Kim Kardashian announces end of 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians'

LOS ANGELES -- Fans will have to find another way to keep up with the Kardashians, as the mega-celebrity family announced Tuesday that their reality show will end next year.

"It is with heavy hearts that we've made the difficult decision as a family to say goodbye to 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians,'" Kim Kardashian wrote in a post to her 188 million Instagram followers.

"After what will be 14 years, 20 seasons, hundreds of episodes and numerous spin-off shows, we are beyond grateful to all of you who've watched us for all of these years -- through the good times, the bad times, the happiness, the tears, and the many relationships and children," she said.

"Our last season will air early next year in 2021," wrote the businesswoman and wife of rapper Kanye West.

"Without 'Keeping Up with The Kardashians,' I wouldn't be where I am today," she added. "This show made us who we are and I will be forever in debt to everyone who played a role in shaping our careers and changing our lives forever."

The statement was also shared by Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, the family's highly adept "mom-ager." The post was signed by the three Kardashian sisters -- Kourtney, Kim and Khloe -- their mother, their brother Rob, their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner and Scott Disick, the father of Kourtney's three children.

The family gave no explanation for the decision to end the popular show.

The announcement comes after rap star West, who has four children with Kim Kardashian, said he is running for US president.

West has also recently made enigmatic and disjointed, even incoherent, remarks on Twitter and at a campaign event, prompting his wife to open up about his bipolar disorder and ask for "compassion and empathy."

"Keeping Up with the Kardashians" skyrocketed the entire family to fame, turning them into regulars in celebrity tabloids and helping them leverage their notoriety into multi-million dollar careers in makeup, perfume and modeling.

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Obamas, not Kardashians, seen as model for Meghan and Harry rebrand

As newly liberated royals, Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have the world at their feet with the potential to make money in areas ranging from fashion and speaking engagements to forming their own production company.

But the couple, formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, should move wisely to make themselves financially independent in a world where social media influencers like Kim Kardashian reign and where their visibility will be magnified rather than reduced, branding experts and Hollywood observers say.

"Brand Sussex is a global brand and could end up making an absolute fortune, from public speaking to Meghan reinventing her lifestyle blog, to merchandising or brand endorsements," said Nick Bullen, editor-in-chief of True Royalty TV.

Harry and Meghan shocked Queen Elizabeth when they announced on Wednesday they wanted to lead a more independent life, and finance it themselves.


Meghan's background as an actress on the US television show "Suits" immediately prompted speculation she could return to acting.

But the range of options open to them is far wider. It could include establishing an independent production company to make television shows, documentaries, podcasts or movies along the lines of the Higher Ground company formed by ex-President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

Harry already has teamed up with Oprah Winfrey to produce a forthcoming documentary focusing on mental health for Apple's new streaming service. Apple declined to respond to queries about further collaborations with the prince.

"The Obamas are a great model for how to make money and keep it classy. They could find projects that are moving and sometimes Meghan could be in them. If it's a documentary, maybe Harry could narrate it," said veteran Hollywood public relations strategist Howard Bragman.

Bragman said the pair should be judicious about their choices because "the level of scrutiny they are going to get is going to be ridiculous, and not always fair."

The booming public speaking circuit in North America could prove to be a lucrative source of income.

"Big name speakers get well into 6 figures to make an appearance or give a speech at an event. If they choose to pursue that avenue, they would be considered in the top echelon of speakers," said Jeff Jacobson, co-founder of Canada-based Talent Bureau.

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Meghan has considerable clout in the fashion world. Global fashion search platform Lyst in November named her the world's most powerful dresser of 2019 and last year she launched a clothing collection in Britain to benefit an organization that helps underprivileged women secure employment.

Britain's Sun newspaper reported on Friday that the duchess was discussing a project with French fashion house Givenchy, which made her wedding dress in 2018. Reuters could not confirm the report.

The "half-royal" duo will also face stiff competition from established celebrities and YouTubers, who can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from a single endorsement on social media.

"Harry and Meghan have a combined Instagram following of 10 million, which is eclipsed by the likes of (soccer player) Cristiano Ronaldo with nearly 200 million," said Los Angeles branding expert Jeetendr Sehdev, author of "The Kim Kardashian Principle."

