Kardashian Curse: Kanye West’s Popularity Will Plummet

Reggie Bush, Kris Humphries, and Lamar Odom were once well-known and well-liked celebrities. But then they got involved with one of the Kardashian sisters. Now that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are having a baby together, some people are worried that the Kardashian curse will strike Kanye next.


Reggie Bush was one of the most highly touted NFL recruits after he won the Heisman trophy in 2005. But Reggie’s NFL life hasn’t been smooth sailing. Some may say that it has to do with the fact that Bush never lived up to his high expectations. Others will say that it’s because he once dated Kim Kardashian.

The most obvious example of the Kardashian curse comes from Kris Humphries. Humphries was voted the most disliked player in the NBA shortly after his brief marriage to Kim Kardashian.

At the time, the VP of Nielsen Sports Stephen Master said:

“He’s been on five magazine covers, all in a negative light. It’s all so recent, he’s gotten all this publicity for something other than basketball talent.”

Lamar Odom’s popularity has also suffered due to his reality show life. According to Masters, Odom, Bush, and Humphries all saw their N-score drop after dating a member of the reality show family. The “N-Score” is “an algorithm that assesses an athlete’s popularity.”

Masters told the Huffington Post that all three athletes gained more exposure from dating one of the Kardashians but more people saw them in a negative light.

Masters said:

“Between Lamar Odom, Reggie Bush and Kris Humphries, those guys have all had their N-Score hurt, and it isn’t because of their awareness. Their awareness has actually shot up, in every case, but their negative appeal has also shot up. You need to do well, and you also need to date someone who people like. The Kardashians are controversial. They have really negatively impacted the marketability of [Odom, Bush and Humphries].”

In addition to dating one of the Kardashian sisters, Lamar Odom and Kris Humphries were both involved in reality shows. Kanye West is expected to do the same thing during Kim’s pregnancy.