Exclusive from Ian Halperin: 'Without Paris Hilton there would be no Kim Kardashian'

With multiple reality TV series, talk shows, memoirs and active social media accounts, how could there possibly be anything left to learn about the Kardashians?

That’s the first question that comes to mind when talking to author Ian Halperin, part sleuth, part biographer, sometimes journalist and Hollywood gadfly who is releasing his latest book, Kardashian Dynasty, on Tuesday.

Halperin spoke with Paste BN about the new claims he makes in the book, based on information he says he gleaned from interviews with more than 1,000 people, many of whom are long-standing contacts he says he developed while working in the industry.

One of the headline-generating points Halperin makes revolves around Kris Jenner’s reaction to Caitlyn’s revelation that she is transgendered, and the role religion played in the lead up to her coming out.

“She had known for years. Bruce was dressing in women’s clothes,” he says. “But she was madly in love with him, he would have come out years earlier I explain in the book, quote multiple sources close to family. No doubt he would have come out much earlier if Kris wouldn’t have turned him to religion.”

Halperin raises a few other controversial theories, including claims that the timing of Caitlyn’s Diane Sawyer interview and Vanity Fair cover were suspiciously close to a fatal accident she was involved in a few months prior that could have lead to charges of vehicular manslaughter and several lawsuits. All of which was overshadowed by the news of her transition, which sources told Halperin was the plan. The Los Angeles district attorney ultimately decided not to prosecute.

The other explosive piece  is Halperin’s implication that Kris was involved in the publication of her daughter Kim's sex tape through the adult entertainment company Vivid.

But the author's ultimate goal in the nearly 300 page book is a lofty one. He attempts to answer a bigger question: How did the Kardashians rise to the apex of pop culture and celebrity, and how are they managing to stay there despite major meltdowns and the lack of any discernible talent?

Halperin offers a long and short answer. The long answer is that the Kardashians seized opportunities and capitalized on various events.

Halperin makes a strong case for the importance of O.J. Simpson in the family’s lives and the murder trial that catapulted them into the public eye. Halperin says the family learned a lot from being around Simpson and from Robert Kardashian, who were "very powerful in the entertainment industry back in the day."

He also paints a telling portrait of Kim’s unwitting mentor, Paris Hilton.

“Without Paris Hilton there would be no Kim Kardashian," Halperin says. "(Kim) studied her, took notes and took her to a completely different level.”

The short answer, on the other hand, is Kris Jenner.

“Kris Jenner to me is perhaps the best business person I’ve ever seen in Hollywood. She’s shrewd, ruthless and knows how to close a deal better than anybody," he says.

Again, nothing the general public couldn’t gather about the woman who has attempted to trademark the term momager. But Halperin’s appreciation goes deeper, saying she could best even legends of the business like Elvis Presley’s manager Colonel Thomas Andrew or Brian Epstein of the Beatles.

“Anyone who wants to be an impresario in entertainment should study the Kris Jenner method," Halperin says. "It is powerful and extremely extremely brilliant. They have had a lot of problems, but no matter what, they turn lemons into lemonade, and that is a big key to life.”

"Love them or hate them, you can’t deny their success and the power of their networking," he says.

Paste BN reached out to Kris Jenner's representatives but did not receive a reply by press time.