A Los Angeles jury on Monday decided against model Blac Chyna over her claims that the Kardashian-Jenner powerhouse family sabotaged her reality television career and cost her millions in future earnings.
None of the defendants were present for the reading of the verdict. They were “at some gala,” the family’s lawyer said in court, presumably referring to the Met Gala in New York City. Chyna was present but had no visible reaction to the decision, The Associated Press reported.
Jurors began deliberations Thursday, spending about 10 hours in discussions before coming to their decision. Though they had the option to find certain family members guilty and others not, they decided none were at fault.
Chyna, born Angela Renée White, filed her lawsuit against the famous family in pursuit of more than $140 million, claiming the Kardashian-Jenners are responsible for coercing the E! network to cancel her 2016 show “Rob & Chyna,” in which she and now ex-fiancé Rob Kardashian starred leading up to the birth of their child.
“Kris Jenner set out to have ‘Rob & Chyna’ canceled,” Chyna’s lawyer Lynne Ciani told the jury in opening arguments. “And she brought in her three daughters to help accomplish that.”
“Rob & Chyna,” a spinoff of the E! megahit “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” ran for seven episodes, starting out with record-high viewership but holding on to less than half those viewers by the end of its run. While the show was initially renewed for a second season, the network later reneged on the plans.
Chyna’s lawsuit, which sought damages for defamation and interference of contract, accused her ex’s family of organizing an effort to pull the show from the air. She claims that Kris Jenner ― in coordination with her daughters Khloé Kardashian, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner ― succeeded in doing so by falsely telling E! producers that Chyna had physically assaulted her son Rob.
Chyna admitted in court that she had wrapped a cord around her ex’s neck and pointed an unloaded gun at him in jest, but said she never caused serious harm.
Rob Kardashian testified that while Chyna left no visible marks on him, she made him fear for his life.
“Do you remember how Rob looked on the stand yesterday?” the Kardashians’ lawyer Michael Rhodes asked the jury in his closing arguments. “His pain was real. This is a real family. Yeah, they’re famous, but they’re real people. He got really badly hurt here.”
Rhodes also argued that E! simply canceled the show because the couple’s relationship ended.
“There is no ‘Rob & Chyna’ show if there is no Rob and Chyna,” Rhodes said in court.
While Rob Kardashian was originally named as lead defendant, a judge decided to try him separately due to Chyna’s different allegations against him, including that he violated revenge porn laws when he posted sexually explicit photos of her on social media in 2017. Chyna received a temporary restraining order against him over the incident.
Kris Jenner’s other children, Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian, were dismissed as defendants.