Kylie Jenner opens up about online criticism: ‘It's a miracle I still have confidence’

The reality star gets emotional on 'The Kardashians,' revealing the impact of years of scrutiny on her appearance.

Kylie Jenner tried to stay strong but ultimately broke down while addressing how criticisms about her appearance have affected her. 

During the Thursday, June 20, episode of 'The Kardashians', Kylie confessed to her sister Kendall Jenner that the relentless comments have taken a toll on her confidence. 

"It’s a miracle that I still have confidence and can still look in the mirror and think that I am pretty," Kylie admitted when Kendall asked how she was doing after they hadn’t seen each other in a while.

A recent outing left Kylie upset after she saw criticism about her face. "Because I just feel like after Paris [Fashion Week in October 2023] there was this picture, which for the first time I was like, ‘We are not going to wear a lot of makeup.’ So when I’m wearing too much makeup [I get told], ‘You’re wearing too much makeup,'" she noted. 

"Then when I’m not wearing a lot of makeup and someone catches me in a weird light. You can look at pictures when I was 13 and I just have these lines but I have had them since I was a child."

Despite dealing with body-shamers for over a decade, Kylie still struggles with the negative comments. 

"I just hear nasty things about myself all the time. I think after 10 plus years of hearing about this, it just gets exhausting," she said, expressing confusion over people’s willingness to insult her. 

"I am so numb to people talking about my looks at this point. I just want to know why on the internet no one says anything or they think that it is OK," she continued. 

"I went on a journey last year dissolving half of my lip filler. I hate even having this conversation over and over and over again because it feels like it’s a waste of my breath. I think with me it is never going to change."

Kendall, 28, empathized with Kylie, reminding her of their shared experience growing up in the public eye.

"I think that is a general thing with our family. We are dehumanized and they don’t think that there’s any rules with you," she said. 

"Whereas if you talked the same way you talk about us to any other woman, people would come to their defense all day long. But for some reason with us, they don’t think we have any feelings."

Kylie, visibly emotional, questioned why people think it is acceptable to comment on her looks. "Why do people think it is OK to talk about me? I have never cried about this before but I guess it does affect me," she said. 

"And then I will see some comments or someone saying, ‘This is really mean. Why are we talking about her looks? This is 2024’ And the other comment will be like, ‘Because she did it to herself. She f—ked up her face and had so much surgery.'"

After making her first TV appearance at 9 years old on 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', Kylie has consistently denied rumors of extensive facial surgeries. 

"I think a big misconception about me is that I’ve had so much surgery on my face and that I was some insecure person, and I really wasn’t!" Kylie told HommeGirls magazine in April 2023. "Yeah, I love full lips and wanted full lips, but growing up I was always the most confident person in the room. I was the girl performing for everyone."

Kylie reiterated this sentiment in the recent episode, maintaining that even if she had undergone significant surgery, it wouldn’t justify the hurtful comments. 

"Even if I did get so much surgery, I still don’t think it is OK to talk about someone’s looks. People have been talking about my looks since I was 12. Before I even got lip filler, people would talk about my looks."

Kylie admitted that while she tries to stay strong, the comments can be overwhelming.

"I think I am really strong and I was put in this position for a reason," she said. "I do think of myself as a confident person and I’m so grateful and blessed that I wake up and look in the mirror and like what I see. I am also human and there’s only so much someone can take." Kendall added that critics would always think they had "full facial reconstruction," to which Kylie responded, "I always keep it pushing. I have to. I cannot let the comments get me down. I have s—t to do. Rise above."

The episode also gave viewers a glimpse into other family moments, including Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker welcoming their now-7-month-old son, Rocky, and Khloé Kardashian's day trip to a farm. 

Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian juggled her roles as a mother, actress, and businesswoman.

Hulu releases new episodes of 'The Kardashians' every Thursday.