Back to Whiteness, They Go.
Blac Chyna v. The KarJenners: Misogynoir, Respectability Politics, and White Fascination of The ‘Hood
Pieces from Reality’s Cutting Room Floor
Currently, Blac Chyna is one of the most discussed topics across all social media platforms, celebrity gossip blogs, and news outlets. This Washington D.C. native has the public divided. Half admires her audacious courage to take on the most influential celebrity family of the twenty-first century, while the other half dismisses her as a bitter, vindictive woman exploiting an innocent family for financial gain.
Blac Chyna is the mother of the rapper Tyga’s son, King, and the mother of Robert Kardashian, Jr.’s, daughter, Dream. Dancehall sensation, Spice, went viral with her creative way of explaining the complicated history of how Blac Chyna became involved with the KarJenner clan. She started as friends with Kim Kardashian. Yes…this happened. Blac Chyna was even featured on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, as a friend of Kim Kardashian.
According to Blac Chyna — while this short-lived “friendship” was blossoming — her relationship with Tyga was fizzling out. Although she states he didn’t cheat on her, his interest in a then-underaged Kylie Jenner sped up the process of their break-up. She was the last to know, as she was unceremoniously thrown out of their home. When Kylie Jenner and Tyga went public with their relationship, Blac Chyna stopped hearing from the Kardashians and felt “thrown under the bus”.
Blac Chyna was nursing a broken heart and embroiled herself in a subliminal social media feud with Tyga and his new girlfriend. Supposedly, this was when Robert Kardashian, Jr., reached out to her. He also was at a low point in his life. He became a recluse and struggled with mental health issues. The KarJenner family wasn’t pleased with their newfound romance, and this put further strain on the messy feud. This was used for storylines in Keeping Up with the Kardashians — remember the debacle over an iPad? Or when Kim Kardashian felt “uncomfortable” when her brother “forced” her to talk to Blac Chyna on the phone, where she also admitted what happened to Blac Chyna was wrong? Lest we forget about the orchestrated scene to depict Kim and Khloe Kardashian as welcoming by inviting Blac Chyna to Khloe’s birthday party.
The sudden shift in attitude towards Blac Chyna was around the time the reality show Rob and Chyna was greenlit — Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian were executive producers. Blac Chyna and Robert Kardashian, Jr., welcomed a daughter, Dream Kardashian, in November 2016. The relationship deteriorated, and the pair split up. From this point on, the relationship between the KarJenner clan and Blac Chyna gradually becomes nuclear.
Disorder in the Court
In December 2016, the first sign of trouble was when Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe Kardashian, attempted to legally block Blac Chyna from trademarking Angela Renee Kardashian, which would’ve been her legal name if she married their brother. The sisterly trio claimed “irreparable injury to their reputation and goodwill” would happen if she went through with this.
Shortly after, the break-up between Robert Kardashian, Jr., and Blac Chyna occurred. He used Instagram to inform the public that Blac Chyna moved out and posted a claim on Snapchat that she took their daughter to intentionally hurt him. In March 2017, it was announced that season two of Rob and Chyna was put on hold due to their split.
Things took a violating turn in July 2017 when Robert Kardashian, Jr., posted nude photographs of Blac Chyna on Instagram. This constitutes revenge porn. He claimed that she cheated on him while they were together, and that was the reason he did that to the mother of his child. Blac Chyna hired Lisa Bloom, and a temporary restraining order was granted against Robert Kardashian, Jr. She released a statement that she was fearful of his vindictive behavior and wanted peace in her life. In September of the same year, Robert Kardashian, Jr. filed a lawsuit against Blac Chyna for assault.
In October 2017, it was reported that Blac Chyna was pursuing a lawsuit against the Kardashians — this is the current case that’s taking pop culture by storm. She accuses the mega-famous family of putting the killswitch on Rob and Chyna, which hindered her earning potential and tarnished her reputation. According to her, this harmed her brand. She also alleged that Robert Kardashian, Jr., was physically and emotionally abusive. He denied these allegations.
