From Kendra Wilkinson To Kris Jenner: Do Reality TV Shows Weaken Or Strengthen Marriages?


Former Playboy Bunny Kendra Wilkinson has learned about the flip-side of allowing your life to play out on-camera. Just as television audiences were there to watch her part ways with former beau, Hugh Hefner, they are watching Kendra cope with a devastating infidelity scandal.

Her series Kendra On Top kicked off the latest season with the 29-year-old reality TV starlet reeling from the news that husband, Hank Baskett, may have cheated on her. The possibility that he had an affair with transgender model Ava London while Kendra was pregnant left her visibly shaken and hurt.

Kendra Wilkinson told USA Today during a phone interview:

“When this broke, I was devastated and hurt, but I had no problems picking up the phone and calling my producer and telling him what happened. He said, ‘”Mind if I film?’ I said, ‘Absolutely. Why not?'”

So how did Kendra feel about her choice to allow filming in retrospect?

Believe it or not, Kendra has since claimed that it was rather comforting to “have people around” to capture her real-life drama.

“Everybody [gets on me] like, ‘Why are you filming your dirty laundry?’ Maybe they can watch and be inspired.”

The perspective shared by Wilkinson is rather surprising. There are others who famously blame their relationships falling apart on the decision to bring film crews into their homes.

This might include Jon Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus 8 fame. While his ex-wife Kate was content with the perks of celebrity (she filmed multiple seasons of the show without Jon, which was renamed after he left), Jon reportedly tried to kick TLC out of their home. Now living his life away from the spotlight, the father of eight considers himself “normal” once more.

In the battle between building a stable home life and staying famous, sometimes the need for fame wins out.

But Kendra is not staying with her significant other for the sake of popularity; she still loves Hank. All things considered, Wilkinson feels her beau treats her “like a queen.”

“He has been my best friend for six years,” said Kendra. “Trust me, I want to grow old with him.”

The “friend” angle expressed by Wilkinson is rather similar to a sentiment expressed by Keeping Up With The Kardashians matriarch Kris Jenner. Kris had hoped that she and Bruce would be married forever.

When faced with the knowledge that their relationship was over, she was willing to settle for having her ex-husband with her as part of “an amazing friendship.”

Though Kendra is not the first woman to allow a cheating scandal to play out onscreen (Tori Spelling, anyone?), it seems that the cameras have not interfered with her determination to work through her marital issues.

Kendra Wilkinson shared that Hank Baskett is going to therapy in an attempt to make things right. Though he continued to refute infidelity rumors, Kendra stated that part of the gossip is true.

One interesting tidbit is that Kendra has not ruled out divorce. Wilkinson admitted that her marriage “is questionable right now.”

In the minds of onlookers, a break-up may look practically inevitable for Kendra. A slew of reality television starlets have recently parted ways with the men in their lives. However, what Kendra has perhaps unwittingly demonstrated over the past few months is when it comes to marital woes, sometimes putting personal issues on camera has no bearing on the strength or weakness of a couple’s marriage.

Kendra Wilkinson shows us that the individual has the power to prioritize his or her relationship without walking away from reality television-based celebrity.

What do you think: Are marriages are more likely to be harmed by fame or is fame a non-factor much of the time?

[Image via HollywoodscoopTV]

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