Kardashian-Jenner Defamation Trial Wades Into Rob Kardashian ‘Posting Nudes on the Internet’
Blac Chyna turned emotional on the witness stand Thursday when testimony at her $100 million defamation trial against Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Khloé Kardashian and Kylie Jenner turned to Rob Kardashian posting nude photos of her on the internet in July 2017.
The model and influencer became visibly distressed, and appeared to wipe a tear at one point, when the lawyer for the Kardashian-Jenner women, Michael G. Rhodes, grilled her over the breakdown of her engagement to the only Kardashian brother and the restraining order she filed against him in July 2017.
In her paperwork seeking the stay-away order, Chyna wrote that Rob went on a social media “rant” against her on July 5, 2017, in which he shared “private nude photos” depicting her “entirely exposed” breasts, genitals and buttocks with his nine million followers.
“What happened with the revenge porn stuff, I did not want any more contact with Rob,” Chyna testified on the third day of her high-profile trial in downtown Los Angeles. “I did not want him to be harassing me with text messages, posting nudes on the internet.”
When Rhodes confronted Chyna with claims she verbally abused Rob during their breakup, calling him “fat” and “disgusting,” the model said she sometimes retaliated when she felt pushed to the brink.
“When he calls me a slut, a whore, going through my text messages, blasting me up, doing all these evil things to me, saying all nasty things to me: Yes I did retaliate and call him ‘fat,’ if you say so. Absolutely. It doesn’t make me feel good about somebody you have a baby with to always be harassing you and saying you’re this type of person when you’re not. It’s not good, obviously,” she said, her voice getting animated, shortly before asking for a break.
Rhodes repeatedly referred to a portion of Chyna’s July 2017 sworn statement in which she claimed, “Rob and I split in December 2016, shortly after the birth of our daughter.”
The date is important to the Kardashian-Jenner defense because the women claim a blowout fight between Rob and Chyna the morning of Dec. 15, 2016 marked a turning point in the couple’s relationship. They claim it was the couple’s subsequent estrangement and toxicity, not a conspiracy by the Kardashian-Jenner women, that caused the E! network and its parent company NBC Universal to forgo a second season of the Rob & Chyna reality show, within their rights.
Kim Kardashian, her sister Khloé and mom Kris watched the testimony from the same front row they’ve occupied since jury selection started on Monday. Kylie Jenner was absent Thursday for the first time this week.
Chyna, 33, filed her underlying lawsuit in October 2017. She alleges Kris Jenner never approved of her engagement to Rob Kardashian and acted as the “ringleader” of an alleged plot to cause the cancellation of Rob & Chyna, and deprive Chyna of the $92,500 she was making per episode.
Chyna’s lawsuit claims Kris “lied” when she allegedly told E! executives that Chyna “beat the s#*t out of Rob’s face.” Chyna, whose legal name is Angela White, further alleges Kim, Khloé, and Kylie “each separately and intentionally interfered with Chyna’s contract for Season 2.”
In their own filings opposing the lawsuit, the Kardashian-Jenner women have alleged Chyna “violently attacked Rob” during “an alcohol and drug fueled rampage” on Dec. 15, 2016. During the trial, Rhodes has said his clients were simply worried about Rob’s safety and welfare, as well as their successful Keeping Up With The Kardashians TV franchise, when they voiced concerns about a second season of Rob & Chyna.
Chyna started dating Rob in January 2016. The former couple announced their engagement in April 2016 and welcomed their daughter, Dream, on Nov. 10, 2016. Their reality show, which aired for a single season in 2016, was produced by Bunim Murray Productions as a spin-off of the family’s flagship series.
Once the lawsuit against Kim, Kylie, Kris, and Khloé is resolved, a separate trial over Chyna’s “revenge porn” claims against Rob is set to start in May.