The world’s most famous momager is spilling ALL the tea, and it is deliciously unexpected!!!
Just when you thought you knew everything about the rise of the KarJenner empire, it now turns out we’ve all been missing a MAJOR piece of the reality TV puzzle. Forget what you thought you knew about Keeping Up with the Kardashians, because the real inspo behind the show that changed pop culture forever is not what you expected.
No, the fam was not inspired by The Osbournes. Nor were they taken in by The Real World or similar shows. Close, but no cigar!
Are you ready for KUWTK‘s REAL inspiration?? Drumroll please…
Kris Jenner just confessed that The Girls Next Door was the surprise spark that lit the KUWTK fire!
Really?!
Yes, that would be the 2000s reality show with Hugh Hefner and his Playboy posse!
Related: OMG! Kris Went Platinum Blonde — LOOK!
Let’s set the scene: Kris stopped by the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast this week and opened up about how this whole reality TV roller coaster began. When host Amanda Hirsch asked if Kris’ longtime bestie Kathie Lee Gifford was the one who pushed her to do a reality show, Kris set the record straight:
“It was actually … many of my friends used to say, ‘You really should do a reality show, like what goes on here is crazy.’”
And while Kathie Lee definitely had thoughts, it turns out the birth of KUWTK involved a little more chaos, a little more chance, and of course, a dash of Hollywood magic. Kris explained:
“Kathie Lee Gifford, who is a very dear friend, she often would say, ‘You guys need a reality show, this is just nuts.’ And one night, a friend of mine who is a casting director of Dancing With the Stars and different shows, she was over and saw whatever the chaos was that night and said, ‘You guys, you’ve got to meet Ryan Seacrest, because he just has a deal now over at E! and NBC Universal, and they’re looking for a family, and a reality show.’”
Boom. Seacrest out in! As Kris put it:
“The rest is history, so it really worked out.”
Not wrong!
BUT WAIT — here’s where it gets juicy!!!
When the topic turned to other early reality TV families like the Osbournes (as we doff a forever tip of the cap to Ozzy and a huge shout-out to Sharon and her chaos crew), Kris let the real secret slip: the actual show that made her want to put the KarJenner krew on TV wasn’t about music royalty or dysfunctional drama — it was about bunny ears, bubble baths, and the bougie bonanza at the Playboy Mansion.
Caitlyn Jenner‘s ex-wife explained:
“I thought that was the funniest. I’m like, ‘What is happening?’ So, between all of those different reality shows, I thought, ‘Oh, this would be such an interesting category to slip into, because I have so many kids.’”
So there you have it, folks. Kris Jenner saw Hefner’s harem helmed by Bridget Marquardt, Kendra Wilkinson, and Holly Madison and essentially said, love it, let’s do all that, but let’s make it Calabasas.
And it WORKED!
Now, nearly two decades later, we’re still watching the chaos unfold… just with a Hulu glow-up. To that end, Kris wasn’t shy about recognizing just how far they’ve come:
“And here we are, all these years later.”
And when asked if she ever thought the KarJenner brand would become a billion-dollar pop culture juggernaut, she summed it up with four simple words:
“You gotta dream big.”
That you do…
So, there you have it. Who knew The Girls Next Door would end up being the blueprint for the biggest reality TV dynasty of all time? Leave it to Kris Jenner to turn inspiration into a global takeover.
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[Image via Nicky Nelson/MEGA/WENN/Avalon]