Caitlyn Jenner has lashed out at Fox News, accusing the news organization of publishing a “clickbait” headline regarding former stepdaughter Kim Kardashian‘s sex tape with Ray J.
Kardashian and Ray J, both 42, dated from 2002 to 2006 and reportedly filmed the sex tape during Kardashian’s birthday celebrations in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 2004. It was released under the name Kim Kardashian, Superstar in 2007.
Vivid Entertainment, which distributed the film, said at the time of the tape’s release that it was purchased from a “third party” for $1 million.
Before the release of the tape, Kardashian sued Vivid Entertainment for invasion of privacy and for the profits from and ownership of the tape. However, she dropped the suit weeks after the tape’s 2007 release and settled for $5 million.
Given the notoriety of the tape, it has continued to be a talking point over the years, with Kardashian’s mother Kris Jenner, who was previously married to Caitlyn Jenner, denying that she had a hand in the release of the film.
Caitlyn Jenner was thrust into the conversation earlier this week, when a post shared by Fox News’ digital arm on X, formerly Twitter, purported to show that she had knowledge of how the sex tape came to see the light of day.
“Caitlyn Jenner discusses Kim Kardashian sex tape and how it got leaked,” read a headline that was shared on the platform.
TV personality Caitlyn Jenner, who is an on-air contributor for Fox News, hit back in a since-deleted post: “Click bait from my own network where I am a contributor for almost 2 years—literally said I knew nothing and went golfing.”
“And my own network didn’t even reach out for comment from me?” Jenner, who has criticized Fox News in the past, continued. “Cmon @FoxNews why are you guys buying into this clickbait headline for one of your own?”
On Wednesday, Us Weekly shared an X post that read: “If you think Caitlyn Jenner has any inside info about the 2007 leak of Kim Kardashian’s sex tape, then think again.”
“Thank you @usweekly this is correct,” Caitlyn Jenner wrote in response. “I know nothing and said nothing indicating I knew anything. I said I went golfing and made light of the situation and my lack of knowledge.”
In the Fox News article, which was published on October 10, it was reported that Caitlyn Jenner had discussed the tape while appearing on the three-part docuseries House of Kardashians.
Per the outlet, when Caitlyn Jenner was asked about the tape, she responded: “Whatever’s going on, I don’t know what it is and I’m gonna go to the golf course.”
“To be honest with you, I just stayed out of it,” Caitlyn Jenner went on. “Kris never talked to me about it. I never talked to Kimberly about it. I don’t know what happened, why it happened.”
Responding to questions over whether Kardashian and Kris Jenner had “worked together” to release the sex tape, Caitlyn Jenner said: “I have no idea. I never, ever once had that conversation—nor did I want to have that conversation.”
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Fox News via email for comment.
In 2017, Steve Hirsch, president of Vivid Entertainment, stated that the deal was not brokered by Kardashian or Jenner and maintained that Kardashian fought against its release.
“It was that these people had the footage and were looking to sell it,” he told Page Six, though he did not reveal the identity of the party looking to sell the tape.
Hirsch called rumors that Jenner orchestrated the release “nonsense” but author and another ex of Ray J, Karrine Steffans, also quoted in the same article said both Kardashian and Ray J would have had to sign off for the tape to ever be release.
“In order for that tape to come out, Kim would have had to have signed off on it, period. That’s just the way that works … Steve Hirsch would never have gone against that if he didn’t have signatures.”