Skip to Content

50 Rules You Didn't Know The Kardashians Have To Follow While Filming 'KUWTK'

Kris Jenner legit has a stack of NDAs by her front door.

By and Charlotte Chilton
2019 e people's choice awards   arrivals
Amy Sussman/E! Entertainment//Getty Images

Keeping Up With the Kardashians has been on since the dawn of time (we truly can’t believe the 20th season will be its last!). And as you’d probably expect, due to Kris Jenner being a genius mastermind, the show runs a pretty tight ship. While KUWTK is all about giving the impression that this is an honest, real, gritty look at America’s First Reality Family (and it is!), there are actually a ton of rules when it comes to filming. We’re talking nondisclosure agreements, very specific beauty and lighting demands, a truly wild pay structure, and shoe protectors.

The Kardashians don’t often talk about what really goes on behind the scenes of their show (ahem, please note the aforementioned NDAs), but we’ve scoured the internet for intel on some of the wildest rules and off-camera secrets from the show. Note: While there’s a lot of tea coming atcha, keep in mind that the key to the Kardashians’ success is keeping things authentic. But with that said, prepare yourself for a list of truly wild rules that Kim, Kourtney, Khloé, Kendall, Kylie, and Kris—and everyone else who wants to make an appearance on the show—absolutely have to follow.

1

Everyone Has To Deal With Kim Getting Paid The Most

kylie jenner
IMDB

Well, technically, Kim and Khloé. After Kourtney stepped back from KUWTK, Kimmy and KoKo potentially took home about 50 percent to 60 percent of the family’s current contract, while Kylie and Kendall got the leftovers. To be fair, they are on the show way less.

2

So How Much Do Kim And Khloé Get, Exactly?

kuwtk
IMDB/E!

If they’re splitting 50 percent of $150 million, that’d be about $37.5 million each. My jaw. Is on. The floor.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
3

Everyone Has To Sign An NDA

kuwtk
IMDB/E

Kim confirmed as much on Twitter, writing, “Btw NDAs for all!!!! #KUWTK” while live-tweeting the show.

4

We Got A Peek At The NDA Thanks To Blac Chyna

kardashian filming rules
Barcroft Media//Getty Images

During the height of Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian’s drama, ABC News was sent a photograph of the NDA Blac had signed in 2016, wherein she agreed not to disclose anything about anyone in the Kardashian family. So, yeah, they take their privacy seriously.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
5

Kris Jenner Keeps A Stack Of NDAs By Her Front Door

kuwtk
IMDB/E!
6

'KUWTK' Can’t Use Your Pic If You Don’t Sign A Waiver

celebrity sightings in los angeles   january 13, 2019
Hollywood To You/Star Max//Getty Images

We found this out when the show blurred a buncha pics of Khloé’s boyfriend Tristan Thompson. When fans asked Khloé about it on Twitter, she replied, “We obviously didn’t do anything. He might not have signed a waiver to show those images. Why would I want to blur his face? I’m not hiding his identity LOL.”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7

Producers Have To Wear Shoe Protectors In Kris’s House

kuwtk
IMDB/E!

This hilarious fact was revealed in a New York Times article about Kris, which described “a production assistant in surgical shoe coverings” who “handed out microphones” as “people wired themselves up through the bottoms of their shirts while Kris invited them into the kitchen for coffee cake.”

8

Kris Has Her Hair And Makeup Done Every Single Day

kuwtk
IMDB/E!

A team of professionals works on Kris each day that KUWTK films, and apparently, her assistant says it takes “only” an hour.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
9

And She Requires Perfect Lighting At All Times

kris jenner
Ryan Emberley/amfAR//Getty Images

A source tells OK! magazine that “when shooting Kris, they must use bright lights to flush out her face. This is an ironclad rule.” Legendary.

10

Meanwhile, Kim Gets Two Hours Of Glam Per Day

kuwtk
IMDB/E!

