Kim Kardashian and her famous sisters have been making headlines for over 10 years. This is what happens when you star in a sex tape.
This is also what happens when you star on a reality show, crank out countless babies… and annoyingly shill for every product one can.
But Kim and her famous sisters have also been making headlines for years for stories that are less factual than the examples listed above.
That is, the Kardashian family has been at the center of more rumors, innuendo and straight-up conspiracies than we can even llist here.
But we’ve tried just the same. That’s what we do. Scroll down for a list of these sorts of stories that have actually made the rounds.
Are any of them real?!
Khloe is Actually O.J. Simpson’s Secret Daughter
We’re gonna start with the very best one – and perhaps the longest-running – right off the bat. There are multiple stories out there that STILL try to argue that O.J. Simpson is Khloe’s biological dad. The “evidence” behind this? Simpson was best friends with Kris Jenner’s late ex-husband Robert Kardashian Sr., and Khloe is taller and different-looking than her sisters. That is pretty much it, but the rumor persists to this day.
The Kris Humphries-Kim Wedding Was a Hoax
Not stunning that people believe this, considering Kim filed for divorce after 72 days, and considering that Kim married Kris Humphries. In general. The couple reportedly spent just a few days alone together before tying the knot, fueling speculation that this was all a shameless ratings grab. But think about this: Kim and Kris aren’t the first couple to simply rush to the altar too quickly, and if it was a previously-agreed-upon hoax, why would they split after 72 days? Wouldn’t they keep the marriage intact for a longer period of time… just to make this so-called hoax seem less obvious?
Justin Bieber Bent Kourtney Over a Car, Made Sweet Love to Her and Taunted Scott Disick on Instagram
This was never confirmed, but one of the all-time best. Bieber posted this image in late 2015, with the caption “Lord Knows.” Kourtney and Scott Disick, who nicknamed himself The Lord, had recently split, and Bieber had already been linked to the eldest Kardashian sibling romantically. Enter this horribly photoshopped picture of Bieber standing behind some toned legs and fans went berzerk. Whether or not the mother of three let the much-younger Justin hit it here, or anywhere else, remains in question … but the humor quotient of this rumor does not.
The Illuminati Were Responsible for Lamar Odom’s Coma
Yes, this theory is real, okay? It explains that Lamar was sick of the secrets and prepared to spill EVERYthing… and then the Illuminati staged his drug overdose and subsequent coma, from which he nearly passed away, to teach him a lesson. After he recovered, they “let him live by giving him a secret serum that cures all ailments.” These people are nuts.
Kylie Jenner Was Kim’s Surrogate For Chicago West
Kim and Kanye West welcomed baby number-three via a surrogate last year. And she happened to arrive right about the time that Kylie Jenner – who shocking got pregnant at the age of 20 – was due to give birth also. So, naturally, Kylie had to have been her half-sister’s surrogate, right!? (If only photos didn’t exist of both Chicago AND Kylie’s daughter Stormi Webster, huh?)
Kim Was Replaced by a Lookalike in the Family’s Calvin Klein Ads
Speaking of slightly less elaborate surrogates … we have no clue why anyone thought this, but articles went up online that questioned whether Kim herself is truly posing with her siblings above. Compared to some of these other theories, this one is surprisingly plausible – but that’s clearly a very low bar.
Blac Chyna Got Knocked Up by Rob Kardashian on Purpose
This one is true … though the definition of “on purpose” is subject to some debate. In order to exploit the last name of her then-boyfriend and profit from her connections to the Kardashian for years to come? Stranger things have most definitely happened.
Same With Tyga!
Tyga is the father of Chyna’s first child AND dated Kylie Jenner for many years. Did he and his ex really conspire to both plot to get inside the pants of members of this wealthy, famous family in order to make serious bank off the relationships down the line? Yes, some believe. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Tim Chung is Stormi’s Father
Man fans believed Kylie Jenner’s bodyguard Tim Chung might be Stormi’s real father, because … he spends a lot of time with her and is a very attractive man. Neither of those two things can realistically be said about the baby’s actual father Travis Scott, a.k.a. Jacques Webster, so that’s where this one came from.
Kim’s Paris Robbery Was a Publicity Stunt
While there’s zero doubt that the family capitalized on the buzz surrounding this incident by having Kimberly tearfully recall the details on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, she’s not a good enough actress to fake this kind of emotion. Kim also stayed out of the spotlight for a long time afterward due to security fears … which speaks volumes because it’s Kim.
Ted Cruz IS Robert Kardashian!
Now we’re getting somewhere! This theory posits that Robert Kardashian Sr. did not actually die of esophageal cancer in 2003. You see, he faked his death, left his family… and started a new life as Ted Cruz. Because who would not want to be the most hated man in politics? (Well, before about June 2015.)
Kris Jenner Brokered the Sale and Release of Kim Kardashian Superstar
From the crazy to the obvious. Is there actually anyone out there who thinks Kris was NOT behind the Kim Kardashian sex tape going public!? Sure, it’s entirely possible that Ray J filmed himself taking it to Kim like a man possessed for the sole purpose of the couple’s private enjoyment later. Sure, it’s possible that a copy “leaked” to a third party. But at some point, Ray’s doggy-style exploits became a money- and publicity-generating machine that bears all the hallmarks of a lucrative Kris Jenner PR scheme.
Kris Also Arranged For an Influx of Kardashian Babies in 2018
It is true that ratings for the family’s reality show were plummeting throughout Seasons 13 and 14. Hence why some folks are convinced that Kris told her kids to start f–king within an inch of their lives and produce some new family members and storylines pronto. Wouldn’t you know it, Khloe and Kylie to get knocked up – despite neither being in a long-term relationship that exactly appears stable – and Kim to use her surrogate. Presto! Three new kids are in the fold and there are new storylines galore. Kris wins again.
Kim, Kanye and Taylor Swift are All in the Illuminati
Under this conspiracy, the entire feud between Swift and Kimye is contrived. It’s meant to distract the public from the dark machinations of this trio as they work with the world’s most notorious secret society … the existence of which is also shrouded in mystery, doubt and various conspiracy theories.
Kylie Jenner is Dead
She died in 2013, this theory goes. It’s based on the fact that she looks SO different from how she used to look, so the family must have replaced her with someone else a la the 1993 Kevin Kline film Dave. Probably not true, but you have to admit, she doesn’t even look like the same person with those lips and … other attributes.
Kylie Jenner Got Plastic Surgery
This seems like a far better theory than the whole fake-death one.
Kim Kardashian Got Plastic Surgery
Sensing a theme now? This one mostly centers on Kim’s butt and the belief that there MUST be implants in there, despite her many denials.
Kourtney Kardashian Got Plastic Surgery
Her boobs… her butt…. her stomach. There have been too many reports to cite just one here, but pretty much every one of Kourtney’s body parts has been called into question. Unlike her siblings, however, Kourtney has conceded having at least some of the aforementioned work done.
The Kimye Marriage is Fake
Kim is using Kanye to legitimate her brand. Kanye is using Kim to remain hip and to reach a younger audience. They don’t even sleep in the same bedroom most days of the week. So goes this cynical conspiracy, that is … and while we fail to understand Kimye in general, the idea that Kanye’s image is enhanced by his in-laws is dubious, as is the idea that Kim needed anything to legitimize her fame at this point.