Kris Jenner defends Kendall’s birthday party amid Covid criticism

Kris Jenner defended her daughter Kendall‘s packed 25th Halloween birthday party Saturday, saying that protocols were in place for a healthy celebration for all.

The reality star, 64, told Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show on Monday about the expansive testing precautions in place for a packed guest list that included relatives Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, as well as celebs including Jaden Smith, Winnie Harlow, The Weeknd, and Justin and Hailey Bieber.

‘We are very lucky to work in an industry where we get tested once or twice a week,’ the Keeping Up With The Kardashians matriarch said. ‘I just got tested again. I was tested on Friday, because of the network rules while we are filming as you know, so that’s very strict.’

The mother-of-six said that the stringent policies were not just for her, but for all the people she and her family have in their circle, prior to the bash at a rooftop venue in Los Angeles.

‘Whenever we have a gathering – no matter how big or small – no matter, you know, whether it’s five people or 25 people, you know, or 20 people, we have, like at Kendall’s, everyone got tested before they walked in the door and they had to wait, you know, a half an hour until the testing was, the results were in,’ the Momager said.

Jenner said she ‘can’t control’ the online pushback, as many social media users said the famed family was flouting rules in their native California amid statues to quell the spread of COVID-19.

‘We do what we can, we try to follow the rules,’ she said. ‘And then if people are, you know, they’re commenting and they’re being critical, I can’t control that – I just can control how we behave and, you know, try to do the best we can.’

Cohen said that he underwent a multi-step process on a recent visit with the reality TV family.

‘I will say we, we did something together a month or two ago, and the protocols to getting, it was at one of the girl’s houses, I was sent to a location on the way to the house I was tested,’ said Cohen, who recovered from his own bout with COVID-19 earlier this year. ‘And they said, if you get to the house and the gate opens, that means you tested negative.’

He continued, ‘A half hour later, and that gate went open. I was like, all right, it’s all good. But yeah, you guys are, you guys are quite, you guys are quite careful.’

The famed family came under social media scrutiny last month after Kim brought a circle of friends and relatives to a Tahitian island once owned by Hollywood icon Marlon Brando to celebrate her 40th birthday.

Many on social media accused Kim of tone-deafness as many Americans struggle with health and economic problems as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the country.

Kendall meanwhile shared a few photos and a video dressed as Pamela Anderson from Barb Wire from her birthday bash as she urged people to vote. 

The backlash mounted on social media with one Twitter user posting: ‘Ok Kendall Jenner blowing out candles as a masked waiter holds her cake and tries to move out of the way was actually the scariest thing I saw on Halloween’.

Another Twitter user criticized Kendall for hosting the bash during the pandemic and posted: ‘No but kendall jenner really threw a big a** party with all those celebrities without masks in the middle of a pandemic with a ‘no social media’ rule so people wouldn’t find out about it….,’ and later called out Will Smith’s son Jaden for wearing what appeared to be an oxygen mas.

Another tweet wondered how Kendall was able to get rapid coronavirus testing for all her guests and posted: ‘Can someone explain how Kendall Jenner was able to get several hundred rapid result COVID tests for a party while normal people cant get tested at a doctor unless theyre showing symptoms and it still takes 2 days to get results?’