Kim Kardashian Read Every Page of Her Authorized Biography. Here’s What She Pushed Back On.
Jonathan Van Meter spent five years reporting an authorised biography of Kim Kardashian, gaining access to her homes, work and circle of acquaintances. The book examines a public figure often dismissed as famous only for a sex tape, and the challenge of finding complexity behind a carefully managed public image.
Kardashian read the manuscript and objected to some passages, but Van Meter says she ultimately accepted almost all of them. He interviewed dozens of people, though Kanye West and Ray J did not take part, while Paris Hilton cancelled 17 times. Van Meter also describes becoming protective of Kardashian and wrestling with how to remain truthful while writing about someone he had grown close to.
In short
- Van Meter spent five years writing an authorised Kim Kardashian biography.
- Kardashian challenged some passages but accepted almost all of them.
- Kanye West and Ray J were not interviewed; Paris Hilton cancelled 17 times.
Explained simply
Kim Kardashian is a US media personality and businesswoman who first became widely known through reality television and her family’s public profile. Her fame has often been linked to a sex tape released in 2007, but her career has since included television, beauty and clothing businesses, and public advocacy.
An authorised biography is written with the subject’s co-operation, which can give the writer access to people and places that might otherwise be hard to reach. It also raises questions about how the writer balances that access with independent reporting, especially when the subject reviews the manuscript and challenges parts of it.