Kim Kardashian, born Kimberly Noel Kardashian West on October 21, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, United States, is an American television personality and entrepreneur who gained international fame for her personal life, much of which was documented on the popular reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2007–21).
Kim was the second of four children; her older sister was Kourtney, and her younger siblings were Khloé and Robert. Her father, Robert Kardashian, rose to prominence as a member of O.J. Simpson’s legal team during his 1995 murder trial, and her mother, Kris, later served as her manager. After the couple divorced in 1989, Kris married (1991–2014) Olympic gold medalist Bruce (later Caitlyn) Jenner, and they had Kendall and Kylie. Kim graduated from high school in 1998 and subsequently became Paris Hilton’s assistant.
During this time, she married music producer Damon Thomas in 2000; they divorced in 2004. Two years later, Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé opened the DASH boutique in Calabasas, California; several additional locations followed.
A sex tape featuring Kim and her then-boyfriend, R&B singer Ray J, was leaked online in early 2007; she sued the video’s distributor and later reached a settlement out of court.
Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which followed the family’s daily lives, including Bruce Jenner’s later transition to a woman, was made possible due to the attention the Kardashians received. In October 2007, the show premiered on the E! channel and was a ratings success.
Late in the 2010s, Kardashian became involved in prison reform; as a result of her efforts, numerous inmates were freed. In 2018, she was instrumental in obtaining a presidential commutation for nonviolent drug offender Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving a life sentence. In 2020, Kim Kardashian West’s The Justice Project aired on television.
Kardashian was a staple in the tabloids, and her relationships garnered considerable attention. She married basketball player Kris Humphries in 2011; the ceremony was filmed and later broadcast on E!; however, she filed for divorce 72 days later, which was finalized in 2013.In 2012, Kardashian began dating rapper Kanye West, and the following year, their daughter, North (“Nori”) West, was born. Kardashian and West wed in May of 2014.
In 2015, the couple welcomed their second child, a son named Saint West. Their children, Chicago West and Psalm West, were born via surrogate in 2018 and 2019, respectively. It was announced in 2021 that Kim and Kanye were divorcing.