In December 2020, a judge ruled that unaired Rob and Chyna episodes from season two were to be handed over to Blac Chyna, and Bunim/Murray productions were court-ordered to fulfill this legal obligation. Despite COVID-19-related delays and difficulties finding impartiality from potential jurors, the trial that took five years in the making is now underway.
Black Rage, White Innocence
According to the Kardashian family’s legal representation, Rob and Chyna was canceled due to Blac Chyna’s supposed violent behavior towards Robert Kardashian, Jr. Additionally, when Blac Chyna filed a restraining order against Robert Kardashian, Jr., it caused a barrier to filming the show.
Kris Jenner took the stand and gave a tearful testimony. The matriarch alleged that Blac Chyna held a gun to her son’s head and tried to choke him with a cable to a phone charger. She viewed these as attempts on her son’s life. She added that this occurred less than two months after her daughter, Kim Kardashian, went through her terrifying ordeal in Paris. Kris Jenner further alleged that Robert Kardashian, Jr., was hysterical and afraid for his life.
Kris Jenner stated that she was left traumatized. Blac Chyna claimed that these acts technically did happen, but it was in a joking manner. She had no intention of strangling him, and the gun in question was unloaded. She only held the unloaded gun in the air next to him while he was on Facetime. It was also revealed by Kris Jenner that Blac Chyna allegedly threatened Kylie Jenner’s life and tried to stab Tyga. To further clarify, most of the allegations made against Blac Chyna on the witness stand were third-party retellings — not actual eyewitness accounts.
The public, including a very popular YouTube personality, SL04N, is using social media platforms to condemn Blac Chyna. He states in his video that he believed Blac Chyna posed a real threat to Kylie Jenner because of the Tyga ordeal. Remember, this was an alleged incident, but her older sisters went on national television and threatened her former best friend, Jordyn Woods, over Tristan Thompson. It’s not too hard to envision why so many felt strongly after reading reports about Kris Jenner’s emotional retelling of her version of events.
It was alleged by Blac Chyna’s lawyer that Kris Jenner referred to her client as “stupid” and “really ghetto”. Many people were outraged, as this could be interpreted as racist and weaponizing misogynoir. It wouldn’t be a stretch as her daughters tried to legally bar Blac Chyna from trademarking “Kardashian” to her identity, even though she was going to marry their brother.
Fakin’ the Funk
The discourse surrounding the problematic legacy of the KarJenner family has gone on for years. The commodification of Blackness and the culture of marginalized Black people is a societal-wide issue. This family is unapologetic and becomes defensive when they’re called out for doing this.
In regards to how this is relevant to Blac Chyna’s lawsuit against the Kardashians, for years, family members perpetuated and mimicked symbolism, stylistic elements, and language from Los Angeles street culture. Whether it be Khloe Kardashian wearing a Compton snapback cap or Timberland boots or Kylie Jenner riding around with her then-predatory boyfriend, Tyga, and his friends, while a gun was in the car, it’s a far cry from the card of white respectability that’s being played during current court proceedings against Blac Chyna.
Back in 2016, Robert Kardashian sent an ex-friend of Blac Chyna threatening text messages. He used the n-word and claimed Mexicans in Los Angeles were going to carry out an assault — seemingly, he was identifying himself as Mexican when it’s widely known he’s of Armenian/European descent. The recipient of the text message exchange filed a lawsuit against both Robert Kardashian, Jr. and Blac Chyna.
There’s an arsenal of evidence anyone could find on the internet to bolster claims that the KarJenner clan amassed a fortune by exploiting aesthetics and the overall culture of marginalized populations. It gave them a cultural cache or an edge that privileged or respectable white people tend to believe they’re lacking. In earlier seasons of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, their cultural appropriation and lowbrow antics were meant to be kitschy or slapstick-esque.
