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We've been missing out on a Kardashian-Jenner family member this whole time.
By Nicole Pomarico — Written on Dec 19, 2019
The Kardashian-Jenner family is pretty big and apparently, there’s been a secret member hiding behind the scenes this whole time.
Recently, a woman named Natalie Zettel showed up in a Christmas-themed photo with Kylie Jenner on her Instagram, looking suspiciously similar to the lip kit mogul. As it turns out, that’s not just a coincidence — she and Jenner actually do share genes.
So who is Kylie Jenner’s secret cousin, anyway? Here’s everything you need to know about Natalie Zettel.
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1. Who is Kylie Jenner's secret cousin? Natalie Zettel is Kris Jenner’s niece.
Yup, she’s related to this very famous family by blood. Zettel’s mom is Karen Houghton, Kris Jenner’s younger sister. Although Kris went on to have six children of her own, the family she came from was much smaller — Houghton is her only sister.
Today, Zettel is 20 years old and, according to her Instagram, she seems to be a model. Although she hasn’t amassed quite as many followers as her famous cousins, she’s going strong at almost 50k.
2. Kris Jenner and Karen Houghton don’t get along, though.
In fact, a source close to the family said in an interview that Kris and Houghton don’t get along because she doesn’t approve of the men Houghton dates, and that may be why she’s never made an appearance on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
“While Karen is a totally down-to-earth sweetheart, she certainly doesn’t come close to meeting the glam standards that Kris likes to publicly project for her family,” the insider said.
Reportedly, Kris also skipped out on seeing Houghton while she was in and out of hospitals earlier this year.
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3. Despite her mom and aunt’s feud, Zettel still spends time with the Kardashian-Jenners.
Various members of the fam have made appearances on Zettel’s Instagram, from North West to grandmother Mary Jo, who is frequently on KUWTK. Last December, Zettel also shared photos from a photobooth where she posed with Kris and Kim Kardashian.
4. Her photos bear a striking resemblence to Kylie Jenner.
Given that they’re closely related, this isn’t exactly shocking, but Zettel seems to employ the same makeup techniques that Kylie uses — maybe she’s cashing in on that family discount for Kylie Cosmetics? It’s when Zettel is all glammed up that Kylie’s side of the family comes out in her face the most.
5. Zettel made headlines last year for hanging out with Khloe Kardashian.
Last December, Zettel visited Khloe Kardashian’s Good American pop-up shop, and Khloe took to her Instagram story to show off a photo where she posed with Kris and Zettel together, calling Zettel her “beautiful and sweet cousin.”
6. So far, it seems Zettel’s bond with the Kardashian-Jenners is here to stay.
No matter what kind of relationship Kris and Houghton might have, it seems like Zettel is welcome at family functions anytime — and now that Kylie Jenner’s secret cousin has been officially discovered, it wouldn’t be surprising if we start seeing more of her very soon.
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.