What It's Like To Work For The Kardashians, According To Former & Current Staff
What are they like behind closed doors?
Tinseltown / Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock The Kardashian/Jenner clan has definitely risen to stardom from not only their reality show but also their individual businesses. Of course, from an outsider's point of view, it's so easy to think the members of the Kardashian family are incredibly stuck-up and extremely materialistic. But, are they really like that? Or have people's perceived opinions of them made it seem as such?
Fortunately, there have been many ex-employees of the famous family who have spoken out about what it's actually like to work for them, and how they feel about them now that they are no longer employed with them.
Here is what it's like to work for the Kardashians, according to former staff members.
1. Their family bond is extremely rare.
The family's ex-assistant, Erica Mena, spoke out in an interview, saying that she has no ill feelings towards her former employers. In fact, Mena said that her time working for them was some of the best years of her life.
In the 2014 interview, Mena shared her admiration for the family, saying they're not only good at making money, "but also having a family to do it with, and that's so rare!”
Mena, who ended up becoming a television personality herself, appearing on 'Love & Hip Hop: New York', and ended up marrying Nicki Minaj's ex-boyfriend, Safaree Samuels, had been hired as a sales associate for the Kardashian's clothing store, Dash.
2. Working for the family is like being a part of a small tribe.
Kim Kardashian's former assistant, Stephanie Shepherd, who had worked for the 'Skims' founder for five years, had compared her job to being in "one big extended family."
In an interview with Refinery29, Shepherd commended the family for their camaraderie, saying, "everyone who works for the Kardashian family is part of this little tribe... We get each other Christmas presents, we take care of all the kids like they’re our own kids.”
3. Kim Kardashian is "extremely humble and down-to-earth."
In an interview with InTouch, a former housekeeper for the family shared that their true personalities don't always match how they come off to the public. The insider told the magazine that Kim Kardashian is one of the most lovable members of the famous family, labeling her as "extremely humble and down-to-earth," but also saying that she is extremely generous to the family's employees.
“Kim would sit and chat with them, and she was generous,” said the insider. “One time she gifted someone on her staff a computer for Christmas. It was awesome and so kind. She was the only one out of the three [sisters] to give anyone helping out any gifts.”
4. Scott Disick was "constantly drunk."
A former housekeeper for the family continued to share their experience working with the family, revealing that Scott Disick, at the time of working for them, had been "constantly drunk."
“[He] would leave empty bottles of alcohol all over the place,” the former employee said. “[He was] a complete and utter mess.”
Disick has been in and out of rehab over the years to deal with his reported issues with alcohol. He most recently completed a stint in rehab in 2020 for "taking cocaine and drinking a lot," a source told DailyMail. In an episode of 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' from that same year, Disick admitted as much.
"I used to drink and party and go out a ton, so my body, it's been through some rough waters and taken some pretty bad beatings. I never thought that there was a possibility any of that stuff could affect me in the long run," he said.
5. Kourtney Kardashian is allegedly the rudest member of the family.
The insider also explained that the eldest Kardashian sister was "by far the most rude and unappreciative person in the family.” The former housekeeper labeled her as a “neat freak” and “overprotective” when it came to her children.
“She always was asking the babysitter what they were up to and micromanaging them," the housekeeper said. "I could tell it was hard for her to let them do their jobs."
6. Kim Kardashian would compare North West to Blue Ivy Carter.
According to International Business Times, a former employee of Kim Kardashian made allegations about the 'KKW' beauty founder that weren't so charming.
“Kim dresses her daughter in only neutral colors,” said the former employee, who also alleged that Kardashian insisted her entourage walk behind her in public. Apparently, it wasn't just the employees that she was hard on, but also her daughter, North West.
According to the former employee, Kardashian also allegedly enjoyed comparing her daughter, North, who was one year old at the time, to her alleged enemy, pop singer Beyonce’s daughter, Blue Ivy, who was three years old at the time.
“She brags that Nori is cuter than Blue Ivy,” said the insider. “She loves it.”
7. There are no set hours while working for the Kardashians.
According to The Sun, Victoria Villarroel, who worked for Kris Jenner in 2015 before ending up working closely with Kylie Jenner, shared that she would have to be available at all times of the day.
“She’ll call me at 2am and I will answer, I don’t really have set hours. It’s pretty much whenever duty calls," Villarroel said. "You basically do scheduling, travel, events. Like the Met Gala, you have to coordinate everything. Or any appearance that she has, award shows, the stylists, booking all her appointments and keeping her calendar up to date.”
The model, who ended up quitting in 2019 but still remains close with Kylie Jenner, said that she "learned a lot from [Kris Jenner] and her family," adding that "they are inspiring."
