Sisters by Chance, Rivals by Choice: Unpacking the Feud Between Kim and Kourtney Kardashian
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If you’ve ever seen an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, or their latest Hulu show, The Kardashians, you know most of the episodes consist of eating salad around the kitchen table, photoshoots, and, most notably, sisterly rivalries. However, this time, Kim and Kourtney’s once-innocent sisterly squabbles have turned into pure hatred for one another. The sisters have always been the ones to butt heads in the family. Kim thinks Kourtney is lazy; Kourtney thinks Kim is selfish. Overall, the pair simply do not see eye to eye. But how has it escalated to the level it is at now?
Kim and Kourtney’s relationship has been rocky for years, but it reached a peak in 2018 when the sisters fought over a seemingly trivial disagreement about what time to schedule their family’s annual holiday photoshoot. This is the moment Kim’s infamous lines were born, “Maybe if you had a fucking business that you were passionate about, then you would know what it takes to run a fucking business, but you don't.” Kourtney fired back calling Kim a “very distraught, evil person.” The fight didn’t end there though, the argument got so intense, that it led Kourtney to skip out on Kim’s baby shower for her daughter, Chicago, becoming the catalyst for their ongoing rivalry.
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That same year, another major fight emerged, one that continues to follow them today. In a Season 17 episode of KUWTK, a very heated Kim accuses Kourtney of “picking out all the same clothes.” Kourtney snaps back at Kim, calling her a “petty woman” and Kim calling her an “ungrateful bitch.”
The fights heat up and the drama continues in Season 18 of KUTWK, but this time, the verbal altercations turn physical. Kourtney, fed up with Kim’s constant stabs at her work ethic, reaches her breaking point when it is brought up again by her sister. In a fit of rage, Kourtney throws her water bottle at Kim. What follows is five minutes of slapping, kicking, and punching between the sisters—a sight every reality tv star junkie couldn’t get enough of. The entire family, including momager Kris Jenner, was left appalled at the incident and realized the feud had gone too far. Even Kim herself said, “It's not my proudest moment, but we were going through it.”
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Flash forward to 2022, the year of Kourtney’s wedding to drummer Travis Barker, and the third season of the latest Kardashian reality show on Hulu, The Kardashians. An ongoing dispute between the sisters breaks out when Kourtney accuses Kim of using her wedding to Barker as a “business opportunity,” pointing to Kim agreeing to host Dolce & Gabbana’s fashion week four months after Kourtney’s wedding inspired by the brand. Kim was taken aback after hearing her sister’s feelings and explained, “I said don't do the Madonna Collection, don't do the Lace Collection, don't do anything that Kourtney wore to her wedding ... She doesn't know that I have the email string begging them to push it a year.” Later in the season, Kim claps back at Kourtney’s claims, drawing comparisons to her wedding with Barker and her own wedding with rapper Kanye West in 2014. She then utters the words I’m sure many can relate to, “You stole my fucking wedding country and my wedding performer.”
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The Dolce & Gabbana debacle continues in the Season 4 premiere of The Kardashians. Kim and Kourtney engage in a heated argument over the phone, rehashing what occurred between them a few months ago. During the call, Kourtney claims Kim has an “egotistical, selfish mind.” Kim, clearly offended, responds in a manner some might call an attempt to hurt Kourtney, stating, “Your kids have even come to me with problems that they have in how you are.” Kim claims she is in a group chat with Kourtney’s friends called “Not Kourtney” to discuss how much she has changed. The fight ends with Kourtney calling her sister a “witch” and saying she hates her.
Clearly, Kim and Kourtney’s relationship is in need of some serious repairing. While sisterly fights are common, the way these sisters interact borders on something deeper. As the saying goes, you can’t choose your family, and the dynamic between Kim and Kourtney goes to show, that sometimes the only thing connecting sisters is their shared blood.
Strike Out,
Writer: Isabella Santiago
Editor: Cristina Angee
Tallahassee