Building a social media following means being candid, fearless and transparent. "That is a challenge for the royal family because they have always tried to be the most neutral people," he said.

"The Meghan and Harry brand is like a start-up. There is lots of potential but no proven value yet," Sehdev added.

Bragman however said that the mixed race couple "are very representative of what brands are looking for today."

"If Harry and Meghan call you up and say, 'Hey, we'd like to have a meeting to talk about a project', who's not going to go to that meeting?," he said.

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Kim Kardashian to drop Kimono name from shapewear after objections

LOS ANGELES -- Reality TV star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian said on Monday she would rename her Kimono shapewear line after people in Japan said her use of the term to brand undergarments was disrespectful.

Kardashian said she had announced the Kimono products in June "with the best intentions in mind," and she appreciated the feedback she had received.

"My brands and products are built with inclusivity and diversity at their core and after careful thought and consideration, I will be launching my Solutionwear brand under a new name," she wrote on Twitter.

Kimono in Japanese means "thing that's worn" and refers to full-length robes with sashes donned for formal occasions such as weddings and funerals. Her use of the word on undergarments and filing for a trademark annoyed many people.

"Kimono is not underwear! Stop trademark registration! Don't make the word kimono yours!" Twitter user Ruu wrote shortly after the launch announcement, echoing a common theme.

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Kim Kardashian names fourth child, a boy, Psalm West

Reality television star Kim Kardashian announced on Friday she has named her fourth child, a boy born last week via a surrogate, Psalm West.

Kardashian wrote "Psalm West" in a post to her 60 million followers on Twitter that included a photo of the infant wrapped in a blanket in a crib with a caption that read in part: "We are blessed beyond measure. We have everything we need."

Kardashian and her musician husband Kanye West have three other children - Chicago, a girl who was also born via a surrogate in January 2018, a son, Saint, 3, and daughter North, 5.

Kardashian has said she decided to use a surrogate after doctors warned of serious health risks if she became pregnant again following the birth of Saint in 2015.

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Kim Kardashian announces birth of 4th child

LOS ANGELES - Kim Kardashian on Friday announced the arrival of her fourth child, a boy born via a surrogate.

"He's here and he's perfect!" Kardashian told her 60 million Twitter followers in a posting.

"He’s also Chicago’s twin lol I’m sure he will change a lot but now he looks just like her," the reality star added.

Kardashian and her musician husband Kanye West have three other children - Chicago, a girl who was born in January 2018 also via a surrogate, son Saint, 3, and daughter North, 5.

The new baby's name was not revealed.

Kardashian has said she decided to use a surrogate after doctors warned of serious health risks following the birth of Saint in 2015 if she became pregnant again. 

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Kim Kardashian studying law, wants to become attorney

NEW YORK - American television star Kim Kardashian, known for her reality shows and marriage to hip-hop artist Kanye West, is studying law and hopes to pass her California bar exams by 2022, the magazine Vogue reported on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old lifestyle mogul, who has 134 million Instagram followers, has been interning at a California law firm since last year. She said she was inspired to study law after successfully petitioning US President Donald Trump last year to pardon Alice Marie Johnson.

Johnson, a 63-year-old great-grandmother, had served nearly 22 years of a life sentence for cocaine trafficking.

A week after meeting with Kardashian, Trump -- also a former reality television star -- pardoned Johnson in June 2018.

The star of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" said she had been invited on a different occasion to the White House to participate in a working group on pardons and clemency. 

"I just felt like I wanted to be able to fight for people who have paid their dues to society," she told Vogue. 

"I just felt like the system could be so different, and I wanted to fight to fix it, and if I knew more, I could do more," said the mother-of-3 whose own father Robert was an attorney who helped defend OJ Simpson in his murder trial.

Admission to law school in the United States usually requires a bachelor's degree in any discipline. Kardashian never graduated from the college she attended, Pierce, having dropped out before she completed her course. 

But some states including California do allow would-be attorneys to intern in a law firm for 4 years before taking the bar exam.

Kardashian has been apprenticing at a San Francisco law firm since last year and hopes to pass her exams by 2022.

