Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek’s network of contributors
Khloé Kardashian has been subject to long-standing paternity rumors, particularly the speculation linking her to the late O.J. Simpson, who passed away from cancer on April 11, 2024.
These swirling rumors intensified after Khloé’s mom, Kris Jenner’s, memoir, Kris Jenner and All Things Kardashian, was released in November 2011, where she disclosed having an affair during her marriage to the late Robert Kardashian.
The rumor mills began churning even more vigorously following the death of Robert in 2003. His then-wife, Jan Ashley, claimed in a 2012 interview with Star that Robert had confessed to her that Khloé was not his biological daughter, stating, “He just kind of looked at me and said [it] like it was a matter of fact. He said, ‘Well, you know that Khloé’s not really a Kardashian, don’t you? And I said … ‘OK,’ and that was it.”
The Hollywood Curtain/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Adding to the controversy, Simpson, who was represented by Robert during his 1995 murder trial, was rumored to be Khloé’s real father. The theory gained traction amongst the public and was even addressed on a 2012 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. In the episode titled “Who’s Your Daddy,” Kris, 68, attempts to convince her daughter to take a DNA test, asserting that it was something Khloé “needs in order to feel complete.”
Khloé, 39, remained adamant about her parentage. “My dad is Robert Kardashian. My other dad is [Caitlyn] Jenner. I don’t need someone to tell me who my family is. I have had the blessing of having two phenomenal fathers. I don’t need a DNA test to prove who my father is,” she declared on the show.
Simpson himself has denied the rumors, emphasizing their falsity on the Full Send podcast in December 2022. “The rumor ain’t true. It’s not even anywhere close to being true,” he stated, dismissing the claims linked to his relationship with Kris. He admitted to being attracted to Kris, however, saying, “I always thought Kris was a cute girl. She was really nice. But, you know, I was dating supermodels!”
The Kardashian family’s connection to Simpson dates back to the 1994 murder trial of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, where Robert served on Simpson’s defense team. Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges in 1995 but was later found liable in a civil trial.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.