The Shady Truth About Kylie Jenner
Whether you're a fan of the family or not, the Kardashian-Jenners are absolutely everywhere, quite literally forcing us to keep up with all of them. One family member who seems to be a particular subject of attention these days is the youngest of the brood, Kylie Jenner. In fact, Jenner's fame has become so vast, she's even surpassed Kim Kardashian on Instagram in terms of followers. That's right — the makeup mogul has officially dethroned the one who started our entire obsession with the infamous reality TV clan.
However, with her fame comes a lot of negativity, and trolls flock to the celeb's social media channels to call her out on pretty much anything she does that's even slightly questionable. "Honestly, I feel like at this point I've gotten so numb to it," Jenner mused to AdWeek (via Just Jared). "I still do my thing and people still love me ... It doesn't really affect me."
Although the starlet has taken a tip from her mother's book and been able to monetize even the most ridiculous of scenarios ("Rise and Shine," anyone?), there have been moments where she's come across as slightly ignorant to the rest of the world, or, well, just plain fishy. Here's the shady truth about Kylie Jenner.
Whose side is she really on when it comes to family drama?
The Khloe Kardashian and Tristian Thompson scandal of 2019 had so much tea we were all drowning in it. The goss was this: in February, news broke that Thompson had cheated on Khlo with Kylie Jenner's now-ex-BFF, Jordyn Woods. As everyone got dragged into a tale of he-said/she-said, Jenner, of course, took her sister's side.
Chatting to Khloe and Kim Kardashian on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians (via E! News), the starlet mentioned speaking to Woods when the news broke. "I was just telling her, 'I'm like scared of you now. Like, you're capable of waking up the next morning with a smile on your face.'"
However, the star also defended Woods when her sisters began ganging up on her. That same month, Kim posted an Instagram video where she was singing along to the lyrics of Brandy's "Who Is She 2 U," seemingly throwing shade at Woods. In another episode of KUWTK (via Stylecaster), a distressed Jenner called Kim and to tell her she saw the clip. "I just feel like the singing and the internet stuff, it's just not okay ... I just don't think anyone deserves this." Clearly, Jenner picked her sister's side by unfollowing Woods on Instagram, but she also found a replacement: Sofia Richie. The reason this is flat-out bizarre? Richie is, at the time of this writing, dating Scott Disick — the father of Kourtney Kardashian's three kids.
Are there some shady things happening at Kylie Cosmetics?
Thanks to her cosmetics line, Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Jenner has successfully positioned herself as CEO of a billion-dollar empire. Of course, with so many people scrambling to buy her lip kits that are known to sell out in minutes, the company has been the target of some controversy, too. As per Allure, in 2016, the makeup mogul was accused of repackaging older shades, with buyers even swatching the colors on their hands to show that they almost look identical. So, why are fans so upset? Well, she jacked the prices, and people aren't having it.
You'd think Jenner would have been more careful, since the year prior, YouTuber Stephanie Nicole uncovered that her reformulated lip kits were very similar to the formula of the much cheaper Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks — which makes sense because, as it turns out, they're all part of the same umbrella company.
To make things even shadier, the standards for the factory workers at Kylie Cosmetics are allegedly atrocious, too. Per RadarOnline, employees have been posting to Indeed.com the almost "sweatshop-like" conditions of their jobs. It doesn't help that "the pay is very minimal for the amount of work that is requested with no benefits ... work environment very uncomfortable." While this goss made headlines in 2016, we're genuinely hoping things have changed over at Ms. Jenner's HQ.
The time Kylie Jenner claimed she started wigs
They say ignorance is bliss, but that doesn't always hold true when you're a high-profile celebrity. In 2016, Kylie Jenner came under fire for saying something pretty cringe-worthy in an interview with Marie Claire. At the height of her wig obsession, the youngest Jenner boasted to the mag, "I started wigs, and now everyone is wearing wigs ... I just do whatever I want to do, and people will follow." Naturally, readers were totally appalled.
It's not the first time the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has been accused of being ignorant — she's been called out for cultural appropriation countless other times, too. That same year, the starlet attended Alexander Wang's NYFW show, with the public immediately calling her out for wearing a Yaki ponytail. In 2015, Amandla Stenberg clapped back at the star for wearing cornrows in an online feud that turned ugly.
It looks like not much has really changed for the Life of Kylie alum. Per Daily Mail, Jenner took to her Instagram story in January 2020 to share one of her Paper magazine outtakes — which saw her sporting twist braids. As the outlet explained, "The star's hair was styled in twist braids, a style commonly used and popularized by black women." Of course, this didn't sit well with fans — even if the shoot's photographers claimed the look was inspired by Gwen Stefani in Moby's 1999 "South Side" music video.
Kylie Jenner has been accused of stealing ideas from others
Usually, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That certainly changes, however, if the copy makes a lot more money than the original. As it turns out, Kylie Jenner may be a bit of a creativity thief.