In the meantime, she said she is taking an interest in other cases of inmates calling for early release from prison.

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Kim and Kanye expecting 4th child

LOS ANGELES - Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are expecting a fourth child - again using a surrogate, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday.

Celebrity magazines Us Weekly and People quoted sources close to the couple as saying the surrogate was pregnant and expected to give birth in May.

Representatives of the reality TV star and her rapper husband did not respond to a request for comment.

Kardashian and West's third child, Chicago, was born via a surrogate in Jan. 2018. The couple has 2 other children North, 5, and Saint, 3.

They turned to surrogacy after doctors warned Kardashian of serious health risks if she became pregnant again after her first 2 children.

Us Weekly reported that the couple put their plans for a fourth child on hold about 6 months ago as West was struggling with mental health issues. The rapper said last year he suffers from bipolar disorder and embarked on a bizarre Twitter spree that culminated in a rambling October meeting at the White House with US President Donald Trump, who West supports.

"Kim wanted their carrier to be pregnant shortly after Chicago’s birth, but they put those plans on hold when Kanye was having his issues,” an anonymous source was quoted as telling Us Weekly. 

"Kanye has been great. He’s been healthy, happy and his head is clear. They are both very excited for this new baby," the source added.

West, who said after the Trump meeting that he was distancing himself from politics, kicked off the New Year with a series of tweets reiterating his support for the Republican president.

"Trump all day," the musician wrote on Twitter on Jan. 1, saying he planned to perform wearing the "Make America Great Again" hat made popular by Trump and his supporters.

"One of my favorite of many things about what the Trump hat represents to me is that people can’t tell me what to do because I’m black," West added on Twitter.

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Kim, Kanye donate $500,000 to California wildfire relief efforts

LOS ANGELES - Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on Wednesday donated $500,000 to firefighters and victims of a massive Southern California wildfire that came close to destroying the celebrity couple's own multimillion-dollar mansion.

Kardashian, appearing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," said she and West hired private firefighters to protect their home and others in their neighborhood in rural Calabasas, north of Los Angeles.

Kardashian, West, and their 3 children were among thousands of people forced to evacuate their homes during the 93,000-acre (37,635-hectare) Woolsey fire 2 weeks ago that spread into coastal Malibu, destroying 1,500 buildings and killing 3 people.

Kardashian, a businesswoman and star of reality show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," said the flames "got to our gate. We are still not in our home now. The smoke, the smell is too intense."

She said the couple felt blessed at being able to hire private firefighters.

"Our house is right on the end of a big park," she said. "We were able to get private firefighters... and they saved our home and saved our neighborhood. I had them make sure they controlled every house on the edge, so it wasn't just our home."

Kardashian, West, and the rapper's fashion company Yeezy and sportswear company Adidas, which makes his sneakers, donated $400,000 to victims of the fire and to California firefighters.

They also donated a further $100,000 to firefighter Michael Williams, who fought the blaze in his neighborhood after narrowly escaping from his own burning home.

The Woolsey fire is now 93 percent contained. A separate fire in northern California destroyed more than 12,000 homes and businesses in the town of Paradise and killed 81 people. Another 700 are still unaccounted for almost 2 weeks after the blaze swept through the town, beginning on Nov. 8.

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Kim Kardashian announces baby's birth via surrogate

LOS ANGELES - Kim Kardashian and her rapper husband Kanye West announced their third child on Tuesday, a girl born to a surrogate.

"Kanye and I are happy to announce the arrival of our healthy, beautiful baby girl," Kardashian said in a message on her app.

The couple thanked the unidentified surrogate "who made our dreams come true with the greatest gift one could give."

They said the baby was born on Monday but they did not announce a name.

Kardashian, 37, and West are already parents to North, 4, and Saint, 2. The "Keeping Up with the Kadashians" reality and social media star has said she decided to use a surrogate after doctors warned of serious health risks if she became pregnant again.

Kardashian has given detailed accounts on her blog about the difficulties she experienced during her two labors.

Two of Kardashian's sisters are also expecting babies. Khloe Kardashian, 33, announced in December that she is six months pregnant with her basketball player boyfriend Tristan Thomas, while their half-sister Kylie Jenner, 20, is reported to be expecting her first child soon.

