‘KUWTK’ Heads Deny Kim Kardashian & Ray J Tape ‘Made The Show Happen’: It Was Not About That At All
‘KUWTK’ Heads Deny Kim Kardashian & Ray J Tape ‘Made The Show Happen’: It Was Not About That At All
As the famous Kar-Jenners prepare for the end of E!’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians after 20 seasons, network heads, producers, and stars of the show are clearing the air on how the reality series came to be.
KUWTK premiered in 2007, months after Kim Kardashian’s infamous sex tape with reality star and singer Ray J leaked. While there is a ton of speculation that the tape is Kim Kardashian and her family’s subtle claim to fame, producers are shutting down those rumors.
Lisa Berger, who was the executive vice president of original programming and series development at E! at the time told The L.A. Times earlier this month,
“I think everyone’s like, ‘The sex tape made the show happen.’ It was so not about that at all.”
Farnaz Farjam, executive producer of Bunim Murray Productions spoke on the tape being a topic of conversation in the first episode, which showed Kim Kardashian going to Tyra Banks’ talk show and being asked about the controversy.
“I remember Kim being conflicted about it, because she hated everything that was going on around that tape. We all talked about, ‘We just have to own all the controversy around this family’ and jumped in with both feet in the first episode. Then, the audience can get to know them at a much deeper level than what’s been tabloid headlines.”
Eliot Goldberg, senior vice president of production and development at Ryan Seacrest Productions, echoed similar sentiments and said,
“They knew they had to deal with the sex tape. It was really brilliant that if they dealt with it right at the top, and put it to bed, the world, and them, could move on.”
Kim added that she wouldn’t have publicly talked about it if it weren’t for KUWTK.
“I do think that, obviously, as producers, I’m sure they loved it. And loved [us] wanting to talk about the elephant in the room. And I probably wouldn’t have, unless it was for the show. Sometimes I feel like, ‘OK, I know I should probably deal and get this over with. Someone’s gonna ask me, so I might as well just go ahead and do it.’ In a way, filming has helped us deal with things, instead of sweeping them under the rug. At the end of the day, I was always open and honest and wanted to share whatever I was going through. I wasn’t gonna hold back.”
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