Reality star Kim Kardashian is one of the most famous faces on the planet – and when she goes off the radar, even for a few days, fans inevitably take note.
Not much has been seen of The Kardashians star recently, leading some to speculate that she might have a reason for avoiding the public eye.
“Is Kim recovering from surgery?” asked the title of one recent thread on a fan forum devoted to “Kardashian Jenner cynics.”
As the poster noted, Kim hasn’t been spotted out since early last week, when she took in an LA Rams game with son Saint West for his seventh birthday – wearing pants and long sleeves.
Last week, The Kardashians took home a People’s Choice Award for Reality Show of the year, but Kim skipped the ceremony.
She was also roasted by actor Seth Rogen for missing her presenter gig at a Hollywood event honoring Women in Entertainment. (The mogul blamed a last-minute scheduling conflict.)
Kim Kardashian laying low, posting old photos on Instagram
The Reddit poster also pointed out that while Kim has been posting to her Instagram grid, the photos appear to be old.
On Tuesday, the reality star shared a few snapshots of herself in a white bikini; but followers quickly noticed that the pics – in which Kim sports the platinum blonde dye job she first debuted as part of her Marilyn Monroe-inspired look for the 2022 Met Gala – must be a few weeks old at least, as Kim switched to a darker blonde color at the beginning of the month.
‘Surgery season’ for The Kardashians? Fans speculate
In the absence of new material, fans have started speculating – and landed on cosmetic surgery as one possible explanation.
In response to the original Reddit post, other fans weighed in, with some agreeing surgery was likely.
One commenter wrote that they “wouldn’t be surprised if winter is Surgery Season” for the whole Kardashian-Jenner brood, with another adding that it was “easier to cover” the compression garments worn during recovery with baggy hoodies and sweats.
But others guessed that there might be a simpler – if not more innocent – explanation for Kim’s silence. “Probably laying low to avoid questions and press surrounding Kanye,” wrote one person, referring to Kanye West, Kim’s wayward ex-husband and the father of her four children, who has spent much of the fall on an antisemitic media tear.
Another pointed out that Kim recently attended a Malibu birthday lunch for the girlfriend of billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. “Seems like she’s around,” the commenter wrote.
“I’m assuming she’s laying low because of the recent backlash,” they went on, adding, “Like always, once it blows over, she will be back.”
The Kardashians Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Hulu.