The arrival of Kardashian and West's third child swiftly became on of the top five trending topics on Twitter.

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Kendall Jenner named fashion icon of the decade

NEW YORK - Ten years ago, model Kendall Jenner was 11 years old. Next week, she will be named Fashion Icon of the Decade.

Jenner, the half-sister of Kim Kardashian, will receive the honor on September 8 at New York Fashion Week. It is handed out by the fashion website Daily Front Row.

Jenner is one of the models of the moment, along with sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid. And she has 83 million followers on Instagram.

Social media lit up with commentary on the news. Not everyone thinks the 21-year-old deserves the award.

"Oh please! What about @NaomiCampbell or @CindyCrawford you know real models who got to the top due to hard work not who mummy is. Pathetic," Twitter user Ginger Winger wrote.

Jenner has strutted her stuff on the world's catwalks for the top labels in the business but she is also known for the TV reality show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."

Jenner is the daughter of Kris Jenner, the widow of lawyer Robert Kardashian, and Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner.

The program has followed the lives of the Kardashians and Jenners for 12 seasons. Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian are Jenner's half-sisters.

With their reality show, cosmetics lines, video games, clothing -- and general mastery of marketing and social media -- the Kardashians are said to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

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Kardashians pledge $500,000 as celebs rally for Harvey storm relief

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kim Kardashian and her family on Tuesday donated a collective $500,000 to storm Harvey relief efforts, joining celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Dwayne Johnson, NFL player J.J. Watt and comedian Kevin Hart who have pledged funds to help the tens of thousands affected by the devastation in Texas.

Kardashian, her sisters Khloe and Kourtney and mom Kris Jenner made the pledges on Twitter, directing their funds to the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

“Houston we are praying for you! My mom, sisters & I will be donating $500,000,” the TV reality star tweeted.


Tropical Storm Harvey, which hit land as a hurricane over the weekend, has brought catastrophic flooding to Texas, killing at least 11 people and paralyzing Houston. City officials on Tuesday prepared to shelter up to 19,000 people, with thousands more expected to flee the area. [L2N1LF09J]

“Ride Along” star Hart set the celebrity ball rolling on Monday with a $50,000 donation and social media challenge that called on stars to match him. Johnson, Lopez and rapper DJ Khaled each have pledged $25,000.

Houston Texans NFL player Watt launched his own online effort on Sunday with a $100,000 donation and a video plea. The fund quickly reached $1 million, and Watt tweeted on Tuesday his goal was now $4 million.

Houston’s most famous export, Beyonce, who has recently moved from New York to Los Angeles, has said she is working on a plan to help her hometown recover

“Texas You are in my prayers,” the singer posted on her Instagram page.

In statement to the Houston Chronicle on Monday, Beyonce added that she was working closely with her team and her Houston pastor “to implement a plan to help as many as we can.”

British band Coldplay, who canceled a planned show in Houston on Friday because of the impending hurricane, wrote a new song for the city called “Houston #1,” which they performed at a concert in Miami on Monday.

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

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Kim Kardashian said to have hired surrogate for third baby

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's family may be growing, according to reports on Wednesday that the celebrity couple have hired a surrogate to carry their third child after a doctor advised the reality star against another high-risk pregnancy.

People Magazine and E! News, citing unidentified sources, said the couple had hired a surrogate, and TMZ.com said they had agreed to pay the surrogate more than $113,000 to carry a child.

It was not clear whether the surrogate was already pregnant. Kardashian's representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Kardashian, 36, has two children with rapper West and has spoken openly about her medical struggles during her pregnancies with daughter North, born in 2013, and son Saint, born in 2015, on her E! reality show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

In a recent episode, Kardashian spoke about considering surrogacy for future children with West.

The reality star has given detailed accounts on her blog about the difficulties she experienced during her two labors, and the TV show has followed her various surgeries and doctor consultations in a bid to resolve them.

"I think I always knew that surrogacy was an option, but I didn't think it was that realistic of an option, and now I feel like that's my reality," Kardashian said in an April episode of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians."

The surrogacy reports come after a difficult year for the couple.

