Questionable Things Kris Jenner Has Done "For Her Kids"
Kris Jenner turned the Kardashian name into a multi-million dollar brand. It includes an ever-growing cornucopia of products, from TV shows to fragrances, from smartphone apps to even credit cards. But on her journey to helm one of the richest families in America, the infamous "momager" had to make some questionable choices that she'll say were for her kids. Of course, most moms probably would've held off on "leaking" their daughter's sex tape to land a reality TV deal—which everyone forgets is how this whole party started.
Kim's Sex Tape
Before she was the most famous butt in America, Kim Kardashian was Paris Hilton's friend/assistant, which allowed Kim to watch firsthand as Paris not only brokered a deal to make millions off the release of her sex tape, but also used it as a springboard for reality TV success with The Simple Life. And here's an important fact to always remember: sex tapes can never legally be "leaked" as commercial DVDs, because these are private home videos that require the authorized consent of both parties before you can even start taking preorders. However, that consent is easy to obtain when you're offering up millions and a marketing campaign to make it look like the tape was "leaked" to an unsuspecting public. So the same exact year that Paris Hilton's sex tape was released, Kim Kardashian made her own intimate video with Ray J, presumably at the request of her momager Kris. She used the publicity from its release to leverage the entire family onto E!, turning Keeping Up With The Kardashians into a ratings juggernaut. And that's literally how Kris Jenner made her kids famous: by leaking her own daughter's sex tape after watching Paris Hilton do it. But the "ick" didn't stop there.
Kim's Playboy Shoot
With Keeping Up With The Kardashians still in its infancy, Kris Jenner didn't want to take any chances, so she brokered another deal to "strengthen the brand" by pushing Kim Kardashian to pose naked for Playboy. Kim publicly regretted the shoot in interviews and repeatedly said her mom pressured her to pose for Hugh Hefner's magazine, but the show surged in popularity thanks to the continued exploitation of Kim. Soon, all of Kris Jenner's kids were ready to become reality show fodder. There was no stone she'd leave unturned for publicity—er, for her children! She's doing it for her children. Won't someone think of the children?
Khloe & Lamar
Now that Kris Jenner had successfully transformed Kim into a sustainable reality franchise, it was time to "help" Khloe's career—from which Kris just happens to collect a 10 percent manager's fee. And what better way to guide another daughter through life than arranging a reality special where she marries NBA player Lamar Odom after only a few short months of dating? Even though that was enough time for literally everyone to figure out he had a huge drug problem. Although, in Kris Jenner's defense, the special did launch the Khloe & Lamar spinoff show, and at the end of the day, aren't subsidiary properties what really matters? It's what being a parent is all about.
Kim Marries Kris Humphries For 72 Days
Remember when we pointed out Kris Jenner collects a 10 percent manager's fee from all of her kids? Well, that applies to wedding specials, too. So why not shove Kim down the aisle this time? That's exactly what Kris did, and with another NBA player because, hey, if ain't broke, don't fix it. Except there was one small hitch: Kim's career, and ego, had exploded to the point where Kris needed her more than Kim needed Kris. So Kim infamously divorced Kris Humphries only 72 days after the wedding and practically admitted the whole thing was a sham with no concern about the damage it might cause the Keeping Up With The Kardashians brand. In fairness, Kim deserved some slack after everyone around her rode her reputation to success.
Khloe's Divorce
Thanks to building not one, but two marriages on a house of cards, it was only a matter of time until Kris could "further" Khloe's career by exploiting her divorce for a storyline on the show. Plus Kim was on time-out for the whole Kris Humphries fiasco, and Kourtney wasn't far enough along in her second pregnancy for a baby to pop out prematurely for bucco ratings, so what's a momager to do? Fortunately (for Kris' bank account), Lamar spiraled into a drug binge, and almost immediately stories were being sold to the tabloids left and right as Khloe's marriage fell apart in front of the entire world—always a mother's dream for her daughter. Who doesn't love capitalizing on the pain and heartbreak of a loved one? It's what this country was founded on.
Khloe's Real Dad
Can you tell Khloe enjoyed Kim's time in the penalty box? Because the divorce wasn't enough, Kris really dug deep into her bag of tricks and reminded everyone that she used to cheat on her late ex-husband Robert Kardashian all the time, so there was a very good chance he wasn't Khloe's real father. This turned out to be something that haunted Khloe her whole life, and you don't get better reality TV than that. If a mother can't exploit her daughter's deepest, most secret shame for ratings, then dammit, the terrorists have already won. Just let 'em in the White House. It's over.
The Transformation Of Kylie
Before she even turned 18, Kylie Jenner went through some noticeable changes that could only be the work of cosmetic surgery. From changes in her face to, well, "augmented" areas of her body, the changes were obvious with anyone even slightly familiar with the youngest Kardashian. That means someone had to sign off on all of these surgeries that essentially turned Kylie into a clone of Kim Kardashian. And who do you think would have a vested interest in turning her youngest daughter into a carbon copy of the family cash cow, so she could start this whole thing over again? Here's a hint: it rhymes with Kris Jenner.