Kim Kardashian’s Ex Assistant Stephanie Shepherd Opens up on What Led to Her Termination

Kim Kardashian's former assistant, Stephanie Shepherd, revealed last month what happened to their professional commitment to each other. Shepherd, 34, opened up on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast, sharing the amicable nature of her discontinuation of work for Kardashian. "Well, I got fired. Fired in the nicest sense of the word. Like, I was crying and she was crying because we are friends," she said.

The former assistant disclosed that it was a very poignant moment for both of them as their relationship was not limited to just professional management. Shepherd and Kardashian shared a beautiful bond and were also good friends of each other. Shepherd explained, "I just inherently felt like, ‘It is time to move on. I don’t know if I have anything more I can contribute to this.’ I think she probably felt that and saw that.” She further noted. “[So] she’s like, ‘I want you to [thrive]. You need something more. You have this thing — pursue that. I’m supporting you [with] whatever you need.'"

Kardashian on the other hand supported her dreams and ambitions for the future and relieved her from the duties of being the COO of Kardashian West brands. The dynamics between Kardashian and Shepherd underwent a notable shift, as the former assistant began to grapple with a sense of celebrity status herself. A source revealed that "Stephanie started thinking she was a celebrity herself, and Kim didn't like that. Everything started going downhill after the Refinery29 article came out."

Despite the professional parting, Shepherd continues to maintain connections with the Kardashian family, and interactions with Kim remain cordial, albeit different from their previous working relationship. Another insider also clarified that the two parted ways mutually and had no animosity between them as portrayed in tabloids.

The nuanced details of Shepherd's departure brought to light previous discussions from 2017 when she expressed conflicted thoughts about her role in an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Kardashian, in response to the rumors and discussions, later clarified her stance regarding Shepherd, indicating a level of transparency and open communication between the two. 

Following her split with Kim, Shepherd changed her focus to modeling. She landed a campaign in March 2018 as the face of the hip and bohemian jewelry label 8 Other Reasons and is now a full-fledged Instagram influencer with 1.9 million followers. She also co-founded Future Earth, a nonprofit organization with the mission of using social media to spread knowledge about environmental issues and climate change.

Shepherd has also dabbled in acting, landing a supporting role in Something from Tiffany's 2022 Prime Video film. She began her career as a dancer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and returned to work for Kim as Chief Operating Officer for all KKW brands, before ending all professional ties with her.