Kardashian was the victim of a robbery in Paris last October, in which millions of dollars' worth of jewelry was stolen from her. That led her to boost security measures and to take a temporary pause from public engagements and prolific social media postings.

Late last year, West canceled a December tour and was hospitalized after an apparent mental health breakdown.

The couple have embraced a more modest social media presence over the past few months, with Kardashian occasionally posting glimpses into their family life.

On Wednesday, the reality star launched her own solo make-up line, which sold out within hours.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bernadette Baum)

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Celebrities embrace avant-garde challenge at 2017 Met Gala

NEW YORK -- On a night when celebrities can let loose on their fashion choices, pop princesses and Hollywood actress took it up a notch in the avant-garde department at New York's Met Gala.

The 2017 Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute ball was themed "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between," an homage to highly structured creations of the Japanese designer and her avant-garde label.

Pop singer Katy Perry, a co-chair of the ball, lived up to the theme's challenge with a custom Maison Margiela "Artisanal" ensemble by John Galliano, an imperial red tulle dress and a veil embroidered with the word "Witness."

Eric Wilson, fashion news director at InStyle, described this year's theme as "extremely challenging" compared to years past and agreed that Perry's outfit was courageously on point.

"I think she's without a doubt the hit of the night so far," Wilson said. "It's very brave to wear something that disguises who you are so much on the red carpet."

Rihanna was no slouch either, embodying Kawakubo’s penchant for dramatic silhouettes in a custom Comme des Garçons floral dress with cutouts and oversized ruffles. The singer earned the most mentions on social media, said Kellan Terry, an analyst at the social media monitoring company Brandwatch.

"Happy" singer Pharrell Williams in jeans and leather jacket, and star couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen in matching silver helped fashion maven and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour host the annual fundraising gala, which is sometimes referred to as "the Oscars of the East Coast."

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian went against the theme, sporting a white dress by Vivienne Westwood with no clutch, no jewelry and no Kanye West, her fashion-loving husband. Sister Kendall Jenner dared to be bare, wearing a sheer slip that left little to the imagination, both in front and back.

Donning a beige Ralph Lauren trench coat gown paired with big silver hoop earrings, actress Priyanka Chopra dropped jaws and turned heads. Tennis star Serena Williams also served up drama with a baby bump under her green Atelier Versace dress.

Actress Zoe Kravitz went with a strapless pink and black Oscar de la Renta gown with an off-the-shoulder train, receiving much praise on social media, where the hashtag #MetGala was top trending.

Wilson said an added plus to Kravitz's dress is that it "looks comfortable."

"Some of these pieces are gorgeous on the red carpet," Wilson said. "But I'm assuming that a lot of these celebrities are going to be changing once they get through that door and sit down to dinner."

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Kanye West unveils new Yeezy line during New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK -- Three months after being hospitalized for exhaustion, rapper Kanye West made his first major public appearance on Wednesday, turning up for his Yeezy fashion show during New York Fashion Week.

With his wife Kim Kardashian West in the front row next to Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, West debuted the fifth season of his high-end athleisure wear collection for Adidas to the fashion world's elite.

The show, which has become one of the most exclusive presentations during recent fashion weeks, was not live-streamed on the music streaming website TIDAL as some of West's shows have been in the past.

Many social media users expressed their frustrations when they learned they would not be able to watch online, but critics were positive about the 39-year-old singer's latest runway show, saying the emphasis was on his new collection, rather than him.

"To me it felt like the most traditional fashion show that he's done," said Rickie De Sole, W Magazine's fashion market and accessories director, who was at the show.

"It had a polish to it. It felt like a serious fashion show. It felt substantial and there was less hoopla. It really was all about the fashion," De Sole added.

The collection was dominated by denim, high-waisted jeans, hoodie sweatshirts, baseball caps, cargo pants, knee-high boots and, of course, sneakers.

Muslim model Halima Aden, the 19-year-old Somali-American who competed for Miss Minnesota wearing a burkini and who recently scored a major modeling contract with talent agency IMG, strutted the catwalk wearing a floor-length fur coat and a hijab.

Buzz had been building around the appearance of the so-called "Yeezy Runner" after West was photographed wearing the oversized white sneakers by paparazzi in January.

