Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, television personality, model, and actress. She is the daughter of late attorney Robert Kardashian, and is known for a sex tape with her former boyfriend Ray J as well as her E! reality series that she shares with her family, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Kardashian's prominence has increased as of January 2011 with the premiere of Kourtney and Kim Take New York, the second spin-off of Keeping Up with the Kardashians (the first being Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami), debuting on E!, with the series following Kim and sister Kourtney Kardashian as they leave Los Angeles to open a third D-A-S-H store in New York City.
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Kim Kardashian has launched multiple fragrances, guest starred on numerous shows, competed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, and has had roles in movies such as Disaster Movie and Deep in the Valley. In 2010, Kardashian, along with her sisters Kourtney and Khloe, released an autobiography, Kardashian Konfidential, and plan to launch their own fashion line.
Kim Kardashian was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of late attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner (née Houghton). Her father was a third generation Armenian American and her mother is of Dutch and Scottish descent. Her paternal great-grandparents immigrated to Los Angeles from historic Armenia (then part of the Ottoman Empire, now in Turkey). Her last name in Armenian (spelled Քարտաշեան in Armenian) means "son of a stonemason." Although only half Armenian, she states that she "was raised with a huge Armenian influence, always hearing stories of Armenia, eating Armenian food and celebrating Armenian holidays".
Kim Kardashian has two sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, and one brother, Robert. She has stepbrothers Burton Jenner, Brandon Jenner, and reality TV star Brody Jenner, step-sister Casey Jenner, and half-sisters Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner. She attended Marymount High School. During high school, Kim Kardashian worked at her father's music marketing firm, Movie Tunes.
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Kim Kardashian has openly supported the recognition of the Armenian Genocide on numerous occasions and has encouraged Barack Obama and the United States government to consider its acknowledgement. On April 21, 2011, a few days before the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, she has written about the issue on her blog in an effort to put it under spotlight and has also sent a tweet to her fans urging its recognition.
On April 1, 2010, Kim Kardashian joined Cyndi Lauper in the launch of her Give a Damn campaign to create a wider awareness of discrimination against the LGBT community as part of her True Colors Fund. The campaign is to bring straight people to stand up with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered community and stop the discrimination. Other names included in the campaign are Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Mraz, Elton John, Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Clay Aiken, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne.
However,
Kim Kardashian has also been on the receiving end of activism. Animal rights organization PETA has criticized her for repeatedly wearing fur coats, and named her as one of the five worst people or organizations of 2010 when it came to animal welfare.
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In December 2010, Kim Kardashian filmed a music video for a song titled "Jam (Turn It Up)," the video was directed by Hype Williams; Kanye West makes a cameo in the video. Kim Kardashian premiered the song during a New Year's Eve party at TAO Las Vegas on December 31, 2010. The song was produced by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. Kim Kardashian said that she was forced into doing the song by friends such as Ciara, Kanye West, and "Turn It Up" producer The-Dream. When asked if an album is in the works, Kim Kardashian replied: "There's no album in the works or anything – just one song we did for Kourtney and Kim Take New York, and a video Hype Williams directed, half of the proceeds we're giving away to a cancer foundation, because The-Dream's and one of my parents passed away from cancer. It's just all having fun – with a good cause". Jim Farber, writing for the Daily News, called the song a "dead-brained piece of generic dance music, without a single distinguishing feature," and suggested that the single made
Kim Kardashian the "worst singer in the reality TV universe."
On May 18, 2011, Humphries and Kim Kardashian became engaged. Humphries proposed with a custom-designed 20.5-carat Lorrain Schwartz diamond engagement ring. On June 2, 2011, Kardashian stated in an interview with Allison Kugel that she is planning on using Kim Kardashian as her middle name and taking Humphries as her last.
After 72 days of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce from Humphries on October 31, 2011, citing irreconcilable differences. After filing for the divorce, Kardashian asked the court to order Humphries to pay his own legal expenses. On December 1, 2011, Humphries filed his response to Kardashian's petition, requesting an annulment on the grounds of fraud or if the court will not grant an annulment, a decree of legal separation rather than Kardashian's requested divorce.
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Several news outlets have surmised that Kardashian's marriage to Kris Humphries was merely a publicity stunt to promote the Kardashian family's brand and their subsequent television ventures. Her former publicist has also claimed that her short-lived wedding was indeed staged and a ploy to generate money.
Kim Kardashian has since filed suit against him, saying his claims were untrue. A widely circulated petition asking to remove all Kardashian related programing off the air has been followed since their split.
Filmography2007–present: Keeping Up with the Kardashians as Herself
2008: Dancing with the Stars as Herself
2008: Disaster Movie as Calvin's girlfriend, Lisa
2009: CSI: NY as Debbie Fallon (1 episode)
2009: Deep in the Valley as Summa Eve
2009: How I Met Your Mother as herself (1 episode)
2009: Beyond the Break as Elle (4 episodes)
2011–present: Kourtney and Kim Take New York
