Dark Secrets The Kardashian Family Tried To Hide
Some might say that the Kardashians leave nothing to the imagination. They document their lives on reality TV, update fans on their daily activities via social media, and seemingly dominate headlines at the most convenient times. Even though the family shares a lot of their lives, they likely keep anything that could tarnish their reputation private. Like many reality TV shows, what we see on "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" and Hulu's "The Kardashians" could be calculated to a certain extent.
Over the years, fans have speculated that some of the most memorable moments on "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" were actually fake. For example, some weren't convinced by an early episode of the show where Kris Jenner hired former adult film star Bree Olson as a babysitter. Olson had also dated Charlie Sheen in the past, so we can understand why viewers had a hard time believing she was seeking babysitting gigs. On a separate episode of the show, Kendall and Kylie Jenner worked scouting models for Seventeen magazine. One fan pointed out that one of the models the sisters found on the street looked a lot like their friend, Spencer Johnson. Could this have been staged?
It's clear that there's a bit of speculation around the authenticity of the Kardashians' reality TV shows, so it's perhaps no surprise that there are allegedly quite a few secrets within the family. Here are the dark secrets the Kardashian family tried to hide.
Caitlyn's cross-dressing (pre-transition)
For years the Kardashian family hid Bruce Jenner's desire to be a woman. In fact, daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner caught him in a dress one time and kept it a secret. Speaking with Diane Sawyer, in 2015, before he changed her name to Caitlyn and before many of the surgeries, Bruce shared, "Any time someone walked into the room, the camera turned on because Kendall thought Kylie was stealing clothes from her. They came home and turned on the computer and [went] 'Oh my God!'" That was just one incident. Bruce also recalled the time step-daughter Kim Kardashian saw him walking around in women's clothes. As he recalled, Kim spotted him then immediately "kind of walked out, jumped in the car and went for a ride."
In Caitlyn's 2017 memoir, "The Secrets of My Life," she recalls touring the world delivering motivational speeches after winning the 1978 Olympics. But underneath the business suit Bruce was wearing, was something else. "They don't know that underneath the business suit I am wearing panties and a bra," she wrote, according to a People excerpt. "That I am not Bruce Jenner but a woman I will come to call Caitlyn, who still has to be Bruce except for stolen moments where I can be my authentic self. The speech that I give is called 'Finding the Champion Within.' All bullsh*t."
Rob's serious weight and diabetes trouble
Rob Kardashian has had it tough. Days before his older sister, Kim, married Kanye West, Rob went off the rails tweeting about his weight. "So I found out I was trending for being fat," he said, according to People. "Thank you all it really made my day." Multiple outlets said he went to rehab for his weight troubles, which he denied. "First, I don't believe in rehab or therapy or anything of that sort and second I'm a grown man and will work on myself when I choose. I'm aware that I'm fat that def ain't a surprise to me..."
It all came to a head after he was diagnosed with diabetes at the end of 2015 and was most recently hospitalized for it in December 2016. TMZ reports the former recluse checked himself into the hospital because his condition flared up due to the ongoing stress of his relationship to Blac Chyna. The stress of their drama caused Rob, who once weighed upwards of 300 pounds, to pack on the pounds, which affects his diabetes.
The news came as a shocker since months earlier he bragged to People magazine about how Blac Chyna helped rid him of the disease. "She told me that by having her cook for me, my diabetes would be gone. And it is," he said.
Khloé 'faked' trying to have kids with Lamar
Was Khloé Kardashian's marriage to Lamar Odom all a sham? Not exactly, but she did fake wanting to have kids with the troubled ex NBA star. During an episode of "Kocktails with Khloé," she shared they were once planning to have a family. "Lamar and I wanted to conceive, we wanted to adopt but also to foster kids," she said, according to Daily Mail. In all, the former couple were married for seven years and their divorce was finalized in December 2016.
