Kim Kardashian has admitted she considered pulling out of her latest film after the fierce criticism of her acting in All’s Fair left her wondering whether Hollywood producers still wanted to work with her.
The reality television star and SKIMS founder, 46, revealed in the Thursday (22.10.26) episode of The Kardashians the backlash surrounding her performance as divorce lawyer Allura Grant in the Hulu legal drama had shaken her confidence ahead of filming The Fifth Wheel.
The forthcoming Netflix comedy, directed by Eva Longoria, 51, also stars Brenda Song, 38, and Fortune Feimster, 46, and marks another step in Kim’s attempts to establish herself as an actress beyond the reality television franchise that made her famous.
Speaking in a confessional on The Kardashians, Kim said: “I think coming off of such criticism for All’s Fair, I got insecure.”
She added: “I was like, ‘Do they want [me] out of the movie? Are they so nervous, do they maybe not want to attach [my name] to the movie?’”
Kim also said she had even contemplated withdrawing from the project to spare the production team further criticism.
She added: “I was like, ‘I totally understand, I’ll fully back out, don’t worry’. I also wanna be respectful, like maybe that is the right thing to do.”
The mother of four also feared her involvement in the project could make the film a target for reviewers before audiences had even seen it.
She said: “I just wouldn’t want people to feel like, ‘Ugh, we have to work with this one… Buckle up, we’re gonna get the worst critics in the world’.”
The criticism followed the release of All’s Fair, the Ryan Murphy legal drama in which Kim stars alongside Naomi Watts, 58, Sarah Paulson, 51, Glenn Close, 79, Niecy Nash-Betts, 56, and Teyana Taylor, 35.
The series follows a group of female divorce lawyers who leave a male-dominated firm to establish their own practice, dealing with wealthy clients and complicated personal relationships.
Kim’s performance became a particular focus of negative reviews, with critics questioning her acting ability and the programme’s dialogue, storylines and styling.
The response was especially significant for Kim, whose previous acting credits include a role in the 2023 season of American Horror Story: Delicate, another Ryan Murphy production, in which she appeared alongside Emma Roberts, 35.
Rather than abandon her ambitions, Kim said the criticism prompted her to work harder on The Fifth Wheel.
She said: “So, I was like, if I suck in this, then it’s over for me.”
The film was developed after Kim’s agent, Brad Slater, approached comedy writer and producer Paula Pell about creating a project featuring the reality star.
Recalling Brad’s advice, Kim said she was told: “You have to do a comedy, you’re low-key funny and people don’t know that about you.”
Despite her initial doubts, Kim said she enjoyed making the film, which features a cast of established comedy performers.
Despite the negative reviews, All’s Fair secured a second season after Disney reported that its debut had become Hulu’s biggest scripted original premiere in three years.
The second series is scheduled to launch on 4 November, with three episodes released on Hulu in the US and Disney+ internationally. Its storyline will centre on threats to the future of the women’s law firm, with the returning cast joined by Brazilian actor Cauã Reymond, 46.