Kardashian appeared in athleisure wear herself, a sleeveless, see-through turtle neck shirt, track pants and an over-sized winter coat, all of which were maroon.

During the presentation, there were roughly 150 posts per minute about the Yeezy line on Twitter, according to social media analytics firm Zoomph.

The "Jesus Walks" singer emerged as one of Donald Trump's most high-profile supporters during the 2016 election campaign and met the then president-elect at Trump Tower in New York on Dec. 13, making him the target of outrage and sarcasm from fans on social media.

(Reporting by Melissa Fares and Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)

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Kim Kardashian held at gunpoint in Paris, reports CNN

Kim Kardashian West was held up by masked men in her Paris hotel room on Sunday, CNN said, prompting her husband, rapper Kanye West, to abruptly end a performance in New York, citing a family emergency.

"Kim Kardashian West was held up at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel room this evening by two armed masked men dressed as police officers," Kardashian West's spokeswoman, Ina Treciokas, said in a statement reported by CNN.

"She is badly shaken but physically unharmed," the statement added.

Kanye West left his set early at the Meadows Festival in New York.

"I'm sorry I have a family emergency, I have to stop the show," West said in video footage posted on Twitter by fans who were filming the performance in the New York borough of Queens.

@themeadowsnyc pic.twitter.com/IUwdaZ5aI9

— Toby™ (@Toby_Hernandez_) October 3, 2016

West had been on stage for just under an hour when he said he had to leave. He did not specify the nature of the emergency.

Kardashian West, as well as her sisters Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian have been in Paris, Billboard magazine reported on its web site, citing their recent Snapchat posts. Kardashian has been a fixture at Paris Fashion Week, which was being held in recent days.

Fan reaction on social media sites to West's departure was mixed, with some saying emergencies can happen to anyone, but others complaining they had paid $300 for tickets and didn't get their money's worth.

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No shaking off Taylor Swift-Kanye West 'Famous' feud

Taylor Swift and Kanye West won't be shaking off their bad blood anytime soon, as the feud between the pop star and rapper over the lyrics of his single "Famous" took an ugly turn with the release of a video and phone call between the two music stars.

The video, released online on Sunday by West's reality star wife, Kim Kardashian, was a recording of West chatting by phone with Swift earlier this year in which the "Shake It Off" singer gave her approval -- at least in part -- to the song, which she later deemed offensive and misogynistic.

    do u guys follow me on snap chat? u really should ;-)

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) July 18, 2016
 
"Famous," released by West in February, contains the line, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. I made that bitch famous."

The trio, three of the biggest pop culture celebrities, have been fighting long distance via tabloid and social media for months over West's insistence that Swift gave her blessing for the lyrics, and Swift's strenuous denials.

According to video of the phone call, released by Kardashian on social media on Sunday after an episode of "Keeping up with the Kardashians," Swift told West of the song, "I really appreciate you telling me about it. That's really nice," she says. "It's all very tongue-in-cheek either way."

PART 1: Kanye calling Taylor Swift to tell her about the #FAMOUS lyrics. Courtesy of KKW. pic.twitter.com/TIiqxxzLUh

— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) July 18, 2016

"If people ask me about it, I think it would be great for me to be like, 'Look, he called me and told me about the line,'" Swift says in the call, which took place before the February release of "Famous."

On Sunday, however, Swift said that she had been secretly recorded by West and accused him of character assassination.

That moment when Kanye West secretly records your phone call, then Kim posts it on the Internet. pic.twitter.com/4GJqdyykQu

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 18, 2016

"Where is the video of Kanye telling me that he was going to call me 'that bitch' in his song?," the 10-time Grammy winner wrote on her Instagram account on Sunday.

"It doesn't exist because it never happened ... While I wanted to be supportive of Kanye on the phone call, you cannot 'approve' a song you haven't heard. Being falsely painted as a liar when I was never given the full story or played any part of the song is character assassination," added Swift.

"Famous" refers to an infamous 2009 MTV Video Music Awards incident in which West snatched the microphone from Swift during her acceptance speech and declared that Beyonce should have won.

The pair publicly made up in August last year when Swift presented West with an lifetime award.

