“The Kardashians” is back for its fifth season and already the drama between the family is heating up.
During the May 23 episode, Khloé Kardashian, Scott Disick and Kris Jenner discuss Caitlyn Jenner’s participation in the documentary series “House of Kardashians.” Khloé expresses her disappointment in what her former stepparent said about their family.
A Variety article appears on the screen with the headline, “‘House of Kardashian’ First Trailer: Caitlyn Jenner Says Kim ‘Calculated’ Fame ‘From the Beginning’ in New Documentary.”
“Apparently, whoever has been calling people that have either once been in our lives or are in our lives to do the documentary and no one really has agreed to do it — except for Caitlyn,” Khloé says in her sit-down interview.
The trio then watch the trailer for the Sky Documentaries show, which premiered in the U.K. on Oct. 8, 2023 and streamed on Peaco*ck on Nov. 16, 2023. The audio from the documentary says, “Kris wanted to be more than just a housewife.”
After hearing that comment, Kris says, “Well, shoot me. I wanted to be more than just a housewife. OK, so ... kill me.”
Back in her solo sit-down, Khloe says Caitlin “is completely free to do whatever she wants. I do find it strange that she would agree to do a documentary that I would imagine isn’t trying to paint us in the most beautiful light. I just know she wouldn’t like that about her.”
Kim Kardashian shares her own thoughts on Caitlyn’s involvement, saying she got “so many” texts asking her, “Doesn’t that hurt your feelings that this is what your stepdad says about you?”
Kim has a different perspective, telling the cameras that it didn’t hurt her feelings because she had “such a great stepdad who raised me.”
She says that none of the things that Caitlyn said in the documentary were going to make her think differently of the life she had.
The conversation between Kris, Scott and Khloé continues with Khloé saying that Caitlyn "always made" her mom look like the mean one. Scott, on his end, brought up how Kris would continue to help Caitlyn after their divorce.
“This was my dad for 24 years, like, it hurts me too,” Khloé says, recalling how the two would lay in bed and watch “Unsolved Mysteries” together.
Caitlyn and Kris were married from 1991 to 2015. They share daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Caitlyn is also father to daughter Cassandra Marino and sons Brody, Brandon and Burt Jenner from previous marriages.
What is 'House of Kardashian' about?
“House of Kardashian” is a three-part documentary series that looks at the empire the Kardashian family has created.
According to the synopsis it explores “their rise, reach and the cost that comes with having Kardashian-level fame.” The docuseries includes commentary for Caitlyn Jenner and other “first-hand testimony from some of those within the Kardashian-Jenner inner circle.”
What did Caitlyn Jenner say about her participation in 'House of Kardashian'?
In the trailer, Caitlyn is heard saying, “Kimberly calculated from the beginning, ‘How do I become famous?’”
In a statement to Variety when the trailer was released in September 2023, Caitlyn said, “I was happy to participate in the interview process to share my side which points to the strength, influence, and prowess my family has in captivating the world’s attention and keeping it over the years. I am incredibly proud of all my children and stepchildren.”
Caitlyn would continue to talk about her involvement in “House of Kardashian” and her relationship with Kris and their family in interviews.
“Kris and the other ones made a decision they weren’t going to get involved in it. And then they came to me and I said, yeah. Why? Because I want the kids to be represented properly. I, as a parent, could not be more proud of my children, their work ethics. They all work extraordinarily hard," she told the Associated Press, in part, in October 2023.
The former athlete also told “This Morning” that same month that she and Kris drifted apart.
“Well,Kris, I really never talk to anymore. Yeah, I know it’s sad. If there’s any communication, Sophia Hutchins is my manager and she kind of runs the show. So she talks to them,” Caitlyn said. “The Kardashian side, when you have as many kids as I have, you’re closer to some than you are to others.”
Caitlyn also said she was “much closer” to the Jenner side. In that same interview, she reiterated why she did the docuseries and how proud she is of her kids and former stepkids.
