The Kardashian Klan

Disha Sharma, Staff Writer|December 18, 2017

The Kardashian family has pretty much become a household name. Whether it’s their hit reality TV show, famed makeup, and clothing brands, or presence on all social media platforms, the family has had a worldwide following for the past decade. But, how did the Kardashians even begin to attain so much attention? Most theories surround Kim Kardashian, the second oldest child of the Kardashian kids and the most well-known in the family’s initial stages of stardom. The original contributor, however, is Kim’s biological father and predecessor of the Kardashian clan, Robert Kardashian. Robert was born in Los Angeles, where he eventually attended USC before heading to law school at UC San Diego. Robert married Kris Jenner in 1978 and proceeded to have four children — Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Robert – the original Kardashian kids. During this time, Robert Kardashian also met and became friends with football star O.J. Simpson and his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. Unfortunately, Robert and Kris divorced in 1991, and several years later, an iconic trial began with the murder of Nicole Simpson.
Even though Robert Kardashian was a key figure on Simpson’s defense team, the event didn’t catapult him or his family to sudden fame. He did happen to be quite wealthy, which gave his children a lush lifestyle filled with privileges and opportunity. Sadly, Robert Kardashian died of esophageal cancer in September of 2003 – at only the age of 59! Kris had long since remarried to Bruce Jenner, a former Olympian who we now address as “Caitlyn” after her gender reassignment surgery last year. They had two kids of their own, Kendall Jenner in 1995 and Kylie Jenner in 1997. While the news mentions the Kardashian family repeatedly due to Robert Kardashian’s involvement in the O.J. Simpson trial, Kris Kardashian’s betrothal to Bruce Jenner really put them in the spotlight. The family started attending award shows and galas, and in 2003, Kim Kardashian became friends with the budding socialite and TV star, Paris Hilton. She started appearing alongside Hilton in the “The Simple Life,” a popular reality television series in which Kim is Paris's assistant, showing off her skills as a closet organizer. Kim also worked with Khloé and Kourtney in the retail business, after they launched their clothing store DASH in 2006.
Meanwhile, momager Kris Jenner was hard at work getting the family to hit the big screens – or, more accurately, the television of every household in America. In 2007, she pitched a reality show idea about the family to Ryan Seacrest. The first episode aired on October 14, 2007, and the family just signed a $150 million deal with the E! Network for its continuation following the show’s 10th anniversary this past September. The same year the first episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians was aired, Kim’s sex tape with hip-hop star Ray-J was leaked, and suddenly no one would stop talking about the Kardashians. The overwhelming fame that came with having a hit reality TV show, combined with Kim’s involvement with high profile stars, really made the Kardashians a hot topic for the public. Other beaus included NFL running back Reggie Bush, and Miles Austin, the wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. Before Kanye West, her only “serious” relationship was with basketball player Kris Humphries. After only three months of going public with their relationship, the two tied the knot in August 2011 and filed for divorce 72 days later.
Luckily, Kim found true love after marrying rapper Kanye West in 2014. The couple is parents to
daughter North, 4, and son Saint, 1. Currently, Kim is expecting another baby girl via surrogate
this January.
The rumor mill has been churning out tons of speculation to do with not only Kim’s “pregnancy,” but of sisters Kylie Jenner and Khloé Kardashian. Khloé is said to be having a baby boy with Cleveland Cavaliers pro, Tristan Thompson, March or April of 2018. Khloé Kardashian fans are ecstatic, knowing how much Khloé wanted to conceive naturally after undergoing several, unsuccessful fertility treatments with ex-husband Lamar Odom. Kylie Jenner, who turned 20 on August 10, is at least six months pregnant with boyfriend Travis Scott’s child. Multiple insiders have revealed that when she first found out, the beauty mogul was weighing her options, but is ultimately thrilled to be a mom. There are a few sources, however, that said her ever traditional dad Caitlyn Jenner is concerned about her daughter being a mom at such a young age, and was deterring her from having the baby. Until Kylie confirms the pregnancy herself though, fans will be kept on their toes and a close following will remain on all the sisters in the family. For now, the Kardashian dynasty continues to expand their worldwide following one contour kit at a time.