Kim Kardashian faced a plethora of naysayers prior to her gig hosting Saturday Night Live last weekend, ranging from the average Twitter user to Debra Messing of Will and Grace fame. But once again, the social media star has proven she knows how to rise to the top. With her SNL episode boosting ratings and netting a major win in her ongoing divorce from rapper Kanye West, it’s a good week to be Kim Kardashian.
While some fans were skeptical of NBC’s decision to let Kim Kardashian host an episode of Saturday Night Live, the reality star proved them wrong. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kim Kardashian’s episode of Saturday Night Live boasted 5.27 million viewers and a 1.04 demo rating, as opposed to the 4.94 million viewers and 0.92 rating for the season premiere helmed by Owen Wilson. That may not seem like a huge leap in numbers, but it’s actually the first time in years that the second Saturday Night Live episode of the season has drawn more viewers than the premiere.
With a monologue that took shots at Kanye West, Kris Jenner, and even herself, Kim Kardashian’s SNL episode was off to a solid start. A few of her O.J. Simpson jokes drew the ire of the late Nicole Brown's sister, Tanya Brown, but Kardashian' performance was otherwise very well-received, all things considered. A few Twitter users had threatened to boycott her episode, as it goes, but the overall social media consensus was fairly positive. It’s almost endearing to see a celebrity as untouchable as Kim Kardashian make fun of her obsession with plastic surgery and her on-again off-again relationship with Kanye West. Instagram heavyweights: underneath the Kylie Cosmetics lip kits, they’re just like us.
Her Saturday Night Live ratings weren’t the only win for Kim Kardashian this week. Yahoo! Life reported that Kim Kardashian will retain ownership of the luxury mansion she originally purchased with rapper Kanye West. Valued at a cool $60 million, the ex-couple first bought the home in 2014 for around $20 million, and spent six years renovating the California property. It's a wonder West is willing to part with the residence without more of a fight, seeing as how he oversaw many of those renovations.
Don’t be too quick to shed any tears for Kanye West, either: reports say that he just bought a Malibu beach house worth $57 million recently. While Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have been spotted hanging out together, prompting rumors of a romantic rekindling, this split-housing news is another nail in Kimye’s coffin. There don’t seem to be any hard feelings: in Kim Kardashian’s Saturday Night Live monologue, she thanked the Donda rapper for her children and for his support over the years.
The final season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians aired this summer, but you can relive the star-studded drama on Peacock. All seasons of the landmark reality program are also available on Hulu with a subscription, while SNL airs on NBC on Saturday nights at 11:35 p.m. ET.