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LOOK: Caitlyn Jenner on Vanity Fair cover

US Olympic champion turned reality TV star Bruce Jenner is on the cover of Vanity Fair, as Caitlyn Jenner.

Jenner, the stepfather of Kim Kardashian, earlier revealed he is transitioning from male to female, ending long-running speculation he identifies as a woman.

The 65-year-old said he had wrestled with his sexual identity since he was a kid.

"I've always been confused about my gender identity since I was this big," he told ABC's celebrity interviewer Diane Sawyer.

"Here I am, stuck -- and I hate the word -- (a) girl stuck in a guy's body... As of now I have all the male parts and all that kind of stuff."

But asked point blank if he was a woman, Jenner said: "Yes. For all intents and purposes, I'm a woman."

Speculation that the actor, race-car enthusiast and 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics decathlon gold medalist was undergoing a sex change has been rich fodder for supermarket tabloids for months.

Supposed telltale signs, based on paparazzi photos from the streets of Los Angeles, include shaved limbs, long hair worn in a ponytail and what appears to be a sports bra under a T-shirt.

'I am not gay'

Jenner said he identifies himself as "her," but not by a specific name. The ABC interviewer used "he" and "him" throughout, without causing any apparent discomfort for the former Olympian.

He stressed the difference between gender identity and sexuality.

"I am not gay," Jenner said. "I am, as far as I know, heterosexual. I've always been with a woman, raising kids."

Just before making the long-expected announcement, Jenner symbolically let his hair down.

"Let's take the damn ponytail out," he told Sawyer, smiling.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights group GLAAD welcomed Jenner's announcement.

"Though Jenner's journey is one that is deeply personal, it is also one that will impact and inspire countless people around the world," GLAAD head Sarah Kate Ellis said.

Singer Miley Cyrus gushed on Twitter: "I LOOOOVE LOOOVE LOOOVE Bruce Jenner!!!!!!!"

Born outside New York in October 1949, thrice-married Jenner became an American sports hero when he set a world record with his Montreal decathlon victory.

Leveraging his fame, he appeared on boxes of Wheaties, a popular American cereal known as "the breakfast of champions," then tried his hand as a movie actor, with less than stellar results.

But it was through his marriage to the former Kris Kardashian that he once again became a household name in "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" in which he appeared as the sometimes bemused stepfather of her flamboyant daughters Kourtney, Kim and Khloe.

The couple have two daughters of their own, but they obtained a divorce in December, 14 months after separating -- although he has been seen still wearing a wedding ring.

Hero once again
"Not only was I able to call him my husband for 25 years and father of my children, I am now able to call him my hero," Kris Jenner tweeted.

Jenner's 89-year-old mother Esther hailed her son's announcement, comparing her pride to that when he won at the Olympics.

"I never thought I could be more proud of you. But I'm learning I can be," she wrote.

Jenner's son Brandon tweeted simply: "Proud son," along with an Instagram picture of himself as a young boy perched on his smiling father's shoulders.

Step-daughter Kim Kardashian trumpeted:

"Love is the courage to live the truest, best version of yourself. Bruce is love. I love you Bruce. #ProudDaughter."

Her sister Khloe wrote: "Bruzer, I'm soooo proud of you! Dads really are heros."

National Center for Transgender Equality advocacy group executive director Mara Keisling called Jenner's declaration "one of the most profound displays of bravery and courage I've seen."

Jenner, clearly relieved to have finally come clean, said: "I'm saying goodbye to people's perceptions of me and who I am.

"I'm not saying goodbye to me because this has always been me." - with a report from Agence France-Presse

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kim Kardashian goes blonde at Paris Fashion Week

PARIS - Kim Kardashian flashed a new, platinum blonde hair-do at the Paris Fashion Week on Thursday as she watched the shows with rapper hubby Kanye West.

The attention-grabbing make-over by the normally brunette American reality TV star overshadowed the 2015 autumn collections unveiled by fashion houses Balmain and Lanvin, with photographers pushing to get snaps of the dyed diva.

Kardashian and West, both wearing all-black outfits, were joined by Kardashian's mother Kris Jenner at the Balmain show.


