Was Kim Kardashian wrong to call out Howard Stern?
On last week’s The Kardashians episode, Kim recalled the horrors of her 2016 robbery in Paris.
Emerging from that harrowing ordeal only to have people accuse her of staging a hoax for publicity compounded her trauma.
But her callout of Stern invited a response from the man himself. He says that he didn’t accuse Kim of making things up back then — but it sounds like he sure is now.
Kim Kardashian has a decade-old grudge against Howard Stern
On the Thursday, December 4 episode of The Kardashians on Hulu, viewers got an in-depth look into the infamous 2016 Paris robbery.
Kim Kardashian called out those who had accused the traumatic incident of merely being a hoax — including ex-husband Kanye West and controversial host Howard Stern.
After fearing that she would be raped, murdered, or both, doubts — and sick jokes — on social media cut her to the core.
Obviously, Ye accusing her of faking such a horror for reality television hurt the most. He was, at the time, her husband.
But hearing actual media outlets even entertain the notion sickened Kim.
Because Kim called out the notorious radio host by name, it is only natural that he respond. And he did.
However, Stern did not offer an apology. Nor did he double down on being a Kim robbery “truther.”
(It is an indictment of our culture, one of many, that the term “truther” means someone who espouses lies about historic events)
Instead, Stern argued that he did not, in fact, deny that Kim had been the victim of a horrific robbery.
He said that he simply discussed the horrors, only for him and his co-host to affirm that they believe that it happened. (Stern also cracked an unfortunate joke about the matter)
‘If it is a farce, then really they should go to jail for that’ but ‘I don’t think it is’
Though it is possible that Kim Kardashian has her own clips to play, Howard Stern presented his defense in video form.
“If this woman was robbed at gunpoint by a bunch of dudes and they threw her in a bathtub and tied her up — or whatever they did — I mean, that is frightening,” Stern affirmed in one clip.
He continued: “If it is a farce, then really they should go to jail for that.”
Robin Quivers, his co-host, emphasized: “I don’t think it is.”
Stern agreed, saying: “I don’t either.”
In addition to discussing the people who doubted Kim’s horror story, Stern did crack a joke.
“The one time the Kardashians don’t have a camera, something interesting happens,” he lamented.
Not in good taste.
But also not the worst joke that he could have made about the harrowing ordeal, either.
Even today, Stern contends that what he said at the time was “a fair assessment.” Like so many of us, he was discussing what others had said — not condoning or echoing their claims.
‘You don’t need to make up stuff’
Though he denies claiming that Kim Kardashian pulled a hoax, Howard Stern did acknowledge that he’s said much worse over the years.
“I have said so many awful things in my career,” he admitted.
Stern then added: “You don’t need to make up stuff.”
We would suggest that Kim probably wasn’t manufacturing lines. In the headspace that she must have experienced in 2016, she very likely recoiled at every suggestion that one of the worst moments of her life was fictitious.
That is understandable! Denials and accusations compound trauma.
We do have to wonder if Kim will let the matter drop, or if she plans to hit back with her own clips of Stern’s commentary.