Fans were left shocked by the abrupt announcement that Keeping Up with the Kardashians would end after twenty seasons. Kris Jenner was the one to break the news, and she explained the sudden decision to end the show. If you thought it was a choice that the Kardashian-Jenners came to after contemplating it for a long time, think again. It turns out that the family’s move was pretty swift.
Kris Jenner was a guest on Ellen DeGeneres’ recently returned talk show, and the topic of KUWTK ending its run came up. Jenner explained that the family had entered into negotiations to continue Keeping Up with the Kardashians, only to stop in their tracks. On how the Kardashian-Jenners came to the decision, their matriarch told The Ellen Show:
It was kind of sudden. I think we were talking about signing up for another couple of years with our network, and suddenly just all came to the decision as a group that the whole family felt it was just time. It just sort of came to us, and we thought, ’20 seasons, 14 years, hundreds of episodes and lots of spinoffs.’
That the Kardashian-Jenners were talking about more seasons is interesting information. Rumors had surfaced that they wanted a raise from $150 million a season to $200 million, which the network decided against, reportedly due to declining ratings. Kris Jenner mentions the family looking at re-upping before “suddenly” experiencing a change of heart. For those who want to believe the rumors, Jenner’s comment could add fuel to the fire.
After all, Khloe Kardashian had hinted at her brother Rob having a more heightened presence on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. There are only the, currently-airing, Season 19 and Season 20 for Rob to be seen in more, although this is obviously not a definitive hint that the Kardashian-Jenners were ready to keep the show going indefinitely. Twenty seasons is a long time for any series, let alone one that documents your life.
Ryan Seacrest did say that it was tough for the Kardashian-Jenners to decide to end it. However, they apparently did not mull over the decision for long, as Kris Jenner revealed it was sort of an epiphany for the family. The out of the blue choice did come after some early warning signs that the family may have been ready to move on from their reality show.
Kourtney Kardashian had decided to step away from the show citing its “toxic environment.” Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian West has been dealing with her husband, Kanye West, recently opening up about his bipolar disorder. Plus, the family overall has been in the news a lot lately, and after nearly a decade and a half in the public eye, it is understandable that they would want to step away.
Family friend Paris Hilton recently speculated that the Kardashian-Jenners wanted to spend more time with their families. Thankfully for fans, they should be able to look forward to continuing to follow the family on social media. Kourtney Kardashian has kept fans apprised of her son’s new haircut, so there should be more updates like that in the future.
The penultimate season of Keeping Up with Kardashians is currently airing—new episodes of Season 19 debut Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET. The reality series is one of this fall’s premieres. The series’ twentieth and final season should begin sometime during 2021.
