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Steph Shepherd Calls out a “Bad Friend” and, Uh, Is She Talking About Kim Kardashian?
She’s been let go. Being Kim Kardashian’s personal assistant might sound like a glamorous job, but it’s also a lot of work and it seems like a ton of pressure. So we weren’t that surprised to find out that, after four years, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star had reportedly decided to end her working relationship with her her first-hand gal Stephanie Shepherd.
The 27-year-old is said to have been let go by Kim, and a source revealed to Us Weekly that it’s “it’s been a downward spiral” since Stephanie was profiled by Refinery29 in May. The insider adds that some other things happened that “left a bad taste in Kim’s mouth.” One of those things was an incident, documented on the E! show, where Kim called Stephanie “unprofessional” for talking to Kourtney Kardashian about feeling “unfulfilled” in her career.
Nearly two weeks later, Steph took to Instagram to share a message about “letting go of a bad friend,” seemingly referencing her fractured friendship with Kim, 37. “Self care isn’t always Lush bath bombs & $20 face masks. Sometimes, it’s going to bed at 8pm or letting go of a bad friend,” she wrote. “It’s forgiving yourself for not meeting your impossible standards & understanding you are worth it. Self care isn’t always luxury but a mean for survival.”
Keep scrolling below to find out more about Stephanie Shepherd.
Where is Stephanie from?
Stephanie, the only child of a single mom, grew up in the small town of Ontario, OH. Her Japanese father has lived in Japan since she was born. At the age of 18, she started a gig dancing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and a year later in 2009, she moved to LA to try for bigger dance jobs.
What was her big break?
Before Erika Girardi joined Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she and choreographer Mikey Minden hired Stephanie as an assistant. Prior to that, she was working part-time at the front desk of a Gold’s Gym. She balanced working for Erika with some freelance backup dancing jobs for artists like Pitbull.
How did she get the assistant role with Kim?
A few years into working for Mikey and Erika, Mikey’s business partner (and Pussycat Doll founder) Robin Antin referred Stephanie for an assistant job with Kim. She started working for the star in April 2013.
What were Stephanie’s responsibilities as assistant?
Stephanie’s role as an assistant included anything and everything, from putting together North West’s strollers to helping Kim walk down the aisle in her Italian wedding. She ran her whole schedule, did her laundry, booked travel, and more — working out of Kim’s, Kris’, or her own home. She was so involved, she was the one to escort Kim to her private plane after the Paris robbery in 2016.
Was assistant her only job?
For years, Stephanie was an uncredited producer on their reality show, recording the more personal moments in her employer’s life when she didn’t want full cameras around. In early 2017, she was promoted to COO of Kardashian West Brands, meaning she would be heading up all of Kim’s business ventures outside of KUWTK.
Who else is on Kim’s staff?
In addition to Stephanie, who was working as executive assistant, Kim had a number of other staffers on her payroll. She had a personal assistant, a house assistant, and two nannies.
Who is Stephanie dating?
A couple years into working for Kim, Stephanie started dating a DJ whom she met through Kanye. That didn’t work out, but in fall 2016, she met another one of the rapper’s pals, Apple Music head of content Larry Jackson, a Grammy winner for producing Jennifer Hudson’s 2008 album. The two have been together ever since, and cohabiting a beautiful Beverly Hills estate.
What’s her relationship like with the rest of the Kardashian-Jenners?
She may have cut professional ties with the reality TV family, but the Us source says she’s still close with the brood, recently attending Kim’s birthday dinner and Kendall’s birthday party. “They still hang out and are friends, but they have gone their separate ways and are not working together anymore,” the insider states. Stephanie’s also been open about her admiration of matriarch Kris, calling her “a f–king G” for her work ethic. “That woman can literally get on the phone and change the world,” she told Refinery29.
What will she do next?
“I’ve realized that I just need to utilize this position and learn as much from all of these experiences and grow as much as I can,” Stephanie said in the spring. “Honestly, I’m just going to see where it takes me. I’m learning. I’m helping Kim Kardashian run her empire. I’m also building something for myself. I think that’s a pretty f–king great gig.”
How can I follow her on social media?
Find her on Instagram, where she has an impressive 912K followers. On Twitter she has 43,000 followers.
