Kim Kardashian’s new biography took five years to write – but she had one very specific condition

Kim Kardashian’s authorised biography is set to drop in a matter of days, following a staggering five years of reporting and writing by magazine writer and editor Jonathan Van Meter.

The author interviewed Kardashian’s friends and family, spent time at her home and often accompanied her on shoots. Now, ahead of the highly anticipated release, he’s lifted the lid on what it was like to write the book, including how the reality star responded when she wasn’t happy with something he’d written.

As it turns out, Kardashian's feedback was less dramatic than you might expect.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Van Meter explained how she approached the fact-checking process, saying: “She did her homework. She went through it page by page: ‘Page 33, this is wrong. That was 2002.’ Then we had a Zoom with two people who work for her and another long phone call. That’s when she said things like, ‘This part, really? Do we have to?’ And I’d say, ‘We do.’”

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One of the few times Kardashian reportedly took issue with the book was over the way Van Meter wrote about her late father, Robert Kardashian.

“She kept saying, 'There’s just a tone.' And when I looked again, I thought, 'You know what? She’s right.' It was a little snarky. He’s been dead for so long that he had stopped feeling like a real person to me. To her, he’s still alive in her mind,” he shared.

As for how the book came about, the story dates back to 2019, when Van Meter did a Vogue cover story about Kardashian.

Recalling what happened after the piece was published, he explained: “When it came out, she called me from Bali, at three in the morning, and said, ‘There’s no better feeling in the world than when someone gets you.’ I said, ‘I’m going to write a book about you someday.’”

Fast-forward to the pandemic, and the idea resurfaced. Before long, the pair were discussing the project, Kardashian “was game,” and “she stayed committed for five years”.

“I thought it would take two years, and so did she, but she never bailed,” Van Meter added.

The only precondition was that Kardashian would be allowed to read the manuscript for fact-checking purposes. Beyond that, however, Van Meter said nothing was off limits.

Citizen Kim is set to be released on 27 October in the US and 29 October in the UK

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