Shotgun weddings and eloping that ultimately ends in divorce is no surprise to the world of the rich and famous. But, no one could have predicted that just 72 days after Kim Kardashian’s $10 Million Dollar August 20th wedding she would shock everyone, husband included, and file for divorce.
Kim Kardashian cancelled on a scheduled appearance at an Australian horse racing event to return home and deal with the fallout and emotions from her surprising divorce. This was yet another mixed signal from the star, when earlier in the week she repeated in interviews in Australia that she “really didn’t want to bail on everyone.”
However, she did spend enough time in the land down under to plug her new handbag line.
Kim met her husband, basketball player Kris Humphries, on October 31st 2010. She filed for divorce due to “irreconcilable differences”and on her website she insisted that she married for love and it just didn’t “turn out to be the fairytale” she wanted.
Where is the 26 year old NBA star in all of this? Humphries has been sighted around his Minnesota hometown still wearing his wedding band. Being a more private person he has not discussed any marital problems with friends, family or paparazzi. However, he did make a statement to US Weekly saying, “I’m committed to this marriage and everything this covenant represents. I love my wife and am devastated to learn she filed for divorce. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work.”
Assuming the couple goes through with the divorce an iron-clad pre-nup protects Kim from loosing any property to Humphries. Anything she has earned during the marriage is hers to keep. But there is one thing Humphries and Kim: Profits from their E! Wedding Special that reached over 4 million viewers. Kim and Kris earned 30% revenue from every commercial that aired, since the wedding special aired in about 50 countries that ended up being a large sum.
As questions and accusations about the marriage’s legitimacy get thrown around by fans and friends alike it is important to remember that the product of television drama has been the Kardashian’s product since their show “Keeping up with the Kardashian’s” aired in 2007.
“I think you try to milk it and say you’re not going to milk it,” said Derek Baine, a cable TV analyst for SNL Kagan, talking about E! News‘ coverage of the Kardashians. “You don’t want to seem real crass and taking advantage of a personal tragedy. In fact, it’s their job to boost the ratings. There’s nothing like a good car wreck.”
Suzanne Kolb, President of E! Entertainment had this to say about this season of the Kardashians, “The show is obviously going to have more drama in it that we originally expected with a newlywed couple. At the same time, people are going to be able to see how difficult this was for the two of them.”
