Get All Access for $5/mo

Kim Kardashian says her statements about working women were taken out of context, Variety journalist responds The celebrity said, "I have the best advice for women in business: Get your butt up and work. Nobody seems to want to work these days."

This article was translated from our Spanish edition.

Dimitrios Kambouris | Getty Images

Earlier this month, celebrity Kim Kardashian sparked controversy when she declared in an interview with Variety that "no one wants to work these days" after the journalist asked her to offer advice to women in business .

The billionaire star said in that taped interview: "I have the best advice for women in business. Get your ass up and work. Nobody seems to want to work these days."

In said interview he added: "You have to surround yourself with people who want to work" , while his family nodded. "Have a good work environment where everyone loves what they do, because you have a life. There are no toxic work environments."

However, hours before the interview was published, the clip with this response went viral. Social media caught fire, criticizing Kim for not acknowledging the privilege she has lived under. Netizens called his comments "offensive."

Many people pointed out that while Kim has undeniably worked hard and used her Keeping Up With the Kardashians success to the best of her ability, she was born into immense privilege that gave her a pretty good head start when it came to being a successful business woman. .

For context, Kim, and her siblings Kourtney, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian, are the children of Robert Kardashian, who was a prominent attorney in the '90s. His family lived in an affluent part of Beverly Hills, and they certainly weren't close. of the working class before starting their businesses.

On Twitter, one of her critics mentioned, "It's probably true that the Kardashians work hard, and Kim seems to have the biggest hustle and bustle of the bunch. But ignoring pre-race privilege, a super-rich celebrity dad, and a vast network of Los Angels who included Paris Hilton at her height of fame, is deaf at best, offensive at worst" .

By way of defense this Monday Kim declared during an appearance on Good Morning America that his quote was taken out of context.

She also added that her "tone and attitude" in responding to the question was actually because she was angry about being asked a moment earlier about whether she and her family are just "famous for being famous."

In the Variety interview, Kim had stated in response, "Who gives a fuck. We focus on the positive. If that's what you think, then I'm sorry. We just don't have the energy for that. We don't have to sing, dancing or acting, we can live our lives, and well, we did. I don't know what to tell you."

Kim said that his tone changed in the interview for that reason and hence his response could seem offensive. The star maintained that her intention at the time was for her advice to make it seem like "having a presence on social media and having a reality show doesn't mean overnight success" and apologized for offending by clarifying that she respects working women. .

However, Variety reporters disagree with Kim's claims. The magazine's chief correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister , who conducted the interview, responded to Kim, saying the "famous for being famous" question actually came after the "women in business" question.

Elizabeth retweeted Variety 's managing editor Kate Aurthur , who had written, "All the media going with Kim Kardashian saying her comments were 'taken out of context,' please refer to @EWagmeister's story video, which provides the context to the question, which was, 'What's your best advice for women in business?'"

So far, Kim has not yet responded to the series of comments that have been unleashed on Twitter about it, by journalists from Variety .

Eduardo Scheffler Zawadzki

Entrepreneur Staff

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Growing a Business

You Need an Advisory Team More Than Ever. Here's Why — and How to Run One Effectively.

The right advice, particularly in a company's early stages, can be an existential matter: how to surround yourself with the right minds.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growing a Business

4 Financial Blind Spots That Could Be Preventing You From Making More Money

If you're ready to grow but feel stagnated and not sure why, check out these common money secrets where revenue is hiding.