The long-running reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which blended celebrity news, family turmoil and brand sponsorships, will end next year after its 20th season, Kim Kardashian announced Tuesday evening on Instagram, where she has 188 million followers.
In the post, Ms. Kardashian did not state a reason for ending the series, which debuted in 2007. “It is with heavy hearts that we’ve made the difficult decision as a family to say goodbye” to the show, she wrote. “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 show has featured Ms. Kardashian and her sisters, Kourtney, Khloé, Kendall and Kylie; their brother, Rob; and their mother, Kris Jenner. A spokesperson for E!, the network that has broadcast the series, said in a statement, “We thank the entire extended family and our production partners, Bunim Murray and Ryan Seacrest Productions, for embarking on this global phenomenon together.”
Over the years the show has offered viewers a candid look into the family’s dynamics and relationship woes, spawning several spinoffs on E! Notable moments and controversies highlighted on and offscreen throughout the show’s run included Kim Kardashian’s almost two-month marriage to Kris Humphries, several accusations of family members’ taking part in cultural appropriation and a string of cheating scandals surrounding their significant others.
The show has also become social media fodder with short video and audio clips of the Kardashians arguing or going on vacation used for memes and GIFs.
During the course of the show, Kim married the rapper Kanye West and gave birth to the couple’s four children. Also, Caitlyn Jenner transitioned, after appearing on the show as Bruce.
More recently, Ms. Kardashian has become an activist for criminal justice reform. In 2018 she personally lobbied President Trump to commute the sentence of a 63-year-old woman, Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving life in prison for a nonviolent drug conviction. The president pardoned Ms. Johnson after the Republican National Convention.
Source: Television - nytimes.com
