Kris Jenner may be the head of reality TV’s most famous
family, but she’s happy to give a shout-out to her extensive support system.
Speaking with Access Hollywood’s Liz Hernandez in Miami on
Wednesday, after appearing on a TV and pop culture panel for the National
Association of Television Program Executives, Kris shared how her daughter,
Khloe Kardashian, has been “inspirational” to her following a
tumultuous few months for their entire family.
“It makes me want to be a better person when I’m with
Khloe, and I think she has that effect on a lot of people. She’s just this
bright light of sunshine,” Kris said of the 31-year-old, whose new talk
show, “Kocktails with Khloe,” premieres Wednesday night on FYI.
“Khloe’s amazing, Khloe’s a strong, strong girl. She’s
a fighter, but she’s at her best when doing that for someone else,” Kris
continued, adding, “She’s an amazing girl who has so much to offer and
give on so many levels, and that’s why she’s so good with everybody, you know,
and she’s focused on helping other people, especially in my family, get well,
and I think that that’s inspirational to me.”
In addition to caring for estranged husband Lamar Odom after
his overdose in October, Khloe has also been encouraging her brother, Rob
Kardashian, to make strides in his personal health after his recent diabetes
diagnosis.
PHOTOS: ‘Keeping Up’ With Khloe Kardashian
Rob’s “quite serious” health scare was a wake-up
call, Kris said, but also provides him an opportunity to make real changes.
“That was almost a relief, because then he can take all
the steps,” she explained. “It was like a godsend, so it’s all good.”
However, Kris added, Rob is ultimately going to have to take
matters in his own hands.
“It’s one thing to say, ‘Oh, I’m going to get on the
healthy path,’ but then you really need to get on the healthy path,” Kris
said.
WATCH: Khloe Kardashian: Rob’s Body Could Have ‘Shut Down’ During Health Scare
“Rob has been to that happy place before in his
life,” Kris continued, saying that Rob’s previous successes could be why he
was especially hard on himself after reaching “a bad place.”
“He’s such a perfectionist,” Kris said of her only
son. “It’s a big challenge for him now to turn all that around, but he
can, and that’s the good news, is he can turn it around and and be in a much
healthier place.”
Also making progress is Scott Disick, former partner of
Kris’ oldest daughter, Kourtney. The 32-year-old completed a month-long
substance abuse treatment program in late 2015 and has since been spotted with
Kourtney and their three kids.
“Scott’s good right now,” Kris said.
“Scott will always be part of our family and we love
him very, very much. And he’s the father of my grandchildren and he and I were
together a couple days ago having a great time,” she continued. “And
he’s doing well and will always be a part of our family.”
As for what Scott’s improvement means for the long-term, Kris
said she’s taking things as they come.
“I don’t have a crystal ball so I don’t [know] where
our relationship is going to end up,” she told Access. “I don’t try
to even comment on that or get my head handed to me. I let them figure it out.”
Kris experienced personal turmoil of her own last year, after
her 24-year-marriage to Caitlyn (then-Bruce) Jenner ended and the former
Olympian began a highly-publicized gender transition.
PHOTOS: The Lovely Looks Of Caitlyn Jenner
“Baby steps,” she told Access of how she and
Caitlyn are approaching their current relationship.
Despite the emotional upheaval surrounding their divorce,
Kris said she is happy for Caitlyn’s success and the impact her experience has
had on the transgender community.
“It took me a minute and I’ve had to process those
feelings, but I’m so proud of their show, her show,” Kris said of Caitlyn’s
E! program “I Am Cait,” which kicks off its second season on March 6.
“I think that it’s really going to be something that I feel is very eye
opening for other people, maybe going through the same thing. … I never knew
how many people have, even family members who were dealing with the same
issues, that were finally able to come out and talk about it because of Cait’s
transition. And I think that’s remarkable.”
After more than a decade in the spotlight on “Keeping
Up with the Kardashians,” Kris will be able to watch a major event in her
family’s history from a different perspective when FX’s “The People v.
O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” airs on Feb. 2.
“Friends” alum David Schwimmer plays Kris’ late
ex-husband, Robert Kardashian, who served as an attorney on Simpson’s defense
team throughout the trial.
David reached out to her regarding his role, a gesture Kris
said she found touching.
“We were on the phone for a long time, and I think what
I loved about that was he called to find out about Robert Kardashian as a person,
and what he was like and what he was all about,” Kris said.
PHOTOS: ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story’: Meet The Cast!
“I personally appreciated that because he wanted to do a little research on the character, the guy he was going to play,” she continued. “Doing that kind of research was amazing to me. … That he wasn’t just going to wing it and try to do it on his own.”
Adding, “And I think it was really cool because when I found out that David was playing Robert Kardashian I was just personally excited because Robert was one of his biggest fans. … We watched [‘Friends’] religiously.”
While Kris said she plans to watch “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” she is already preparing herself for a possibly sensitive reaction.
“I’m anxious to watch the show because of the subject matter, and you never know, you know, how you’re going to feel when you see all those things come flooding back,” she told Access.
— Erin Biglow
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