The season finale of The Kardashians has laid bare Kim Kardashian's raw emotional reaction to the news that she failed the California bar exam. The 45-year-old reality star and legal activist, who has spent the past seven years studying to become an attorney, was seen fighting back tears as her hopes were dashed.
A Seven-Year Legal Journey
Kim Kardashian embarked on her unconventional path to the law in 2017, following in the footsteps of her late father, Robert Kardashian, who was part of O.J. Simpson's defence team. Rather than attending a traditional law school, she opted for California's demanding law office study programme, a four-year apprenticeship requiring supervised study.
Her mentor has been human rights attorney Jessica Jackson. Alongside her studies, Kim has become a noted legal activist. She famously helped secure the release of Alice Marie Johnson in 2018, a woman serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug offence. She also visited the Trump White House to advocate for the FIRST STEP Act, a prison reform law.
The Moment of Disappointment
The latest episode of her reality show captured the tense moment in March when Kim received her exam results. Surrounded by her son Saint West, 10, sister Khloe Kardashian, 41, and mother Kris Jenner, 70, she refreshed her screen at 5pm only to see she had not passed.
'That's okay, I figured that,' a tearful Kim said, her voice cracking with emotion as her son hugged her. Her mother Kris could be heard offering comfort, saying 'No....'
This was her first attempt at the full California bar exam. She had previously faced similar hurdles with the preliminary 'baby bar' exam, which she passed on her fourth attempt in December 2021.
Family Analysis and a Busy Schedule
In a post-results video call with her professor, Kim's sister Khloe offered a blunt assessment of why she might have fallen short. She suggested Kim's focus was split due to her starring role in the new Ryan Murphy legal drama All's Fair, which debuted around the same time.
'Why don't we also plan that maybe she doesn't shoot a TV - not one, but two at the same time - where you're memorising lines and memorising laws,' Khloe remarked. She also cited a recent back problem Kim suffered.
Kim herself reflected wryly on the timing, joking that the show was 'critically acclaimed' after it was savaged by critics. 'I'm a big f***ing loser this week,' she said bleakly. 'It was either gonna be like the greatest week of my life or the loser-est s***tiest week of my life.'
Despite the setback, Kim Kardashian has publicly vowed to continue. Last month, she stated: 'Falling short isn't failure - it's fuel. I was so close to passing the exam and that only motivates me even more.' With her family rallying around her, the reality star-turned-legal scholar appears determined to take the exam again.
