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7 things we learned from Kim Kardashian's assistant Stephanie Sheppard

Any true Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ fan will know all about the unofficial sixth Kardashian-Jenner sister, Stephanie Sheppard.

Often in the background of scenes from the family’s popular docu-series, or even front and centre in their Instagram posts, Stephanie has been working directly with Kim Kardashian ever since 2013.

Stephanie and Kim are now close friends.
Stephanie and Kim are now close friends.

Initially starting out as a heavily-pregnant Kim’s assistant, Stephanie is now Chief Operating Officer for Kardashian HQ, overseeing anything and everything to do with Kim’s multiple brands.

As well as working for the family, Stephanie is also a close friend and confidant for Kim and her famous sisters; she was the one who got the star quickly and safely out of Paris after she was robbed at gunpoint last year and even played an integral role in Kim’s high-profile wedding to Kanye West.

Now Stephanie has opened up about life as Kim Kardashian’s right-hand woman in a new interview with Refinery29, and this is what we learned:

1. She is NOT used to the glitz and glamour of Kardashian life

Although she now lives in a gorgeous Hollywood mansion on the west coast, Stephanie is actually from very humble beginnings and was born to a single mother in a small town in Ohio.

Stephanie jets the world with the Kardashian family.
Stephanie jets the world with the Kardashian family.

She explains: “When I say I came from a small town, I mean that I would pass cows driving to school. It was country life: bonfires and football games. Our nicest restaurant was Olive Garden.

“So when I came out here, it was a whole different thing. I had never seen a Range Rover. I hadn’t really traveled, I didn’t know what Givenchy was or how to pronounce it.”

How times change, eh?

2. Kim Kardashian really threw her into the deep end

When Stephanie first started working for Kim, Kim was heavily pregnant with her first child, North, and Stephanie was forced to hit the ground running when little Nori decided to arrive early.

It is NOT all fun and games.
It is NOT all fun and games.

Speaking about her early days with Kim, Stephanie explained that she’d often stay at the star’s home until past 10pm at night, determined to prove her worth and be successful with her new job.

She recalls: “I was doing her whole schedule, doing her laundry, booking travel, putting the stroller together and all of these things. But I wasn’t nervous. I was just excited, always staying longer than I needed because I was trying to prove myself — and then North came early!

“I was a brand new assistant who had no idea what to do with a baby, but we all moved into Kris’ house, and she was the one who made it all feel okay and moved mountains for us.

“Four years later, Kim now also has a personal assistant, a house assistant, two kids, two nannies, and I was recently promoted to COO of Kardashian West Brands, so we’re looking for someone to fill my executive assistant position.

Stephanie says the whole of Team Kardashian are like one big happy family.
Stephanie says the whole of Team Kardashian are like one big happy family.

“Sometimes we look at each other like, wow, remember when it was just me and you?”

3. She is fiercely protective of Kim

In fact, Stephanie admits that she’d even take a bullet for her boss, revealing that she resorted to hiring her best friend from her home town in Ohio as one of Kim’s house assistants because she knew for sure that she could trust her.

She shares: “I’m very protective of not just Kim, but all the girls. So I’ll have to look really, really hard and make sure it’s a person who someone I can trust will vouch for.

“One of my best friends from back home is actually one of the house assistants. I need to know you’re not a crazy person. Everyone who works for the Kardashian family is part of this little tribe — assistants, makeup artists, housekeepers, security.

Stephanie was papped hitting a man who tried to grope Kim.
Stephanie was papped hitting a man who tried to grope Kim.

“We get each other Christmas presents, we take care of all the kids like they’re our own kids. It’s truly one big extended family.

“Wherever we are, my instinct is just to protect her [Kim]. I would truly take a bullet for her.”

4. Being an assistant ISN’T glamourous

She might work for one of the most famous and desirable families on the planet, but being an assistant still means doing all of the hard work.

Stephanie warns: “I think everyone thinks this job is super glamorous — and I can’t lie, it is. Truly, this family is so much fun, and we go to some amazing places and do some incredible things.