But Khloé's optimism for expanding her family may not have been all true. In a recent episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," Khloé admitted to "fake" trying to have kids with Lamar. "I was married, but I knew the circumstances weren't the healthiest," she revealed. "So, I just kept pretending I was doing it." While being married, Khloé did take fertility treatments, but she soon ended them. "I had to stop because there was much deeper stuff that was happening in our marriage," she said. "I knew that it wasn't the right situation to bring a child into, and I think I've done a lot of covering up for him."
Lamar said he was hurt by her revelation. "That hurt a little bit," Lamar told Wendy Williams in June 2017. "I wish she could have told me. She didn't have to say it on TV to the whole world."
Lamar's drug usage and cheating
Khloé did all she could to fool everyone into thinking her marriage to Lamar was good. But behind closed doors, the reality star was falling apart from the lies she was telling. "The way I was living is not a way to live!" Khloé shared on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" in 2014. "I kept in hiding every time there was something going on. I would have to lie, or conceal, or cover up, and I'm so over it!" She was happy when Lamar publicly came clean about his indiscretions. "Last year on my birthday I lied to everyone because I had to lie and say I was with my husband when in fact my husband was missing with another girl! Okay?!" she dished. "And I lied and I gave up my Beyoncé tickets to Kendall [Jenner]. That's how badly I was hiding and I didn't have a birthday. I was alone and lied to everyone."
"If there is one thing I regret when I was married, it was having multiple affairs with different women," Lamar told Us Weekly in 2017. "That wasn't the stand-up thing to do. I wish I could have kept my d*ck in my pants."
As for the drugs, Lamar, who overdosed on drugs and almost died in 2015, said he got an apartment in Los Angeles so he could get high freely out of sight from his wife. "I wasn't trying to repair my marriage; I was just trying to get high," he said.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Did Kris know Bruce wanted to be a woman?
What did she know and when did she know it? That's the main question causing a rift between former spouses Kris and Caitlyn Jenner. In Caitlyn's memoir, "The Secrets of My Life," she alleged that Kris 100 percent knew of her gender identity crisis when they met, adding Kris was fully aware she was on hormones for years before meeting. "I told her there had been a woman inside me all my life," Caitlyn wrote, per The LA Times.
Kris has adamantly denied all of these events and slammed the book as lies. In an episode of "Keeping Up the Kardashians," Kris said that she'd never been "more angry and disappointed in somebody in her whole life." She went on, "I read it and basically the only nice thing she had to say was that I was great socially at a party one time... None of it makes sense. Everything she says is all made up. Why does everything have to be that Kris is such a b*tch and an a**hole?... And then, all through the book, 'Kris knew. Kris knew before I even made love to her.' I'm like, what?'"
Because of the discrepancies in the timeline of events, Kim believes her mother and step-father will probably never reconcile, telling Andy Cohen that there's a "two percent" chance of the former lovers ever talking again. "And those are Kendall and Kylie. That's their percentage. All fair, I think," she said.
Kylie's lip injections
Kylie Jenner regrets not coming clean about her lip injections at age 16. Talking with Complex, the teen star remembers giving countless interviews in which she outright lied about getting her lips enhanced. She claims her lips were a major insecurity before undergoing injections. Kylie developed the insecurity after a guy kissed her in middle school and complained that her lips were too thin. "From then on, I just felt like I saw guys staring at my lips," she said. "I felt like no one wanted to kiss me."
Kylie shared she thought the best course of action was to lie because she feared how young fans and their parents might react. "I didn't want to think you had to get your lips done to feel good about your face," she admitted, adding, "But they thought it was crazier that I was lying about it because it was so obvious. I wish I had just been honest up-front." Many have speculated that Jenner has gotten cosmetic enhancements on far more than just her lips. If this is the case, she may not be as honest as she claims. "I think a big misconception about me is that I've had so much surgery on my face and that I was some insecure person, and I really wasn't!," the star told HommeGirls in 2023. Twitter users reacted to Jenner's claims. "I don't get the point in lying about things people can see with their own eyes," YouTuber Dustn Dailey tweeted, in part.
