EXCLUSIVEFame At Any Cost: New Biography Exposes The Naked Truth Behind Kris Jenner’s Control Of Kim's Sex Tape
Jan. 5 2021, Updated 11:55 a.m. ET
Kris Jenner masterminded the marketing of her own daughter’s leaked sex tape to further the Kardashian clan’s public profile, according to a new unauthorized biography.
The ruthless businesswoman wanted fame at any cost, even if it meant "humiliating" her own flesh and blood.
The explosive claim is contained in a new book, Dirty Sexy Money: The Unauthorized Biography of Kris Jenner, that uncovers the real story behind the rise, fall and rise of modern history’s greatest celebrity dynasties.
Multiple sources speaking to celebrity biographer Cathy Griffin and investigative journalist Dylan Howard revealed that "there is little room for doubt" that the formidable momager acted as an intermediary to ensure the sordid tape sold for big bucks to porn peddlers Vivid Entertainment.
One source, who was directly connected to the tape, confirmed the allegation.
In Fox News' series, OBJECTified, Kris, 65, denied she had any involvement in the release of the stick flick "Kim Kardashian, Superstar." It is the most-watched X-rated video of all time.
"You know, I can't control what other people say and obviously that was a hard thing to go through," she recalled. "The thing I learned from that is that you can get through anything as a family.
"That was obviously a real hard time for any mom," she added. "It was devastating."
This is not the first time that Kris’ denials have been contradicted.
In Kardashian Dynasty by Ian Halperin, he claimed Kim and Kris deliberately leaked her now-infamous sex tape to make her famous. Kim, said Halperin, signed a contract with Vivid Entertainment in 2007 to leak the sex tape she made with Ray J in 2003 while on vacation in Mexico.
It is widely known that in order for a sex tape to be published or broadcast for commercial gain that both parties to it have to sign off on its release.
Halperin concluded: "It is clear that Vivid would not have announced plans to distribute Kim’s tape without a clear indication from the family that they would give the go-ahead once they had come to terms on a price."
FROM BALI TO CALI — WE CAN HARDLY *KEEP UP* WITH KIM KARDASHIAN‘S EPIC B-DAY BASHES
The Huffington Post, on the tenth anniversary of the film’s release, even concluded: "[The film’s success is] that kind of success that makes it difficult for people to believe that Kardashian or her mother, Kris Jenner, had no role in leaking it."
In Dirty Sexy Money: The Unauthorized Biography of Kris Jenner, it’s reported: "Kris was there every step of the way as a middleman was brought in to market it to an adult entertainment company."
One insider told the authors they’d even claimed to have seen "Kris Jenner’s signature on the contract."
The revelation makes a mockery of Kris’s protestations of innocence in the sleazy deal.
The book, published by Skyhorse Publishing nationwide on January 5, provides an unflinching exposé of the naked ambition that drove Kris to make her family one of the most famous in the world, and how they often used sex to climb the social ladder.
- The Real Reason The Kardashians Got A TV Show? 'Bruce Jenner Was The Big Thing,' Says New Book
- Master Manipulator Kris Jenner Controlled Kim's Scandalous Sex Life In Pursuit Of Worldwide Fame, Says Juicy Tell-All
- Money-Hungry Kris Jenner: Dating The 'Least Attractive' Men If It Propelled Her Forward, New Book Claims
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
The furor around Kim’s controversial sex tape is credited with being the blue touch paper that turned the reality television show Keeping Up With the Kardashians into an explosive hit.
The amateur porn flick was filmed in 2007 when the show first aired. Kim and her then boyfriend, rapper and ex-boyfriend of Whitney Houston Ray J, went to the Esperanza resort in Cabo, Mexico, to celebrate her 23rd birthday and took a camcorder.
They filmed the explicit sex romp there and later shot more sex scenes in a hotel room in Santa Barbara, Calif.
When the footage of her and Ray J appeared online, Kim was mortified and called it "humiliating."
FASHION FAMILY! THE KARDASHIANS AND JENNERS BEST RED CARPET MOMENTS
She said she felt betrayed — but did not point a finger at who betrayed her. Nevertheless, it has always been assumed she was referring to Ray J.
The new revelations throw fresh light on her comments, however.
In Dirty Sexy Money: The Unauthorized Biography of Kris Jenner, it’s explained: "Kim sued Vivid for violating her right to privacy, which raises questions as to whether she knew that the tape was being released or whether the lawsuit itself was part of a grand publicity scheme by Kris, or whether someone other than Kris was responsible for selling Kim’s video. However, Kim dropped the lawsuit in April 2007 and agreed to a lump-sum financial settlement with Vivid."
The facts suggest someone on the inside was pulling the strings, it’s claimed.
"We’ve always known we had the legal right to distribute this video," a Vivid executive said at the time. "We’ve always wanted to work something out with Kim so she could share in the profits."
The Kardashians have always denied claims of Kris’ involvement in any sex tape deals, calling the allegations "disgusting and disturbing." Though tellingly, Kris once stated: "We wouldn’t be the Kardashians if we censored ourselves. The camera loves drama!"
The head of Vivid, Steve Hirsch, also maintained that neither Kim nor her mother were involved in the early stages of selling the tape but he did concede he had their approval.
KYLIE JENNER’S SEXY SUMMER STYLE: 23 OF HER BEST LOOKS PHOTOS
"It was a very difficult time, and ultimately we were able to come to an agreement. It was a very difficult deal to get done. Probably [the hardest deal we’ve done]. [Kim] did not want it to happen," he told Page Six. "I know people have speculated on [whether she planned the release of the tape from the beginning], but the facts are the facts. A lot of nonsense has been reported over the years … [The persistent rumors about Kris Jenner, Kardashian’s mother, being involved in selling the tape are] such nonsense. I don’t know who started that. [People don’t want] the truth to get in the way of a good story … I had no contact with [Kris]."
Ironically, if Kris did negotiate a deal for her daughter’s sex tape to boost television ratings, her efforts appear to have been futile. Sources quoted in Dirty Sexy Money: The Unauthorized Biography of Kris Jenner revealed that the sex tape "was of little significance of making the show happen."
Insiders said that it was Bruce Jenner, who publicly came out as a transgender woman in 2015, taking the name Caitlyn — and not his stepdaughter’s sexual exploits — that proved to be the main draw for television executives.
As one source explained: "There was a little bubbling about the [sex] tape, but nobody really knew who Kim Kardashian was."
A rep for Kim has always insisted that "all the assertions (about the sex tape) are false."