She revealed this nugget of info in Paper magazine, saying, “There’s nothing we can do that’s not documented, so why not look your best and amazing?”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
11

Kris Makes Kylie And Kendall Get Weekly Manicures

best of the 71st annual cannes film festival
Gareth Cattermole//Getty Images

Kylie dropped this news while talking to Elle, saying, “I get them done once a week, which isn’t normal.” Meanwhile, Kendall added, “[Kris] would have a nail artist come to the house once a week and she would make us get our nails done. She was like, ‘You are never going to look like you’re not put together.’ So we were always getting them done.”

12

Nannies Are Almost Never Seen On The Show

kim kardashian and north west attend ariana grande's dangerous woman concert at the forum
Handout//Getty Images

Not sure why (presumably something to do with privacy issues), but it’s a legit thing.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
13

They Have To Film 10 To 12 Hours Per Day

kuwtk
IMDB/E!

The cameras are basically never not rolling on KUWTK, and the New York Times reported that Kris even had cameras installed on her ceiling—at least as of 2015.

14

Going On Location Is A Whole SAGA

kuwtk
IMDB/E!

The Kardashians usually shoot in their homes, but sometimes, they venture out into the real world to capture content and it’s a whole ordeal. Apparently, the New York Times was meant to accompany Kris to Costco and the trip had to be canceled because “they have to keep up good relations with the businesses where they tape.” Uh…okay then.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
15

The Kardashians Have To Pay For Their Own Vacations

kuwtk
Instagram​

We know this because Kourtney complained about it bitterly on camera when she got a bill for a family trip to Costa Rica. She legit said, “Why am I being sent this other huge bill? Why isn’t production chipping in if we’re using it for the show?”

16

What Kim Says Goes

the girls' lounge dinner at advertising week 2016
Slaven Vlasic//Getty Images

Kim pretty much drives the drama, even going so far as telling the crew when something major is going on with a family member. “I think if you ask the crew, I probably produce the most because I know what my sisters might not be sharing,” Kim told the Hollywood Reporter. “So I’ll tell them, ‘Go over to Kourt’s house right now. Something is going on.’”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
17

Kris Jenner Can Hire Whoever She Wants To Be On The Show

kuwtk
E!

Remember when Khloé was dating French Montana? You better believe he got paid for KUWTK, and apparently, he didn’t come cheap.

“The way that the Kardashians’ [show] is set up is very unusual. It’s the only show that I know of where a producer can say, ‘Here’s the cast and this is what they’re getting paid,’” a source told the NY Daily News back in 2014. “Usually, to add a cast member to a show, you’d have to fire a cast member to keep the budget balanced. But in this case, Kris just offered French Montana a check to be in the show. He’s expensive, and some people at E! just don’t think he’s worth the money. I’ve heard execs moaning about it, saying, ‘We’re just paying so much for him!’”

18

BTW, The Crew Is Paid Super Well

celebrity sightings   bauer griffin   2012
Bauer-Griffin//Getty Images

A production source tells OK! magazine that while working on the show is grueling, even the interns get paid super well because “E! knows what a tough job they have and how much they put up with.”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
19

You Have To Be Trustworthy To Work On The Show

kuwk
IMDB/E!

“Unfortunately, there are some bad people out there who have not good intentions. And, you know, I obviously can’t control that,” Kris said during a circa 2018 interview with the Huffington Post. “But to the best of my ability, we try to have people on our team who have our back, who we feel that we can really trust.”

20

They Don’t Film The Real Exteriors Of Their Homes

kuwtk
E!

Keeping Up With the Kardashians consistently shows off the exterior of the fam’s massive homes, but apparently, they’re all fake. Kim explained that this is for “safety reasons,” adding, “It was so unsafe. The Hollywood Star Tours would stop by, too, because they recognized my home from our show. After that, we realized how unsafe it is to show the exterior of our homes. So now we use different homes for the outside for security purposes.”

Headshot of Mehera  Bonner

Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade. 

Watch Next 
preview for Watch Our Newest Videos
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below