Kendall's serious anxiety and stress issues
The fashion industry has fallen in love with Kendall Jenner. She's often portrayed as the quiet, successful, hard-working sister of the Kardashian clan. That also brings on unwanted stress and anxiety from constantly being on the go. As the model described on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" in late 2016, she suffers from both panic attacks and sleep paralysis. "I'm freaking out because recently I wake up in the middle of the night and I can't move," Kendall shared with her mom. "I'm done arguing with people because everyone says I'm fine, but I don't feel fine. And I promise you one day when I'm rushed to the hospital then you guys are gonna wake up." Her problems reached such a level of concern that Kris recruited a therapist to coach Kendall. Kris also had to fly from Los Angeles to London just so Kendall would feel comfortable on a plane.
Writing in an end-of-year post, Kendall described her anxiety journey in detail. "Anxiety was a huge hurdle for me to deal with this past year, but I think I'm finally learning how to cope," she wrote in a blog post on her site, according to Teen Vogue. She now implements a series of breathing exercises whenever she feels an episode coming on. "[I] learned that it's all mental, so I try to prevent anxiety attacks by bringing my mind somewhere else," she explained.
Kim's doomed marriage to Kris Humphries
Looking at the early stages of Kim's marriage to NBA star Kris Humphries, no one would think it was slowly falling apart. There was a lavish ceremony fit for royalty and it was all captured for a 2011 two-part special, "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event." But behind closed doors, Kim had a feeling it wouldn't last long. In fact, that very thought arrived to her during their honeymoon, she told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live" (via People). "I just thought, 'Holy s***, I'm 30 years old, I better get this together," the reality star dished on her desire tor rush down the aisle. "I better get married. I think a lot of girls do go through that where they freak out thinking they're getting old and have to figure it out, all their friends are having kids. It was more of that situation."
In all, the couple were married for 72 days. Kim's divorce filing not only shocked the world, but it shocked the hell out of Kris who claims he was blindsided. Kris told TMZ, "I'm committed to this marriage and everything this covenant represents. I love my wife and am devastated to learn she filed for divorce ... I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it work." Unfortunately, they didn't fix their marriage and it ended in a long and bitter divorce, which was settled in 2013.
The severity of Scott's boozy behavior
The world has witnessed Scott Disick's spiral out of control due to his excessive partying and drinking. But was it much worse than reality TV cameras led on? Scott first began showing signs of extreme abuse and misbehavior in 2010. "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" cameras showed him seriously intoxicated and shoving a $100 dollar bill down a waiter's throat after cutting off his alcohol supply. From there on out, Scott's behavior plummeted to deeper and deeper depths. Over the years the footage became more and more horrifying until in 2014, while filming a Hamptons spinoff, Kourtney decided she'd had enough and kicked him out of their shared rental home, reports TMZ.
In all, Scott has been to rehab for his addiction four times, with his latest trip in the fall of 2015. It was in fact his second trip to rehab that year — he previously did a short stay a facility in Costa Rica, adds E! News. "This behavior has been going on for years," Kourtney said. Scott tearfully confessed to feeling incredibly lonely saying, "It's been a really hard time going from like having all of you guys, to having nobody."
And in 2017, Scott, who has three kids with Kourtney, doesn't appear to be getting any better. He's been spotted with a myriad of women all over the world, including Bella Thorne, with whom he partied in Cannes, France. But even Bella felt Scott was out of her partying league.
Hiding Kanye West's real health woes
Some of Kanye West's downfall has unfortunately played out in front of the public eye, but the rapper has reportedly been unraveling behind the scenes for years. In 2016, he caused controversy after he went on a lengthy rant about a falling out with Jay-Z and Beyoncé during a concert. "I've been sent here to give y'all my truth even at the risk of my own life, even at the risk of my own success, my own career," he said in part during the show. "I've been sent here to give y'all the truth. Jay Z, call me, bruh. You still ain't called me. Jay Z, call me, Jay Z; I know you got killers. Please don't send them at my head. Just call me. Talk to me like a man."
