Born Khloe Alexandra Kardashian on June 27, 1984 in Calabasas, CA, the future reality TV star was the daughter of attorney Robert Kardashian and housewife Kris Houghton. Although appearing to have it all, the couple – who moved in glamorous Beverly Hills circles – would go on to divorce in 1989. Despite her mother’s unhappiness – in that the murdered Nicole Brown Simpson was one of Kris’ closest friends – Khloe’s father would become part of O.J. Simpson’s legal defense team during the football player’s highly-publicized 1995 double murder of Brown Simpson and innocent bystander, Ron Goldman. Kris Kardashian would eventually go on to marry Olympian Bruce Jenner. Khloe had two older sisters, Kourtney and Kim, a younger brother named Robert, Jr., and two half-sisters, Kendall and Kylie (from the Jenner/Houghton union). Her family grew to include her stepfather’s children: Burton, Brandon, Brody, and Casey. Along with her sisters, Kardashian would later own two high-end clothing boutiques, Dash and Smooch, located near the family’s ranch-style estate in Calabasas.
Two major events in the mid-2000s made a life-changing impact on Kardashian – her father’s death in 2003 and three years later, the release of a graphic sex tape in which her older sister Kim and R&B singer Ray J appeared. The supposedly “leaked” video did nothing to hurt burgeoning stardom Kim had and actually furthered her career, despite her disgust that her supposed ex-boyfriend would leak such a private tape. The scandal and Kim’s tabloid notoriety became the vehicle for a Ryan Seacrest-produced reality series titled “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which debuted on E! in 2007. While it was Kim who put a familiar face in the show, it did not take long for audiences to take notice of her loudmouthed and tough-skinned younger sister. Cameras captured Kardashian’s no-nonsense attitude, whether she was talking back to her parents or rolling her eyes at her siblings, whom she often found ridiculous.
Entertainment blogs and tabloids picked up on the reality star’s rising popularity and wasted no time trying to break her down. Kardashian’s tall frame and fuller figure – compared to petite Kourtney and curvaceous Kim – made her a target for ridicule. She was often nicknamed “tranny” or compared to Amazonian wrestler Joan “Chyna” Laurer, both of which she resented but nevertheless acknowledged on the show. In June 2009, Kardashian hosted a “Khloe Drag Queen Look-alike Contest” to raise money for the human rights organization, Save Dade. Her love life – or lack thereof – was also a hot topic in her family. In the April 2008 episode “Khloe’s Blind Dates,” her sisters pressured her to find a boyfriend and even set her up on a couple of Internet blind dates. In true form, she ended up having the last laugh by convincing her sisters that she was going out with one of the bachelors they set her up with, when in reality, she only went out with her girlfriends.
Yet while Kardashian provided plenty of comic relief when “Keeping Up” first aired, the cameras also captured a darker side to her newfound fame. She was arrested in November 2007 for driving while intoxicated, which caused a bit of a media backlash. She was branded as just another spoiled socialite who thought she was above the law. Things took a turn for the worse when Kardashian violated her DUI probation in July 2008 and faced a sentence of up to 30 days in jail and enrollment in an alcohol treatment program. She was released from jail less than three hours later due to overcrowding. Her past came back to haunt Kardashian a few months later when she was unceremoniously fired by Donald Trump on “Celebrity Apprentice” (NBC, 2009- ) after the tycoon discovered she had been arrested for a DUI. Viewers were split on whether or not Trump was fair for bringing in Kardashian’s personal problems in the boardroom, but her appearance on a network show introduced the cable star to a wider, mainstream audience – and most importantly, showed her sans sisters.
A bright young woman, Kardashian began using her popularity to raise awareness for social issues, starting with animal rights organization PETA. The young woman who was teased for looking like a “tranny” disrobed for PETA’s “I’d Rather Go Naked than Wear Fur” campaign in December 2008. Kardashian bared every curve for the sexy yet tasteful ad not only to help PETA but, it could be argued, to in effect spit in the eye of heartless bloggers who made continual fun of her weight and appearance.
The success of “Keeping Up” boosted the family’s retail business as well, and in 2009, they decided to open a second Dash store in Miami, FL. Along with her sister Kourtney, Kardashian spearheaded the opening of their East Coast flagship and brought the cameras with them. The result was a spin-off aptly titled “Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami.” The series focused on the duo (with guest appearances by Kim) as they managed the new store and lived thousands of miles away from their family. The move coincided with Kardashian receiving her own radio talk show, “Khloe After Dark” for Miami’s Y100 station. She was given a five week trial run where she discussed relationships, sex, and pop culture on air from midnight to 3 a.m., while the “Kourtney & Khloe” cameras rolled.
With her spin-off series a ratings hit and anticipation for a new season of “Keeping Up” at a record high, Kardashian made headlines when she announced her engagement to professional basketball player Lamar Odom in September 2009. She began dating the L.A. Lakers’ forward just a month earlier and rumors swirled they were to wed before the month ended – with everything from pregnancy to being a later ratings-getter for the family show cited as reasons for the quick nuptials. The couple tied the knot on Sept. 27, 2009 at a private residence in Bel Air, CA in front of family and friends. Her stepfather Jenner walked the bride down the aisle and her sisters served as maids of honor. The press called the wedding “fake” and a mere publicity stunt. And even though the couple had already exchanged vows, they were not legally married until a prenuptial agreement was signed. Kardashian’s wedding ceremony was filmed and included in the fourth season of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”