In an op-ed for Vice, former Kardashian employee Jessica DeFino spoke with two other former employees who worked on the Kardashian's apps — both of whom claim they were expected to be accessible at all hours. One of the former employees who was interviewed in the article, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "I worked all the time. I did not sleep enough. I was drinking alcohol — way too much alcohol — to deal with the stress. I became physically unwell. My hair was falling out.”
RELATED: 11 Strict Rules The Kardashian Kids Must Follow
8. A former nanny revealed that Kris Jenner had a temper.
In an interview with Daily News, Pam Behan opened up about working for Kris Jenner back in 1991, when Behan was only 19 years old. Behan, who was from a small town in Minnesota, worked for the family back when Kourtney Kardashian was 12, Kim was 10, Khloe was 6, and Robert was 4, having absolutely no idea that they would one day become the most famous family in the world.
"Kris wants what she wants, when she wants it, which is usually now!' " Behan, who was 41 at the time of the interview, said. "Especially as hired help, there were good times and bad times."
One bad time that Behan shares is when she forgot to buy broccoli at the grocery store, which ended up with Jenner yelling at her.
"I had mentally started packing my bags — I was going to quit. And all this, over broccoli!" Behan said, but she ultimately ended up staying for five more years before quitting to pursue her own dreams.
9. The pay reportedly isn't good.
In the aftermath of Kim Kardashian's comments about "no one wanting to work these days," many former employees have come forward detailing their experience working for the Kardashian. In her essay for Vice, DeFino revealed that she had worked as an editor on the Kardashians app in 2015 in Los Angeles, and wasn't getting paid sufficiently.
“I was an assistant editor on the Kardashian Jenner Official Apps, and I didn’t make enough money to make it to work,” DeFino wrote in the piece, saying she made an annual salary of $35,000.
DeFino — who was in her mid-twenties at the time — claims she ended up with just over $600 per week in her bank account after taxes. The amount barely covered the costs of food, rent, bills, and gas. In her essay, DeFino recalled one time when she could only afford to put $4 worth of gas in her car, which wasn’t enough to get her from the office to her home.
“I panicked, slapped at the steering wheel, and screamed. And then I cried,” she continued.
10. Khloe Kardashian is allegedly a toxic boss.
According to Khloe's former personal assistant Matthew Manhard, working for her was a rather traumatic experience. So traumatic, in fact, that Manhard sued her after she allegedly fired him while he was out with a knee injury. TMZ reported that Manhard's lawsuit against the Good American founder claims that he was denied legally required breaks and the overtime money he was due.
Khloe's legal representative denied these claims, saying, "It’s unfortunate to learn that a former employee would choose to go this route. Matthew was properly classified and compensated for his role."
However, additional members of Khloe's staff have frequently said the opposite about Khloe, calling her "generous" and "inclusive."
“Khloé treats her staff like family — they are all super close,” a source told Life & Style, adding that "she gives the most insane bonuses around the holidays."
11. Kim's employees have to abide by a dress code.
Just as Kim dresses her daughter North in neutral colors almost exclusively, she expects her employees to wear the same. In an episode of Angie Martinez's podcast "IRL," Kim explained that she prefers this dress code as it reflects the "zen" feeling of her own home.
“It’s not like, ‘Hey, this is like, your uniform. It’s just color palettes,” Kim explained, with “grays, heather gray, black, navy, white, cream, khaki” being acceptable colors. And according to Kim, her employees don't mind. "I asked how everyone felt about it and everyone actually said, ‘That would make our life so easy.'”
12. They get to travel around the world.
It seems that the Kardashian-Jenner family is always traveling somewhere new. And when they do, members of their staff get to tag along.
Khloe's nanny Andreza Cooper provided a glimpse into this perk in an Instagram reel showcasing her trip to Tuscany, Italy, alongside Khloe and her two kids True and Tatum along with Kris and Kylie Jenner in Kylie's private jet.
Of course, these are work trips, not leisure, as Cooper explained in 2021, and she's expected to continue her duties on the road.
"As we travel a lot internationally, I also monitor [the children's] sleep, because there are a lot of time zones, so, to change, I always travel with [them] when [they are] international," she said.
13. Working for the Kardashians often means getting expensive hand-me-downs.
On top of their regular pay, people who work for the Kardashians and Jenners report that there are other perks of being on the payroll, such as expensive gifts straight out of the Kardashian closets. A source told Life & Style that Kim in particular “is always offering the staff things that are sent to her or that she doesn’t need anymore,” including "pricey jewelry."
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.