After the rapper's rant, he canceled his Saint Pablo tour altogether. Outlets reported that he was later hospitalized and transported to UCLA Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation. The rapper got involved in a number of controversies following his release. Much of this seemed to stem from his split from ex-wife Kim Kardashian. Their relationship reportedly fell apart after West's hospital stay. He and Kardashian began living separately after he returned home from the hospital. The couple eventually finalized their divorce in November 2022 only after West made headlines for slamming the Kardashian family and Kim's then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson, on social media.
Did Khloé run a sweatshop?
All publicity isn't good publicity. It's a hard truth Khloé Kardashian had to learn after taking fans on a tour of the factory where her Good American denim is manufactured. But some fans didn't exactly like what they saw and some flat-out said she's running a "sweat shop," according to E! News. The footage showed workers creating jeans by hand in a warehouse with unfinished floors. "By the looks of @khloekardashian Snapchat, she's got a sweat shop working on her jeans," one person accused on Twitter. In one video she's even heard shouting to some workers, "Don't f**k it up! All the pressure's on you!"
Khloé, who is never one to back away from a fight, didn't take the comments lying down. "Watch your mouth. All make salaries and all are employed in [Los Angeles]! Know your info before you chime in," she bit back in a response. "It means a lot to me to fight to make my denim in the US and to be employing good wages to all of my hardworking employees!"
She also confessed that not all of her employees are fond of her. "So I was just in one of my factories, and I think someone hated me that worked there...and Caesar is a d*ck because Caesar said I should fire him, and I'm not going to fire him. Not everyone has to like me."
Rob Kardashian's alleged overdose
French Instagram blog Aqababe caused quite a bit of drama after they claimed that Rob Kardashian had overdosed in December 2022. The account also alleged that the reality TV star was hospitalized and later released. Social media users began paying close attention to the Kardashian family following the allegations to look for clues that suggested the rumor was true. A TikTok user pointed out that the Kardashians went quiet on social media after Aqababe claimed Rob overdosed. Although it was never confirmed, it looks like there are a few fans who believe the family kept quiet about the alleged incident.
Perez Hilton chimed in on the matter in a video shared to his website. "It's not true," he said while reacting to a TikTok about Rob's rumored hospitalization. Reddit users also shared their opinions on the controversial rumor. "I believe this and feel bad for Rob," one person penned. They went on to react to allegations that Khloe Kardashian didn't want Rob to enter rehab. "I think he's struggled with addiction for longer than any of us know. I wonder why would Khloe advise against rehab? Rob needs some professional medical and mental intervention in the worst way, something that does not involve his family. It's also wild how much control kris has on the media if this isn't wide spread news yet. I wonder who will take one for the team while this gets swept under the rug."
Ray J claimed Kris Jenner was involved in Kim Kardashian's sex tape leak
Kim Kardashian and Ray J's infamous sex tape is still a hot topic years later. The Kardashian family addressed the tape again during an episode of "The Kardashians" in 2022. On the show, Kardashian found out about allegedly unseen footage from the explicit video. She claimed that Ray J's former manager shared he was in possession of the clip. Later on in the series, Kanye West flew to retrieve the tape from Ray J and his manager. You'd think this would be the end of this drama, but Ray J came forward to allege that this ordeal was fabricated for TV.
During an interview with Daily Mail, he claimed Kardashian was actually in possession of the unreleased footage the entire time. The rapper also alleged he only gave West photos and texts from his past relationship with Kardashian. Ray J even addressed the rumors that he leaked the original tape. "I've never leaked anything," the rapper told Daily Mail. "I have never leaked a sex tape in my life. It has never been a leak. It's always been a deal and a partnership between Kris Jenner and Kim and me and we've always been partners since the beginning of this thing."
Tristan Thompson allegedly cheated on his pregnant girlfriend with Khloe Kardashian
It looks like Tristan Thompson had a wandering eye well before he met Khloe Kardashian. In 2019, Radar published court documents where the basketball star's ex-girlfriend, Jordan Craig, alleged that he had cheated on her three years prior. Horrifically, she was pregnant with their first child.
