Kris Jenner has requested the removal of a passage from an authorised biography, stating it unfairly implies that Kim Kardashian experienced childhood trauma. She described the suggestion as 'extremely offensive'.
The passage by author Jonathan Van Meter questions Kardashian's portrayal of her upbringing as exceptional and nearly perfect. Jenner rejected the suggestion that Kardashian may be unaware of childhood trauma or that her positive description may be a coping mechanism.
'There Was No Trauma'
The disagreement appeared in the 12 November episode of Hulu's The Kardashians, when Kardashian read the disputed passage to her mother and sisters. During the show, she quoted Van Meter's suggestion: 'LOL. No childhood trauma? Yeah, right, she just doesn't see it.'
Jenner objected and told her daughter to request that the discussion be removed from the book. She was particularly upset by the implication that the account did not accurately reflect her experiences.
'You should just tell him, no childhood trauma conversation. You can't make somebody remember things and have a trigger over nothing,' Jenner said. 'You should tell him to take the trauma part out. I'm insulted. You can tell him, for me, that he can f*** off. That is very offensive to me.'
Jenner defended her parenting, emphasising the efforts she made to raise her children and asserting that 'there was no trauma'. She further remarked that the family's greatest trauma was the closure of Toys 'R' Us.
The discussion further highlighted Jenner's broader concerns regarding the biography and Kardashian's decision to collaborate with an external writer. Speaking to her cousin Cici Bussey, Jenner questioned proceeding with the biography without her input, given her role as Kardashian's manager.
'I just feel a way about it, because I don't understand it and no one has ever come to me. I'm her manager!' she said. In a confessional, she added, 'I think it's just better if you tell your own story. Nobody else needs to tell our story. And you don't go against the family.'
What Have the Kardashians Said About Their Childhood?
The siblings have discussed challenging childhood experiences, though their perspectives differ. In a 2011 interview with CNN's Piers Morgan, Kourtney Kardashian described her parents' divorce as 'definitely the hardest thing I went through at the time'.
In a separate 2023 interview with British GQ, Kourtney described overhearing her parents argue before their divorce. 'My parents never fought my whole life, so it was traumatising when they did,' she said. Kourtney later addressed 'childhood wounds' and 'generational trauma' during the fourth-season finale of The Kardashians. She noted that therapy helped her recognise family patterns.
Kim, meanwhile, has spoken about the impact of the OJ Simpson murder trial on her family. Her father, Robert Kardashian, served on Simpson's defence team, while Kris Jenner was a close friend of Nicole Brown Simpson.
In a 2020 interview with David Letterman, Kim described being caught between her parents' opposing positions during the trial. She recalled, 'We didn't really know what to believe or whose side to take as kids, because we didn't want to hurt one of our parents' feelings.'
What Kim Kardashian's Biography Reveals
Citizen Kim: The Woman Who Created The Future is an authorised biography by journalist Jonathan Van Meter, who spent five years researching Kardashian's life. Published in October 2026, the biography traces Kardashian's progression from reality television personality to businesswoman, fashion entrepreneur, and advocate for criminal justice reform.
The biography details her early rise to fame, the controversy surrounding her sex tape, her marriage to Kanye West, their divorce, and the launch of her SKIMS shapewear brand. It also examines Kardashian's impact on celebrity culture and social media, along with significant personal experiences such as her 2016 armed robbery.
