Kim Kardashian Biography

Summary

"Kimberly Noel 'Kim' Kardashian" (born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, television personality and occasional actress. In 2007, she gained notoriety as the subject of a sex tape that subsequently resulted in a court awarding her $5 million; later in that same year, she and her family rose to prominence with their E! reality television series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians", and its subsequent spin-offs, including "Kourtney and Kim Take New York" and "Kourtney and Kim Take Miami". In 2010, Kardashian was the highest-earning reality star, with estimated earnings of $6 million.

With sisters Kourtney and Khloé, Kardashian co-owns the fashion boutique chain D-A-S-H. She has been involved in the production of several lines of clothing and fragrances. In August 2011, Kardashian married basketball player Kris Humphries in a widely publicized ceremony. That October, Kardashian filed for divorce following 72 days of marriage. The move garnered significant backlash from the media, who labeled it a 'publicity stunt'.

Life and career

Early life

Kardashian was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of attorney Robert Kardashian and his wife Kris Kardashian (née Houghton). Her father was a third-generation Armenian American. Her paternal great-great-grandparents, Sam and Harom Kardaschoff, were ethnic Armenian Molokan Jumpers from Karakale, Kars, Russian Empire (now Turkey). Their son Tatos anglicized his name to Tom, started a business in rubbish collection in Los Angeles, and married another Karakale Jumper immigrant, Hamas Shakarian. They migrated to the United States in 1913, just before the Armenian Genocide. Her mother is of Dutch and Scottish descent. Kardashian has two sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, and one brother, Robert. Her step-father is Bruce Jenner, who won the gold medal for the decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics. She has stepbrothers Burton Jenner, Brandon Jenner, and reality TV star Brody Jenner; step-sister Casey Jenner; and half-sisters Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner. She graduated from Marymount High School in 1998.

In 2000, Kardashian married music producer Damon Thomas; their relationship ended in divorce in 2004. Subsequently she dated R&B singer Ray J, NFL star Reggie Bush, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin and TV presenter Nick Cannon. She also dated model Gabriel Aubry. Kardashian was a friend of Paris Hilton, who introduced her to the socialite scene.

2007-08

In February 2007, a home sex video that Kardashian made with singer Ray J in 2003 was leaked. Vivid Entertainment bought the rights for $1 million and released the film as "Kim Kardashian: Superstar" on February 21. She sued Vivid for ownership of the tape. In late April 2007, Kardashian dropped the suit and settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million.

In October 2007, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians", a reality television series focusing on the lives of the Kardashian and Jenner family, premiered on E!. As of December 2012, seven seasons have aired. Its success would propel the family to fame and lead to the creation of spin-offs "Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami", "Kourtney and Kim Take New York", "Khloé & Lamar", and "Kourtney and Kim Take Miami". In December 2007, Kardashian posed nude for "Playboy".

In 2008, Kardashian starred as Lisa in her first feature film "Disaster Movie", a disaster film spoof. She was one of thirteen participants on the seventh season of "Dancing with the Stars". She was partnered with Mark Ballas, and was the third contestant to be voted off.

2009-10

In January 2009, Kardashian guest starred as herself during an episode of the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" in the episode 'Benefits'. That March, she launched an endorsement with ShoeDazzle shopping, of which she is the co-founder and chief fashion stylist. She then endorsed multiple other projects including a vanilla cupcake mix flavor called 'Va-Va-Va-Nilla' for the Los Angeles bakery, Famous Cupcakes. In April, she released a workout DVD series, "Fit in Your Jeans by Friday," with trainers Jennifer Galardi and Patrick Goudeau. In June, it was announced that Kardashian was to star as Elle in the television series "Beyond the Break". August saw Kardashian become a guest host of WrestleMania XXIV and guest judge on "America's Next Top Model". In September, Fusion Beauty and Seven Bar Foundation launched 'Kiss Away Poverty', with Kardashian as the face of the campaign. For every LipFusion lipgloss sold, $1 went to the Foundation to fund women entrepreneurs in the US. The following month, she released her first fragrance titled 'Kim Kardashian'. On December 16, 2009, Kardashian made a guest star appearance on CBS's "CSI: NY" with Vanessa Minnillo.

Kardashian in April 2009, attending the

2010 saw Kardashian venture into several new endorsement deals, including endorsing various food products for Carl's Jr.'s. Beginning in early 2010, Kardashian and her sisters designed and developed clothing lines for Bebe stores and 'Virgins, Saints, and Angels'. In January 2010, she starred as Summa Eve in the film "Deep in the Valley" In April, Kardashian sparked controversy over the way she held a kitten for a photograph, holding it by the scruff of its neck. Animal rights organization PETA criticized Kardashian for repeatedly wearing fur coats, and named her as one of the five worst people or organizations of 2010 when it came to animal welfare. June saw Kardashian guest star with Khloé and Kourtney as herself on the season three premiere episode of the series "90210". That same month, Kardashian was involved in a lawsuit against one of her endorsments. Sanford Siegal, the creator of the Cookie Diet, sued Kardashian, claiming she defamed him on Twitter. According to Siegal, Kardashian tweeted in October 2009 that he was 'falsely promoting' that she was on the cookie diet. Siegal filed a claim in a Florida state court charging that her statements were false and defamatory. He also alleged that Kardashian was on QuickTrim's payroll when she posted the tweet. Kardashian's tweet appears to stem from an article on CookieDiet.com, that named Kardashian as one of many celebrities who saw positive results on the diet. Kardashian sent a cease-and-desist order to Siegal, demanding the link be removed. Additionally, Kardashian and her sisters released a sunless tanner 'Kardashian Glamour Tan', that month.