The transformation into a blonde electrified celebrity-watchers on Twitter, where some fans gushed over how stunning she looked, others suggested she looked better before -- and detractors snarked that she and American actor Jared Leto, who also turned up to the Balmain event with new platinum locks, were exchanging beauty tips.

Regardless, news of Kardashian as a bleached beauty easily became the most talked-about fashion statement at the Paris shows. Which is no mean feat at an event where the designers often try to outdo each other to get a slice of the limelight.

Rick Owens, an American stylist who created the biggest buzz at the last Paris fashion week in January by sending male models down the catwalk with their penises hanging out, trod more quietly on Thursday by presenting a relatively mild women's ready-to-wear collection.

Amid the ankle-length, structured outfits coloured in brown and black, the most remarkable feature was sprayed-on gold masks worn by some of the models.

Owens told Women's Wear Daily, a website reference for the fashion world, that the Big Thing in the show was using sequins for the first time.

"Especially after the men's show, it was nice to do something sentimental and a bit naive," he said.

'Winter is coming'

For theatrical flourish, fashionistas had to go to the spectacle put on by Indian designer Manish Arora. Flashy red and fuchsia get-ups that looked to be fantasy battledress dreamed up by manga artists lit up the catwalk.

Arora emphasised that the collection was a Bollywood take inspired by the hit US TV series "Game of Thrones" by having that fantasy world's "Winter is Coming" motto sewn into some pieces and its theme music remixed as part of the soundtrack.

At Carven, those in the know were keen to see what direction new designers Adrien Caillaudaud and Alexis Martial, both aged 30, would take. The answer was: pants.

It was the first time the house has introduced pants into the collection, though the novel duo were careful to keep the A-line skirts and miniskirts that has made the brand a signature style for Parisian women.

The idea for Carven's "new woman" was taken from the energy of Paris in the late 1960s, the designers said.

"We wanted to imagine what foreigners might feel about the Parisian woman: her elegance, an urban attitude, a sort of carefree approach," said Caillaudaud.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Gwen Garci does a Kim Kardashian

MANILA - Former Viva Hot Babes member Gwen Garci on Thursday shared a peak at a 2015 calendar, which will include a page where she appears to be channeling American reality TV star Kim Kardashian.

On her Facebook page, the sexy actress posted a photo of her in an orange swimsuit beside a Christmas tree. According to the photo's description, the shoot took place at a Boracay resort. Garci was photographed by Edzel Rebamontan.

Garci's pose emphasizes her buttocks, just like Kardashian's controversial pictorial in November. In an attempt to "break the Internet," Kardashian posed completely naked for Paper magazine.

 The pictorial, which was widely criticized, had Kardashian balancing a champagne glass on her buttocks while standing. Paper's cover showed the socialite undressing with her back to the camera.

 Garci, who was launched in 2003 as one-eight of the original Viva Hot Babes, has since appeared in a number of indie films and TV series, in addition to being a cover girl favorite of men's magazines.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Second apparent leak of hacked celebrity nude pictures: US media

LOS ANGELES - More nude celebrity photos, purportedly including reality star Kim Kardashian, circulated social media Saturday, in what appeared to be the second massive hacking-related leak in less than a month, US media reported.

The pictures, which also included nude shots of actress Vanessa Hudgens and US soccer star Hope Solo, appeared briefly on 4chan and Reddit, before being removed, celebrity gossip site TMZ reported.

BuzzFeed said that personal videos and photos belonging to actresses Aubrey Plaza, Mary-Kate Olsen, Hayden Panettiere and Leelee Sobieski were posted, in addition to previously unseen pictures of Jennifer Lawrence.

Hackers first released a trove of nude starlets' photos on September 1, after snatching them from Apple's iCloud in what the tech giant has called a "targeted attack."

The company has denied its cloud storage system was breached, suggesting that the celebrities had their accounts hacked by using easy-to-guess passwords, or by giving up their personal data to cybercriminals posing as Apple, a technique known as "phishing."

In addition to Lawrence, celebrities whose pictures were allegedly stolen and posted online in early September included model Kate Upton, singer Avril Lavigne and actress Gabrielle Union.

source: www..abs-cbnnews.com