don’t you go lose this weight in a short period of time?’”

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Khloe and Tristan Announce Baby No. 2 Amid Paternity Scandal

In July 2022, multiple sources confirmed to Us that Khloé and Thompson were expecting a baby boy with the help of a gestational carrier. The surrogate was already pregnant with the child when news broke of the NBA player's paternity scandal with Nichols in December 2021.

The same month of the former couple's baby announcement, Thompson was spotted holding hands with a mystery woman in Greece. The Kardashian family was unperturbed when the photos made headlines.

“Tristan normally does his own thing and is present when it comes to True,” a source exclusively told Us. “Him being spotted with another woman isn’t shocking news to the Kardashians — it’s happened multiple times over the past few months.”

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Kim Gets Busted by the SEC

In October 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that the Selfish author agreed to pay $1.26 million after being charged "for touting on social media a crypto asset security offered and sold by EthereumMax without disclosing the payment she received for the promotion."

An investigation found that Kim "failed to disclose that she was paid $250,000 to publish a post on her Instagram account about EMAX tokens," which she shared in June 2021. Along with paying a fine, the reality star agreed not to promote any crypto assets for three years.

"Ms. Kardashian is pleased to have resolved this matter with the SEC," her lawyers noted in a statement at the time. "Kardashian fully cooperated with the SEC from the very beginning and she remains willing to do whatever she can to assist the SEC in this matter. She wanted to get this matter behind her to avoid a protracted dispute. The agreement she reached with the SEC allows her to do that so that she can move forward with her many different business pursuits."

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Kim's Comments About Working

In March 2022, the aspiring attorney made headlines after giving controversial advice for women in business. "Get your f–king ass up and work," told Variety in response to a question about what she would suggest for aspiring businesswomen. “It seems like nobody wants to work these days. You have to surround yourself with people that wanna work."

Kim later reflected on the moment during season 2 of The Kardashians.

"I am usually so together, [but] I am being tested. There is just so much going on. I said what I said about people working. Do I believe in that? Yes. I believe you have to work harder to do that, but I am just so blindsided by how angry people got," she shared in the October 2022 episode. "Enough people were triggered that I want to be responsible and understand why people feel the way that they feel. I do understand that not everyone was given the same opportunities that we were given."

She added: "I think people would assume that I got everything handed to me being on a TV show. But being on a reality show — let alone being a reality show girl with a sex tape — does not open doors. I always felt like I had to work harder to be taken seriously and for people to forget about my past."