Kim Kardashian: How a failed romance with Nick Lachey and an unwanted leak started a social empire

The rise of Kim Kardashian began with the leak of a sex tape that members of the public found controversial yet intriguing. Several publications and individuals have since come forth to try and paint the whole story, but a new report is trying to settle things once and for all.

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, as quoted by News.Com.Au, pointed out that Kardashian was ambitious and very adamant about making it in Hollywood from the very beginning. She knew prominent members of the media, as well as the people that they wrote about, but she was never under the spotlight herself.

Kevin Dickson, a former editor of In Touch Weekly, even recalled that Kardashian would give stories about herself to the publication but they never made it to print. It wasn’t until she appeared in “The Simple Life,” which starred Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, that the publication began to take real notice of her.

Perez also noted that Kardashian tried to date Nick Lachey after he split with Jessica Simpson, but that the stunt never actually caught on. “We tried to get her to f--- Nick Lachey so she could be a celebrity girlfriend,” Dickson explained. “They went to dinner somewhere in the North Valley, and we had paparazzi there.” At that point, dating Lachey seemed an easy way to get Kardashian into the mindsof the public, but a relationship between the two never came into fruition.

After which, news about a sex tape with Kardashian started to circle the industry. Vivid Entertainment co-chairman Steven Hirsch recalled the time that someone told him about the tape and how the meeting was a complete production. He did, however, make it clear that Kardashian was never involved in the deal. Then in 2007, Ben Widdicome, a New York journalist, broke the news of Kardashian’s sex tape in a column for New York Daily.

Dickson called Kardashian about the tape, and she cried at the rumours and initially denied it was her. Hilton tried to take control of the situation and promised she would put a lawyer on the case. On February 2017, Attorney Steven Kurtz filed a suit against Vivid Entertainment in order to stop the release of the alleged sex tape. Nevertheless, “Kim Kardashian, Superstar” was released the following month. Kardashian settled with Vivid in April.

Widdicombe pointed out that partners in sex tapes -- in this case, it was Ray J -- can often be coerced if there is a promise of a big pay day. But even with his approval, Hirsh made it a point to say that Kardashian never wanted the tape to be released, which is why it took so long to settle on a deal.

Lawyers that have represented Kardashian then and now are adamant that she never wanted the tape to be released and that she nor her family members ever had anything to do with the leak. Hirsh did confirm, however, that she ultimately agreed to sell the footage to Vivid.