It’s not all fun and games, guys.
It’s not all fun and games, guys.

“But don’t forget that when you’re an assistant, with all of that glamour comes schlepping the bags and the suitcases and taking the fall when the car doesn’t show up or the flight is delayed or something goes wrong.”

5. She held everything together after Paris

We were all left shocked when the news broke that Kim had been robbed at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room last year, with the mother-of-two later admitting that she feared for her life after she was bound, gagged, and had a gun pointed to her head.

Whilst Kim and her friends and family were caught up in the emotional turmoil of Kim’s ordeal, it was Stephanie who was getting things done.

Although she was just as distressed and scared as the rest of the clan, it was down to her to get Kim back home as quickly and as safely as possible – and she did not mess around.

Kim was understandably downcast when she arrived back from Paris.
Kim was understandably downcast when she arrived back from Paris.

She reveals: “It was terrifying. At the time, I had to hold it together and make sure everything was getting handled, and that we could get Kim home as quickly and safely as possible.

“Obviously I can’t even begin to imagine what she’s gone through, what she’s had to deal with, but even I have been more cautious.”

6. Kourtney Kardashian didn’t use to like Stephanie

Nowadays, barely a week goes by without Kourtney or Stephanie posting a pic with one another, calling the other their “wife”, but Stephanie has now admitted that she doesn’t think that the oldest Kardashian sister liked her in the beginning, although she has always been close to Khloe, Kendall and Kylie.

She recalls: “Kendall and Kylie, we have some of the same friends, so we’ll go out together and have that relationship. Khloe is just like everybody’s friend, you can talk to her about anything, she’s just a down ass girl, truly.

Kourtney and Stephanie are incredibly close now.
Kourtney and Stephanie are incredibly close now.

“And then Kourtney and I weren’t really close at all when I first started working — I don’t think she really liked me at first to be honest! But I think when we were doing that world tour of Miami and Iceland and all those places, with so much travel time, we bonded.

“Now we talk all the time and we’ll go to dinner, or I’ll spend the night at her house. People always think we’re either lesbians, because we’re always together or holding hands, or that I am Kourtney, I guess because we look alike and have a similar style.”

7. Stephanie films the more intimate moments of Keeping Up With The Kardashians

As if being an assistant wasn’t enough work, Stephanie has also revealed that she often films the more ‘personal’ moments of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, ensuring that the family don’t have a big camera crew around during the big moments in their life.

Stephanie pulled all of the strings behind the scenes at Kim’s wedding.
Stephanie pulled all of the strings behind the scenes at Kim’s wedding.

Example? Kim’s wedding to Kanye.

Stephanie had so much to deal with on the extravagant wedding day that she didn’t even get to watch the actual ceremony because she was too busy filming everything.

She shares: ” I often producer-cam the more personal moments for the show, when they don’t want full-on cameras around — so I was filming everyone getting ready. And then Caitlyn lost her suit, so I had to locate it; all the girls are getting ready, we’re getting Kim together, we’re in this castle; Kanye is down rearranging the floral arrangements and all this stuff, all while I’m trying to film.

“I was in Adidas sweatpants and a T-shirt and hadn’t showered that day! And then I walked her down to the elevator so she could walk down that really long stone aisle, and then I ran back up and started filming her from the roof! That was the money shot for the show. Meanwhile, there was some security guy yelling at me, ‘You can’t film here!’

Where would Kim be without her, eh?
Where would Kim be without her, eh?

“I was still relatively new back then. I remember just not sleeping that whole week, and then I came home and I got pulled over on Hollywood Boulevard and I just started crying to the police officer, like, ‘Please, I’m just exhausted, I gotta go home; you don’t understand!’

“Truly. I went to bed at, like, 5 in the afternoon and woke up the next day at, like, 11 a.m. But it was all worth it, because it was the most beautiful day.”

Well, it’s easy to see how Stephanie ended up earning her stripes within the Kardashian family – and we can’t deny that she definitely deserves her role as COO of Kardashian Empires.

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