Kim Kardashian went from collaborating with Skechers to being the face of Balenciaga. Kylie Jenner was the insecure youngest child, who played second fiddle to Kendall Jenner and is now a sexy, elusive baby mama of Travis Scott. According to Tyga, he cultivated her persona and influenced her in many ways. It’s worth mentioning, but take it with a grain of salt as he also used an underage girl to fund his lifestyle — allegedly.
Years moved forward, and the KarJenner family became more high-brow. The supporting roles and cast of characters that surrounded them constantly changed. It was always the same song and dance — an act of betrayal or a situation where they were the wronged party. Blac Chyna was one of the supporting roles. She was great for ratings and producing another biracial child for their ever-growing brood, but like the others, her purpose was served.
Unfortunately, it appears that Blac Chyna is one of many Black women who fell out of favor with the KarJenners, and people took notice. That’s something, isn’t it? A group of white women who base their personas and brands around perceived Blackness isn’t able to keep Black women around long enough. A group of white women who wanted to be seen as edgy or wanted to feel like a dangerous woman — a la Ariana Grande — by toying with elements of street culture is now in court trying to convince the jury and the court of public opinion that one Black woman from Washington D.C. terrorized them.
This isn’t the first time a white person of respectability wanted “excitement” in their life, so they took a proverbial field trip to The ‘Hood. When they became entangled in a web and needed to save themselves, they resubscribed to their whiteness. The case of Cameron Terrell intrigued and outraged many, as he was found not guilty, and his Black co-defendants weren’t so lucky. Of course, the KarJenner family didn’t join a street gang, but they appropriated and associated with those in the industry who are from that environment as a form of cultural capital. Elements of the more extreme situation mentioned could be used to prove the point that’s trying to be made.
Perhaps, Robert Kardashian, Jr. felt it gave him some edge to become involved with Blac Chyna. Things didn’t pan out as intended, so now he’s the scared respectable white man from Calabasas.
The Master of Discontinuity Editing
These court proceedings took a while to get to where we are today. Blac Chyna is alleging that the Kardashians purposely sabotaged her career, and she’s seeking financial damages. The opposing side argues that her behavior and violent tendencies made it impossible to work with her.
Defenders of the KarJenners attacked Blac Chyna over her perceived absenteeism as a mother and for being a vindictive gold-digger. Also, discourse around the way she and her mother conducted themselves in regard to courtroom etiquette was up for discussion. This could be viewed as engaging in respectability politics, but sure, there should be a level of decorum to ensure that order is maintained in a courtroom.
Or perhaps, Tokyo Toni is a misunderstood mother who’s trying to protect her daughter from further harm at the hands of the KarJenner family. This mother-daughter duo has a long and complicated history. They weren’t on speaking terms for a few years but came together for the sake of these court proceedings.
There’s another underlying theme that appears to be bubbling under the surface — the demonization of Black motherhood. Kris Jenner is seen as a traumatized mother trying to protect her children, but Tokyo Toni is loud and threatening. The Kardashian sisters are loving and present mothers even though they receive help from nannies. Blac Chyna is a deadbeat mother because the fathers of her children and their families keep them for days at a time. It’s funny how both Tyga and Robert Kardashian, Jr. banded together to attack the mother of their children on social media when Tyga previously preyed on his underaged sister and manipulated her to fund his lifestyle — allegedly.
Blac Chyna is far from perfect and has been through so much in her life. Implicit bias and misogynoir are stacked against her. She’s at an unfair advantage due to societal notions and disdain towards Black women. The court of law is supposed to be about the facts, and evidence, and ensuring justice is served. The length of time it took to get this case on the docket allowed the Kardashian family to benefit from racist respectability politics and the ability to edit details as they see fit.
Hopefully, all parties in these court proceedings heal from this. There’s much hurt and anger that needs to be addressed and processed therapeutically. Additionally, there needs to be a collective examination of how we treat and interact with Black women who were socialized in The ‘Hood. It’s not fair that white people of respectable society encroach, appropriate, and avoid accountability when things become “too real”.