As everyone already knows, the makeup mogul is the mastermind behind Kylie Cosmetics, which now boasts an instantly recognizable logo: lips that appear to be dripping with lipstick. However, it looks like it's an image that was already in circulation. Per TMZ, the original belongs to makeup artist Vlada Haggerty, whose Instagram "is littered with photos of women striking various poses which accentuate their lips." What's more, this wasn't the first time Jenner was called out by Haggerty, as the makeup artist took to her Instagram to directly shade Jenner, too. As Haggerty's photographer Julia Kuzmenko McKim wrote on her own personal blog, "It breaks my heart to see how large brands take independent, unprotected artists' work and use them to multiply their wealth." Ultimately, Haggerty filed a lawsuit that was later quietly settled.
Jenner's pout has landed her in trouble other times, too. As TMZ revealed in 2017, the starlet's lip logo for her Life of Kylie series appeared to be jacked from New York painter Sara Pope. This lawsuit was settled as well, but we have a feeling it may not be the last one for the celeb.
Kylie Jenner, a self-made billionaire?
In 2019, Kylie Jenner made headlines when she graced the cover of Forbes as the "youngest self-made billionaire ever" at 21 years old. The issue? Well, truth be told, is the claim even valid?
As CelebrityNetWorth revealed, "she's still technically off by $12 million," and Kylie Cosmetics would only be worth a billion if it sold "for 12x profits/4x revenue." The public was outraged, so much so that Forbes had to go back and clarify their claim — with Jenner doing damage-control rounds, too. Speaking to The New York Times, the Kylie Cosmetics founder explained, "I can't say I've done it by myself," she admitted. "If they're just talking finances, technically, yes, I don't have any inherited money. But I have had a lot of help and a huge platform."
However, the damage was done regarding the public backlash, with even Dictionary.com roasting the reality TV star. All in all, it raised the question: why didn't Jenner clarify things in the Forbes piece that was initially published?
Does Kylie Jenner even use her own line of products?
Kylie Jenner's cosmetics empire is continuously growing — so much so that she decided to add another element to it: a skincare line.
Calling the collection Kylie Skin (surprise, surprise), Jenner launched her much-talked-about line in May of 2019, even posting a video to her YouTube channel of the products in action. "So, I'm going to show you guys my everyday skincare routine," she explained in the video, starting with her face wash, which she revealed is her "favorite product in the line" and makes her face feel "so clean." With claims that she uses it every day, fans were, of course, excited to get their hands on a product that would get them that coveted KarJenner glow.
Well, a few days after the YouTube teaser went up, Jenner also posted to her Kylie Skin Twitter account a video of herself using the cleanser again, this time of less professional filming quality. In the video, as she takes the product and puts it on her face, she very quickly wipes it off — causing fans to realize the amount of foundation residue on the white towel. As Insider revealed, viewers criticized the starlet for not even knowing how to use her own products. Truth be told, we don't think the cosmetics queen cared that much, as the face wash still sold out on her website.
She's known to be insensitive about all her money
Being worth so much money at such a young age, you'd think Kylie Jenner would be a bit more sensitive to those around her who aren't as blessed as she is. The starlet was criticized after an interview that Alex Rodriguez gave to Sports Illustrated, in which he detailed his experience sitting next to the Kylie Cosmetics founder at the 2019 Met Gala. Arriving at the event with his date, Jennifer Lopez, Rodriguez dished, "We had a great table ... We had Kylie and Kendall ... Kylie was talking about Instagram and her lipstick, and how rich she is." Of course, the mention went viral, and Jenner actually took to Twitter to deny the claim, saying she only spoke about Game of Thrones with the athlete.
The whole alleged incident seems a little bit ironic, because a few months before the piece was published, the Life of Kylie star declared in an interview with Paper, "I don't define myself by how much I have. I honestly don't wake up even thinking about it." Hmm.
While Rodriguez's claim is certainly cringe-worthy, it's not the only time Jenner has come across as a bit insensitive. According to Cosmopolitan, in August of 2019, the makeup aficionado launched her birthday collection for Kylie Cosmetics. The theme of the line? Money. Oh, Kylie.
Does Kylie Jenner share her wealth?
The Australian bushfires that began in late 2019 were so horrifying that by the start of 2020, the country had to call for "mass evacuations" as a result of communities suddenly deemed unsafe. What's more, as The Verge notes, "More than 1 billion mammals, birds, and reptiles likely lost their lives in the blazes," with numbers only growing as time goes on.
Of course, many A-listers lined up to lend their own helping hands. Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental organization, Earth Alliance, donated $3 million. Ellen DeGeneres launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $5 million to help the people, firefighters, and the animals of Australia. What about Kylie Jenner?
As per Flare, the social media starlet came under fire when she took to her Instagram story to mourn everyone affected by the bushfires. As her caption read, "over half a BILLION animals have been killed in Australia...this breaks my heart." The issue? As the outlet notes, the next day, Jenner posted another photo to her story, this time "showing off her pedicure...and her US $1,480 mink fur Louis Vuitton slippers." Of course, the backlash was totally savage, pushing Jenner to donate $1 million to relief efforts — two days after her public slip-up.
