No family feuds quite like the Kardashians. Reality TV’s royal family is making headlines (again).
This time, it’s for a heated feud between Kim and Kourtney that took place during season three of their Hulu series, The Kardashians. The sisters went head to head over Kim’s involvement with luxury Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana, just two months after Kourtney’s lavish wedding sponsored by the label.
The internet has some heated opinions over who’s in the right. If you’re just confused about the whole thing (you’re not alone), here’s what you need to know:
Kim vs. Kourtney: The Backstory
In July 2022, Kourtney Kardashian married Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker in an extravagant Portofino wedding. It was actually their third ceremony, following a Vegas elopement and a Santa Barbara courthouse wedding after an utterly romantic, rose-filled proposal on the beach.
The couple documented all three weddings in a Hulu special aptly titled “Til Death Do Us Part: Kourtney & Travis.”
The bride wore Dolce & Gabbana. The groom wore Dolce & Gabbana. The wedding venue was owned by Dolce & Gabbana. Basically, it was the brand’s largest ad that year.
Until Kim Kardashian got nearly an equally exciting opportunity just months later.
What did Kim do?
It’s common for celebrities and influencers to attend high-profile fashion shows, but Dolce & Gabbana wanted Kim to do much more than that. For the brand’s Milan Fashion Week show in fall 2022, D&G asked Kim to play the role of creative director, overseeing the show and designing a collection.
The reality megastar explained in The Kardashians that when offered the opportunity, she thought, “I think it is a little too soon after Kourtney’s wedding, and I want to wait a year.” She eventually agreed to the collaboration with the caveat of “Don’t do anything that Kourtney wore to her wedding.”
To make matters worse, Kim and her mother, Kris, seem to have been scheming during Kourtney’s wedding on potential business opportunities with Dolce & Gabbana. The night before, at the rehearsal dinner, Kim made a snarky and frankly disrespectful toast to Kourtney in front of everyone, received with laughter by her younger sister, Khloé, and Kris.
Were Kim and Kourtney close before their fallout?
“Kim and Khloé were vibing, and then I was the one who got ganged up on,” explained Kourtney in a May 2023 episode of The Kardashians. She then continued, saying, “We would all do anything for each other. (We) ride for each other until the end, but it is a different thing.”
The Poosh founder previously expressed frustration with the family’s dynamics, saying “I was thinking about how in our family we are so good at celebrating and having fun. We are also good at lifting each other up when we are in a crisis, but in a superficial way,” following up with, “I don’t think we know how to be there for each other on a deeper level.”
Khloé Kardashian pointed out the hypocrisy in her statement by citing Koutney’s whirlwind romance with Travis Barker that caused her to miss several milestones.
How close was Kourtney to Dolce & Gabbana?
Was Kourtney and Travis’ wedding strictly business, or did they have a more personal connection to the brand? Kourtney described her relationship with Dolce & Gabbana’s cofounders, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, as being very close, noting in an episode earlier this summer, “I’ve been friends with Domenico and (Stefano Gabbana) for five years and have gone to their home in Portofino every summer.”
She continued stressing their friendship, expressing, “They have always rolled out the red carpet, and my whole experience with them—with our wedding—he really made me feel so comfortable and really special. So we have a really personal relationship.”
See also: Best Places to Visit in Italy: 16 Unforgettable Destinations
Does Kim have a personal connection to Dolce & Gabbana?
Kim’s connection to the luxury label has come off a little less personal in the feud, though still close. The reality personality said, “My mom has known Dolce & Gabbana for a long time, and they were always asking me—even before the wedding—if we could do a book.”
How did Kourtney react to Kim’s opportunity?
Sobbing to the camera in a June 2023 episode, Kourtney expressed how hurt she commenting, “I just feel like there is such an abundance of opportunities. It isn’t about business. There is just so much, and it takes precedence over hurting your sister. It is legit copying my wedding.”
That wasn’t all the star had to say. She continued, “It is just stupid because it is a deeper thing than that. It is about (people) grabbing whatever is in the way. It is such an abundance and an excess — it is never enough. It is never OK to just not do something or turn something down,” alluding to the family’s massive wealth and success.
Kim’s Response to Kourtney’s Anger
In a June 2023 episode, Kim said, “I shouldn’t have to ask her for permission. I thought I was being really mindful. There were so many collections (pieces weren’t selected from).”
The star then went on to throw some serious shade, snipping, “She’s saying every one of her friends (is supportive), but she doesn’t have any friends. So, Travis?”
Kourt’s statements directly contradicted Kim’s claims that the fashion show she put on didn’t resemble the Portofino wedding. “Everything that I did (with Dolce & Gabbana) was pulling references from ’90s (collections).”
Fans of the show were left incredibly divided. Here’s what they had to say:
This is business, not friendship
“Kourtney thinks she owns D&G because of the relationship she’s had (with them) as friends for years and because they opened up their catalogs for (Kourtney and Travis’ wedding). She’s not separating the fact that D&G, as a BUSINESS, chose Kim to collaborate with, NOT Kourtney, because Kim, as a fashion icon, is what sells and is much more marketable than Kourtney.
“Basically, she’s angry but at the wrong person because her friends didn’t choose her. They chose her sister, and she can’t swallow the pill that Kim IS more popular.”
It wasn’t about the collaboration, it was about Kim being opportunistic and shady during a wedding
Kourtney didn’t really care about Kim doing a collaboration with D&G, she cared about how (Kim) and her mother (and maybe Khloe, too?) went about it. Yes, the collab was 90s inspired, like Kourt’s wedding, but that wasn’t what hurt her. It was that Kim wasn’t ‘present’ at her wedding because she was using it to negotiate a business deal.
“She and Kris were sneaking around behind her back arranging Kim’s collaboration, which Kim originally told Kourtney was Skims X D&G. Then it changed to a 90s style runway thing that was the same ‘vibe’ as Kourtney’s wedding. I think if she had just told Kourtney it had changed and there was an aspect of it that was similar to her wedding, instead of just not telling her anything, Kourtney would have been fine with it.
“It’s all about good communication and having respect for your sister. That’s really it.”
Kourtney’s wedding was already a business opportunity
“Uhm, didn’t D&G pay for and sponsor your wedding? Making it a business opportunity?”
This post was written and syndicated by What the Fab.
The Kardashians aren’t the only ones with bridal drama
In this story, an unsuspecting girlfriend walks into a surprise wedding planned by her boyfriend.
Instead of understanding when she rejects the concept, her friends and family blame her for ruining a “beautiful moment.” Is she really in the wrong? Find out below:
Read: Woman Rejects Surprise Wedding with Boyfriend of 5 Years. Is She Wrong for Turning Him Down?
Kim and Kourtney’s drama isn’t that unlike that of these best friends
Kim and Kourtney, step aside. This pair saw themselves at odds when the bride-to-be’s best friend refused to give up a life-changing opportunity to make the wedding.
The catch? The bride asked her friend in advance exactly which dates she wouldn’t be able to make before booking the venue.
Decide who’s right: Bridezilla is Furious When Her Friend Receives a Life-Changing Opportunity. The Friend Doesn’t Think She’s in the Wrong
Did Kim’s antics ruin the wedding?
Whether or not Kim and Kris’ wedding-week business scheming ruined Kourtney and Travis’ wedding is for the bride and groom to decide, but another individual might be able to relate to what Kim’s going through.
A daughter was accused by her parents of ruining the family vacation after screaming at them to get a divorce in the middle of an airport. Was she justified?
Get the story: Child Yells at Their Parents in the Middle of the Airport Telling Them to Get a Divorce. She Doesn’t Think She Ruined the Vacation
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
