After 20 seasons and having their lives documented on camera for nearly a decade-and-a-half, the Kardashian-Jenner family announced that Keeping Up with the Kardashians will be ending in 2021. Many have feelings on the long-running show's end and, now, Paris Hilton, who is one of the family's good friends, has thoughts about the family’s decision to conclude the series.
Paris Hilton has led an eventful life and is no stranger to reality television. Hilton starred in the FOX-turned-E! reality show, The Simple Life, from 2003 to 2007, during Hilton’s friend Nicole Richie served as a co-star. So following her own reality days, why does Hilton think the Kardashians are ending their storied series, Keeping Up with Kardashians? She shared her thoughts with Entertainment Tonight, saying:
Just with The Simple Life, I was just over it. I wanted to just focus on my business. They have huge business empires. I am sure they want to spend their time doing that and being with [their] families.
That's Paris Hilton’s take, and it's not too far off from what Keeping Up with Kardashians’ creator had to say about it. While reflecting on the show’s legacy, Ryan Seacrest indicated that a desire for privacy played a role in the Kardashian-Jenner family’s decision. Hilton’s perspective sounds heavily influenced by her experience with reality television.
The Kardashian-Jenners had previously decided not to share every part of their private life with viewers ahead of its latest season, leading to boundaries being established. However, as Paris Hilton probably knows, there is a toll to constantly living your life in front of the cameras. To that point, Kourtney Kardashian had already opted to step away from the show ahead of the series-ending announcement, citing the toxicity of the environment.
Paris Hilton ended up walking away from The Simple Life after five seasons. That investment is obviously less than the time that the Kardashian-Jenners have poured into Keeping Up with Kardashians. Of course, as Hilton mentioned, there has been more to the Kardashians’ lives than reality TV. They've also built some mega-successful businesses, creating a lot of obligations for them to juggle. Hilton went on to say:
They have so many things going on. And after 20 seasons, I think they are ready to just live their life and not be on camera every second.
One factor that Paris Hilton brings up as the cause of the cancellation is money. After the Kardashian-Jenner family announced the show would be ending, rumors circulated that the family would have been willing to continue but recoiled at the money offered to continue.
Still, as the show prepares to end, it could feature more of Rob Kardashian, so there's that. And to its credit, Keeping Up with the Kardashians did manage to find a way to continue filming despite the coronavirus quarantine. The series’ penultimate season will premiere next week, so you can expect more drama.
Keeping Up with Kardashians will return for its Season 19 premiere on Thursday, September 17, at 8 p.m. ET. The reality show is one of this fall’s new offerings. The series’ twentieth and final season is expected to air sometime during 2021.