Following the interview, she tweeted about it, “Don’t let the click bait or tabloid headlines fool you. I did ‘House of Kardashian’ to defend my family and I speak extremely highly of my kids and Kris — the mastermind behind it all — who I spent 22 beautiful years with.”
She followed up her tweet by writing, “To be clear — I am thrilled that @KrisJenner and I are able to talk and co-parent and see each other here and there. We spent 22 amazing years together. I meant to say in the interview I don’t / didn’t speak with her in the context of this project.”
Ten days later, in yet another tweet, Caitlyn wrote that she was unhappy about the comments she was receiving about being a part of “House of Kardashian.”
“I hate to see the press lying about my role in the new documentary on Sky saying I spilled all the family tea,” she wrote on Oct. 14, 2023. “It’s such BS. I spoke so highly of all of my family — and yes that includes Kris. The media is so cruel and cares only about clicks. I went on fighting for my family!”
What did Caitlyn Jenner say about her family in 'House of Kardashian'?
In “House of Kardashian,” Caitlyn shared her thoughts on the Kardashian-Jenner early days, rise to fame and their controversial moments — including her divorce and transition — and more. The Kardashian-Jenner family declined to be interviewed for the docuseries.
The first episode of “House of Kardashian” focused on Kris and her upbringing, with Caitlyn saying her ex had “absolutely nothing” and built a billion-dollar empire with her family.
At one point, Caitlyn said she had a conversation with Kris' late ex-husband Robert Kardashian about finalizing their divorce and moving on.
“She was having a rough time with Robert in the divorce when I came into the picture,” Caitlyn said, alleging, “(Robert) was doing everything to kind of make her life miserable. I saw what was going on from the outside and just said, ‘This is ridiculous.’ So, I called Robert up and said, ‘Hey, let’s go to dinner.’ We met on Hamburger Hamlet on Sunset Boulevard, just the two of us in a booth in the back. And I basically said to him, ‘Kris is moving on. Sorry, but she’s moving on.’ I said, ‘I can take over from here. So, let’s just make this final signing of the papers as simple as possible.’ And he did.”
Caitlyn also touched on working alongside Kris in building their empire after getting married and how she controlled their finances.
“She likes being in control of everything. In the celebrity world, everybody tries to control their own narrative and she knew how to play the game. In fact, nobody has done it better than she has,” Caitlyn said when asked how it was to work with Kris.
In the second episode, Caitlyn talked about Kim and how she had the desire “to be in the celebrity world.” Her quote about calculating her fame that was featured in the trailer is included in that episode.
“The only advice I gave her on being famous is, being famous is a game,” Caitlyn said. “It’s not an easy game, it’s tough. There’s some very good points to it, but then there’s some very nasty points to it. And she learned that very early, starting with the O.J. trial.”
In 1995, O.J. Simpsonwas found not guilty on all charges after a months-long trial regarding the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
Caitlyn spoke about the “hatred towards” the late Robert Kardashian for being one of Simpson’s attorneys during his trial, and how his kids “loved their dad.”
Caitlyn also said that she “stayed out” of the controversy surrounding Kim’s sex tape and who leaked it. “Kris never talked to me about it. I never talked to Kimberly about it,” Caitlyn said.
Touching on Kim’s past marriages, she said she was “shocked” after Kim told her that she and Kris Humphries were getting divorced. Caitlyn said if Kanye “Ye” West made his former stepdaughter happy then she was “all in.”
When asked when she and Kris started having marital issues, Caitlyn said after more than two decades together, “It’s just the dynamics of the relationship changed so drastically.”
In the third episode, Caitlyn touched on daughters Kendall and Kylie and how they “grew up very quickly in this family” and on television. Caitlyn recalled when Kylie launched her lip kit and how proud she was, as well as how his transition and divorce from Kris affected the family.
“The whole gender dysphoric thing in the family was like the little family secret that nobody talks about,” she said. “Certainly we don’t talk about it to dad.”
Caitlyn, while talking about her transition, said being married to Kris and raising their kids was “the best time of my life,” yet felt like she needed to be her true self.