Apparently, Thompson told Craig he was willing to stay at first. "Tristan insisted he would change for our family, and tried to get back together on numerous occasions," the court documents read. She also claimed that Thompson didn't change his ways so she eventually moved away from him and in with her parents. Craig allegedly wasn't warned about her ex's decision to begin dating Kardashian. She said she saw photos of the NBA star "with one of the women I previously confronted him about, and whom Tristan had denied even knowing."
Radar speculated that this unnamed woman was Kardashian. Craig shared that the stress of the situation caused her to be placed on bed rest during her pregnancy. "Their relationship went viral and everything took a turn for the worst," the mom continued. "Every day several articles were published worldwide mocking my new unfortunate reality and my pregnancy would now become one of the most popular gossip headlines due to the woman Tristan was now publicly dating during my pregnancy."
Did Kim Kardashian really lose her earring in Bora Bora?
One of the most iconic moments from "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" occurred when Kim Kardashian shed tears over the diamond earrings she lost in the ocean during a trip to Bora Bora. The scene went on to become a meme and even Kim herself is in on the joke these days. In 2021, she took to Twitter to share a photo with Kourtney Kardashian which poked fun at the hilarious moment. "Kourtney lost her earring in the ocean so I helped her find it," she captioned the pic.
The reality TV star opened up about having to part ways with her expensive diamond earrings during an interview with E! News in 2017. "Okay, can I explain that earring ... I have upgraded for years for my birthday," she shared. "I buy myself a birthday present and I had upgraded that pair of diamond studs. Worked really hard." This might explain why Kim was so emotionally distraught when she lost the earrings.
It turns out that this memorable scene may have been fabricated for views, at least according to Radar. The outlet alleged that a source "close" to Kim's ex-husband, Kris Humphries, claimed the basketball player observed what really happened while watching things play out behind the scenes. "Kim was crying hysterically, but then miraculously, one of her younger sisters found the earring in the ocean, where the group had been swimming," they claimed.
A prop house was used for Keeping Up With The Kardashians
It turns out that the exteriors of the mansions shown on "Keeping Up With The Kardashian" don't actually belong to the famous family. Instead, the show uses prop houses when filming the outsides of the homes shown in the series. Don't get too disappointed though, because the Kardashians do, in fact, film inside of their real homes. They simply don't show the outside of their real houses for security reasons.
Kim Kardashian opened up about the shocking secret during a Mobio Insider Q&A in 2014 (via Us Weekly). She shared why the family decided to take extra security precautions by incorporating the prop houses. "My old home in Beverly Hills was really my home and I would get people showing up at all hours ringing my gate and had to call the police on several occasions," she said. "People hopping the gate and scaring me. It was so unsafe. The Hollywood star tours would stop by too, because they recognized my home from our show After that we realized how unsafe it is to show the exterior of our homes." She went on to confirm that the family does film inside of their real homes.
The Kardashians haven't spoken about whether or not the houses shown in their Hulu show are real. However, the family's fame has skyrocketed in recent years so we can only assume that they're taking all the security precautions they can.
Kylie Jenner's team reportedly lied about her wealth
Do you remember when Forbes named Kylie Jenner the youngest self-made billionaire in 2019? If that rings a bell, you might also recall that the magazine stripped the Kylie Cosmetics founder of her controversial title soon after. Forbes released a follow-up story about Jenner titled, "Inside Kylie Jenner's web of lies — and why she's no longer a billionaire." They claimed the beauty industry mogul's business wasn't quite as successful as it implied.
"Kylie's business is significantly smaller, and less profitable, than the family has spent years leading the cosmetics industry and media outlets, including Forbes, to believe," the magazine shared. Jenner took to social media to react to Forbes' claims, and it might be safe to say that she wasn't happy. The star penned a tweet that read, "what am i even waking up to. i thought this was a reputable site.. all i see are a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions lol. i've never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. period."
Jenner also pointed out an excerpt about tax returns Forbes believed were forged. She tweeted, "even creating tax returns that were likely forged" that's your proof? so you just THOUGHT they were forged? like actually what am i reading." Despite the mystery around the reality TV star's finances, her business continues to expand. Alongside Kylie Cosmetics, Jenner launched Kylie Baby and Kylie Skin in recent years.