On July 1, 2010, the New York City branch of Madame Tussauds revealed a wax figure of Kardashian. In November, Kardashian served as producer for "The Spin Crowd", a reality television show about Command PR, a New York City public relations firm, run by Jonathan Cheban and Simon Huck. The show followed them as they settle into their new offices in Los Angeles. Kardashian is friends with both, specifically Cheban, who frequently appears on her reality shows. That month, she also appeared on the tenth season of "The Apprentice". Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé wrote an autobiography titled "Kardashian Konfidential", which was released in stores on November 23, and appeared on "New York Times"s Best Seller List.

In December 2010, Kardashian filmed a music video for a song titled 'Jam (Turn It Up)'. The video was directed by Hype Williams; Kanye West makes a cameo in the video. Kardashian premiered the song during a New Year's Eve party at TAO Las Vegas on December 31, 2010. The song was produced by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. When asked if an album was in the works, Kardashian replied, 'There's no album in the works or anything-just one song we did for "Kourtney and Kim Take New York", and a video Hype Williams directed, half of the proceeds we're giving away to a cancer foundation, because The-Dream's and one of my parents passed away from cancer. It's just all having fun-with a good cause'. Jim Farber, writing for the "Daily News", called the song a 'dead-brained piece of generic dance music, without a single distinguishing feature,' and suggested that the single made Kardashian the 'worst singer in the reality TV universe.' That month, it was announced by the International Business Times that Kardashian's 2010 earnings were the highest among Hollywood-based reality stars, being estimated at $6 million.

2011-present

Kardashian in in November 2011

Kardashian, who has supported recognition of the Armenian Genocide on numerous occasions, encouraged American President Barack Obama and the United States government to consider its acknowledgement. On April 21, 2011, days before the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Kardashian wrote about the issue on her blog and sent a tweet to her fans, urging its recognition. That April, she also released her third fragrance 'Gold'. In May, she became engaged to NBA player Kris Humphries, then of the New Jersey Nets, whom she had been dating since October 2010. They were married during an extravagant wedding ceremony on August 20 in Montecito, California. Earlier that month, she had released her 'wedding fragrance' called 'Kim Kardashian Love' which coincided with her own wedding. A two-part TV special showing the preparations and the wedding itself aired on "E!" in early October 2011, amidst what "The Washington Post" called a 'media blitz' related to the wedding. Also in October, Kardashian and her sisters opened their Kardashian Khaos store in Las Vegas. After 72 days of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce from Humphries on October 31, citing irreconcilable differences. After filing for the divorce, Kardashian asked the court to order Humphries to pay his own legal expenses. On December 1, Humphries filed his response to Kardashian's petition, requesting an annulment on the grounds of fraud or if the court will not grant an annulment, a decree of legal separation rather than Kardashian's requested divorce. Several news outlets surmised that Kardashian's marriage to Humphries was merely a publicity stunt, to promote the Kardashian family's brand and their subsequent television ventures. Her former publicist also claimed that her short-lived wedding was indeed staged and a ploy to generate money. Kardashian filed suit against him, saying his claims were untrue. A widely circulated petition asking to remove all Kardashian-related programming from the air followed the split.

In March 2012, Kardashian debuted her fourth fragrance titled 'True Reflection', which she worked with the company Dress for Success to promote. That month, Kardashian and her sisters were named in a $5 million class action lawsuit against QuickTrim, the weight loss supplement they endorse. The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses the Kardashians (along with QuickTrim's manufacturer, Windmill Health Products; the retailer GNC; and others in the sales and marketing chain) of false and deceptive marketing of the diet aid. The plaintiffs, hailing from several states, brought claims under their respective states' consumer protection laws. In April, "E!" renewed "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" for two additional seasons, in a deal reported to be worth $50 million. Kardashian also began dating American rapper Kanye West that month, though she remained legally married to Humphries. In an August 2012 article from the Associated Press, Humphries' attorney noted that a trial might be required in order for the divorce to be resolved. In October 2012, Kardashian released her fifth fragrance, 'Glam', which 'draws on the glamour of her Hollywood lifestyle', and was made available through Debenhams. In November, Kardashian and her sisters internationally launched the 'Kardashian Collection' in England, as well as launching a line of cosmetics, 'Khroma Beauty'. On December 31, 2012, Kardashian and West announced that she is pregnant with the couple's first child, reportedly a girl. In February 2013, a judge ruled that Kardashian's divorce case with Humphries will go to trial. The trial is set for May 6, 2013, 18 months after Kardashian's initial divorce filing.