Is Kylie Jenner as professional as she seems?
When Keeping Up with the Kardashians initially premiered in 2007, Kylie Jenner was only ten years old, meaning she quite literally grew up in the spotlight. Of course, coming into money at such a young age has led Jenner to be accused of taking things for granted, with some people even reporting that the young starlet has come across as rude.
While any online goss is ultimately all hearsay, it was a 2019 story (which has since been altered) by Harper's Bazaar Arabia that really drew a lot of attention. According to News.com.au, the original article published by the fashion mag dished about how both Kylie and Kris Jenner had come in for a shoot that promoted the mother-daughter duo's rising makeup empire. Although Kris was sick with the flu, the outlet praised her for still being "'bang on time' to the photoshoot, politely greeting everybody on set and introducing herself." As for Kylie? As Harper's Bazaar originally wrote, "It's at least 60 minutes later (and late) before Kylie pulls up in a silver Lamborghini Urus. No handshakes, no eye contact, straight to hair and make-up. You'd never guess that they were related." Yikes.
We have a feeling momager Kris had to do some damage control, as the updated version of the piece sees no signs of Kylie's negative behavior, instead saying that the makeup mogul arrived "shortly after" her mother.
Being blacklisted by Kylie Jenner probably isn't too much fun
Although Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott broke up in October of 2019, the pair was plagued by gossip that the Astroworld rapper was being unfaithful months before they called it quits. According to TMZ, that same year in March, Jenner had allegedly accused Scott of cheating, having discovered "evidence" he cheated on her. Hmm, the plot thickens.
When they did split, speculation began that the couple actually broke up because Scott had a mistress the entire time. Per Metro, fans of the A-list duo started noticing Instagram model Rojean Kar, who would share photos from locations that Scott was in "immediately after he posted his own snaps." What's more, back in March (when Jenner originally accused her ex-beau of cheating), Kar "reportedly shared a screenshot showing that Kylie had blocked her on Instagram, writing, 'How many times a day do you block and unblock me, girl.'"
Oddly enough, however, by the time Jenner and Scott had officially split, Kar denied being the other woman, taking to her Instagram story (via E! News) to set the record straight, declaring that "None of [the] rumors are true." However, as OK! found out, a few weeks later, Kar posted yet another story, claiming that Jenner had "silenced" her. "I wish the truth would just reveal itself ... It's just sad to see how someone with all that money and fame is still concerned with little insignificant me."
Kylie Jenner and Photoshop seem to go hand in hand
The Kardashian-Jenner girls have promoted their sultry hourglass figures for as long as they've been in the spotlight. Kylie Jenner is known for following in her big sisters' footsteps, regularly seen in form-fitting looks that leave little to the imagination.
However, with all the photos that the youngest Jenner posts online, she regularly faces backlash for altering her appearance, too. Per International Business Times, a 2017 mirror selfie, in particular, attracted a lot of speculation, as it showcased a very obviously warped wall behind Jenner. Of course, the reality TV star clapped back on Snapchat, claiming the wall was a curtain. We'll let you decide this one, but Jenner's track record isn't that great — she once even accused The Daily Mail of Photoshopping her baby bump when she insisted she wasn't pregnant (spoiler alert: she was).
You'd think that Jenner would stop with the editing after so much controversy, but it just keeps happening. In July 2019, the Kylie Cosmetics founder found herself in hot water yet again with an Instagram photo of herself and BFF Anastasia "Stassie" Karanikolaou. As per Shape, Karanikolaou had one leg appear significantly thinner than her other one — a sign that Jenner may have altered her own leg to make it seem slimmer. As one user hilariously wrote, "I'll come back and check this later when the rest of the legs finished uploading." Burn.
The big cultural appropriation issue
It's no secret that Kylie Jenner has come under fire for cultural appropriation throughout the years. In fact, even at the height of her most "accomplished" Forbes moment, the starlet faced backlash. According to Style Caster, social activist Brittany Packnett slammed the makeup mogul for making her billion-dollar empire by "profiting off the exploitation of Black women." In a tweet, she declared, "You can get on the cover of Forbes + be a young billionaire by selling the very features, style and swag that Black Women have always possessed but got called ghetto for it. And notice-now that she's made her fortune ... she'll exploit black culture and black people for as long as its [sic] profitable-and then return to the comfort of whiteness."
It's not the only time Jenner has found herself in trouble over this very issue. According to E! News in 2015, the reality TV celeb posted a photo to her Instagram page from a photoshoot that saw Jenner with dark makeup painted all over her face. As the outlet notes, instead of "talking about her hair or outfit, users began raising a question: Did Kylie just go blackface?" What's worse was a since-deleted caption that read, "What I wish I looked like all the time."
While we assume Jenner doesn't intentionally look for reasons to offend anyone, a little bit of awareness and understanding go a long way, no?