Kim Kardashian has revealed she feared her career was over after critics panned her performance in legal drama All's Fair, but says the backlash ultimately helped drive viewers to the show.
The reality TV star and businesswoman plays divorce lawyer Allura Grant in the Ryan Murphy series, alongside acclaimed actors Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts and Niecy Nash Betts.
Although the first season, which premiered on Disney+ last year, received harsh reviews and scored just 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, it proved popular with audiences and became a strong performer for the streaming platform.
View this post on Instagram
Speaking to the Press Association, Kardashian said the criticism may have worked in the show's favour. "I just thought it was so funny that people came in and wanted to hate on it so much that the hate turned into viewers wanting to see how bad it was," she said.
"So they tuned in and they made it a number one show for weeks because they wanted to see how ridiculous we would be. I think there's something funny, special and important about showing that critics don't decide everything."
View this post on Instagram
Kardashian also admitted she briefly worried that the negative attention would damage both her own reputation and that of her co-stars.
"There was a second when I thought, 'Oh my God, my career is over, and these girls are going to hate me because I just brought in this whole wave of hate that they've probably never experienced before in their amazing acting lives,'" she told the Press Association.
However, she said a supportive voicemail from co-star Sarah Paulson helped restore her confidence. "Sarah left me the nicest voicemail that gave me the most confidence and changed everything for me. That's when I decided to double down and keep going."
When asked about the message, Paulson told the Press Association she simply shared her genuine admiration for Kardashian. "I was just saying what I believe to be true about Kimberly Noel. I think she's really special," Paulson said.
View this post on Instagram
She added that viewers would see a new level of confidence in Kardashian's performance during the second season. "There were scenes towards the end of the season where both Naomi and I were saying, 'Jesus, woman.' It wasn't that she wasn't good before, but there's a different level of confidence now. More of who she is as a person comes through in the character, and I thought that was wonderful."
The new season also includes a joke about Kardashian's character failing the bar exam on her first attempt, mirroring the reality star's own well-publicised experience studying law.
Kardashian said the idea came from creator Ryan Murphy. "He came up with that, and he knows I'm always game," she told the Press Association.
View this post on Instagram
"If there was ever something I wasn't comfortable with, he wouldn't ask me to do it. When I read that line, I thought, 'Oh my God, that's genius.' Everyone would understand the reference, and I thought it was really funny."
The second season of All's Fair premieres on Disney+ on 4 March.
