It's long been said that if a famous man gets romantically involved with a Kar-Jenner, his career will never be the same, and given this family's track record, could there be some truth to a "Kardashian curse?" The Kar-Jenners have been entertaining us since their rise to fame on Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2007. But their reality show was only part of the reason they've become so famous over the years: Most of them have dated famous men, and while their careers have continued to blossom, the same can't be said for the latter.
Khloe Kardashian's ex-husband, Lamar Odom, famously overdosed at Las Vegas brothel following a serious addiction he'd been battling. Kris Humphries' NBA career went down the drain after his divorce with Kim Kardashian in 2011, with the athlete later admitting how the split led him to a dark place. But it's not just the men who've been affected by the supposed curse, with Blac Chyna suing the family for ruining her reputation after her split with Rob Kardashian in 2016, claiming she's lost business opportunities for the alleged slandering by the family.
These famous faces have all suffered some kind of consequence for their ties with the Kardashians. Here's the lowdown.
11 Lamar Odom
Things were looking great for Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian when they met in 2009 and decided to get married just one month after dating. The rush to walk down the aisle and tie the knot came with its consequences when Khloe would learn some shocking things about Lamar, his drug addiction, on top of cheating claims. After they split in 2015, Odom overdosed in a Nevada brothel and was rushed to the hospital. The pair divorced soon after, and Lamar’s NBA career has been on hold ever since.
10 Kris Humphries
Kris Humphries went from a successful basketball player to the guy who was dumped by Kim Kardashian after only being married to her for 72 days. Of course, the interesting part is that Kim was the one who filed the divorce papers while Kris was determined to work things out, but it appeared the TV star had other plans, such as romancing rapper Kanye West, who she has since welcomed four kids with. Kris, on the other hand, has fallen completely off the radar.
9 Ray J
Many people don’t know that before his infamous tape with Kim Kardashian leaked in 2007, Ray J was a successful R&B singer, landed multiple hits with ‘One Wish,’ ‘Wait A Minute,’ and ‘Sexy Can I.’
But after the Kim K scandal, it almost seemed as if the only thing people cared to hear Ray J talk about was anything concerning his ex-girlfriend. His career was definitely overshadowed by the tape.
8 Blac Chyna
Things were looking great for Blac Chyna when she announced her engagement with Rob Kardashian in 2016, thinking she would eventually become Mrs. Angela Kardashian. Well, after the pair’s final physical showdown at the end of that very same year, the Kardashians cut all ties with Chyna, who has since filed multiple lawsuits at the clan, claiming they have ruined her reputation by slandering her name on TV, which has seen a major effect on her business. Yikes.
7 Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian appeared to be the ultimate couple in 2007, but after their split, the NFL player’s career quickly started to derail and so did the public’s interest. While Kim hadn’t even reached her ultimate stardom at that time, Reggie’s career was starting to slow down, giving off the impression he had been affected by the Kardashian curse.
6 James Harden
James Harden famously came out and said that he considered 2015 to be “the worst year of my life,” which is particularly interesting since this was the same year he started dating Khloe Kardashian. In an interview with Maxim, the basketball player shared: “I don’t need pictures of myself when I’m driving my car. Who cares?
“What shoes am I wearing? Who cares? Where am I eating? Who cares? It was unnecessary stuff that I think trickled down to my teammates. I had to eliminate that."
5 Rashad McCants
Former basketball star Rashad McCants blamed his ex-girlfriend, Khloe Kardashian, for ruining his career since he hasn’t played for the NBA since their split. While Rashad admits he was never a star player when he joined the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was a solid shooter averaging 10 points per game before his career came to a halt in 2009.
4 Scott Disick
Although he’s still friendly with the Kardashians, it goes without saying that Scott Disick has very well been affected by the family over the years. He’s been open about his problems with drugs over the years, and in May 2020, he checked into a rehab facility for some much-needed help after suffering a major relapse while in quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott has also admitted to once facing an addiction to intimacy right after his split with Kourtney.
3 Tyga
While Tyga may have thought that dating a celebrity as famous as Kylie Jenner could generate him plenty of income for his rap career, ever since the former couple called it quits in 2017, the ‘Rack City’ rapper has had endless financial problems.
Over the years, several landlords have sued him for failing to pay rent and owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills and attorney fees while he’s also no stranger to having his rented cars repoed for failing to keep tabs on payments.
2 Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner has certainly experienced the Kardashian curse. After coming out and announcing her transition to become a woman, the family was completely shocked, claiming they completely blindsided by the decision. Caitlyn would later embark on a lengthy feud with some of his family members who didn’t like the way he handled his coming out story in regards to Kris Jenner’s feelings, given that she also claimed she did not know her ex-husband’s desire to live his life as a woman.
It became a huge feud between the former couple, and while Caitlyn would go on to land her own E! Reality show, I Am Cait, the reality series was canceled after its second series. And while there was no much fascination around Jenner’s journey to becoming a woman, it almost seems as if people have completely forgotten about the former Olympic champion.
1 The Game
During his appearance on ‘The Wendy Williams Show’ in 2015, The Game admitted that he once shared a fling with Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian respectively. After Khloe ended things with Lamar, she was constantly seen with the ‘How We Do’ rapper, but soon after ending their short-lived romance, The Game’s popularity decreased and so did the sales for his music. Since 2015, he’s been an independent rapper.