‘KUWTK’: Why did Kendall and Kylie leave the cast as they grew up?

Last week saw the series finale of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, a reality series that ran for nearly fifteen years and featured the ever eccentric Kardashian clan, of course led by socialite & entrepreneur Kim Kardashian, the soon-to-be ex-wife of rapper Kanye West. Alongside Kim were her sisters, Khloe & Kourtney, as well as her half sisters Kylie & Kendall Jenner, the daughters of former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians highlighted the lives of this cast, all of whom were managed by their supermom Kris Jenner, who was previously married to the famous lawyer of OJ Simpson, the late Robert Kardashian. While KUWTK was as powerhouse as reality TV can get, many questioned why Kylie & Kendall Jenner had such diminished roles in their later years as members of the show’s cast. 

While we could obviously go into Kendall’s busy supermodeling schedule and Kylie’s makeup empire, many fans of KUWTK were hoping that we could follow these girls’ journeys throughout their young adulthood much like we did with Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney. Why wasn’t this a reality no pun intended? Let’s delve in.

Where did Kendall and Kylie go? 

While many pessimists assumed that the main trio of the Kardashian sisters simply didn’t want to share the spotlight, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Apparently, as both Kendall & Kylie Jenner grew older it was a conscious decision to pull back camera time as they worked on carving out their own identities that separated themselves from their sisters. 

Recently, one executive producer of the show detailed Kendall’s decision to pull back from filming KUWTK in recent years on the Daily Dish podcast, highlighting how it was her evolving relationships that caused her to focus on her own life.

“Kendall’s always had this rule, which she felt like she had to be with someone for at least a year before she lets them be a part of the show and in the show,” the producer said. “Because she doesn’t always know what people’s intentions are. So that’s why we kind of kept her personal life out of it, just because she had a rule.” 

The executive producer went on to explain Kendall & Kylie’s limited involvement with KUWTK: “I feel like Kylie became more participatory this last season towards the end, and Kendall has dipped in and out,” she said. “But they were at an age . . . like, if you think about when you’re a young adult coming into your adulthood, I think you sometimes care a lot more what the outside world has to say about you.”

They added: “Kylie did share her relationship with Tyga. We showed their relationship quite a bit on KUWTK, and then Travis didn’t really want to participate.”

What comes next? 

While there are still two reunion specials that have yet to be released, both set to be hosted by Andy Cohen, Keeping Up with the Kardashians has seen the last of its remaining episodes air to the public, as the family bid farewell to the showrunners and audiences alike during a trip to Lake Tahoe where they buried a time capsule full of memories from their time on KUWTK. 

With covid restrictions becoming lighter & lighter around the world, perhaps Kendall Jenner will continue her pursuit to become the world’s most highly sought-after model, all while her little sister Kylie continues her makeup empire that has made her a billionaire. Who knows? Perhaps each of the Kardashian & Jenner sisters will soon feature their own stand-alone series, either on streaming or YouTube.

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Who is your favorite member of the Keeping Up with the Kardashian cast? Do you believe that this cast of eccentric family members will one day reunite for more KUWTK? Comment below and let us know your thoughts.