As Keeping Up With The Kardashians comes to an end, Kim Kardashian is reflecting on the journey, including a certain infamous tape that came out before the series premiere. While intimate footage being leaked could've been ruinous, the Kardashians spun it into gold.
The leaked sex tape of Kim and then-boyfriend Ray J came out in 2007, months before the E! series premiered. The footage dominated headlines for a while. Many used it to make fun of Kim, continuing to do so for years afterwards. Rather than pretend the tape wasn't out there, the family talked about it on the show. Naturally, the subject came up during the big reunion special to celebrate the final season. Kim shared her utterly honest thoughts, over a decade later.
As reported by E! News, reunion host Andy Cohen boldly asked, "Do you feel the show would have had its massive initial success without the publicity that surrounded the sex tape?" To which Kim responded, "Looking back, probably not." She continued, "I think that everything happens for a reason and I really try to live like that." The SKIMS founder explained, "Every time there's a crazy scandal that feels like you can't breathe and how are you gonna get through this, it always is a lesson. Even if it's a private lesson, or even if it's just something that we didn't know we had to go through." That tape was the first of many scandals she would endure over the years.
The 40-year-old also admitted that she is prepared in case she has to discuss the tape with her children. "I haven't had to as of yet," she said, "and luckily I think that so many years have gone on and so many things have happened positively that it really erases that." The mom of four previously spoke about other past moments she'll have to explain to her kids- specifically, her very short-lived marriage to Kris Humphries.
Even though some good came from the leaked tape, and it no longer defines her, Kim still calls it "something being held over my head." The star admitted, "That is something that I have to live with for the rest of my life," and, she continued, "I try not to have any regrets, but it's probably the one thing I wish didn't exist and if I could erase any of the stupid things that I've done in life that's probably it. It's more so from being a mom than anything."
While the infamous tape may have given Keeping Up With The Kardashians an early boost, the show's longevity is due to the Kardashians themselves. The entire family spun 15 minutes of fame into over 15 years. And it shows no signs of slowing down. Even with the E! series ending, new shows will be coming to Hulu.
Source: E! News