One of the most well-known couples in Hollywood, Kim Kardashian-West and Kanye West have called it quits as Kim allegedly filed for divorce at the start of this year. Their popularity over the years has led to enormous wealth, fame, and influence in popular culture on a global scale. For over a decade, these two have received more publicity, backlash, and glorification than imagined. In most scenarios, celebrities in the Hollywood scene are primarily known for their talents and achievements in acting, filmmaking, etc. But how exactly did these two, along with their family, become so elevated in popular culture?

As a quick-rising star from the long-running show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” Kim has been in the limelight since the show first aired in 2007. She and her family are known and popularized for their wealth, fashion, beauty and plenty of drama as seen on the reality series following their daily lives. Her appearance on television eventually landed her invitations to the MET Gala, plenty of modeling gigs, and a permanent spot in media and gossip magazines. She also has her own beauty line “KKW Beauty,” along with a fragrance collection and her loungewear line “Skims.” Alongside her, her sisters have launched clothing lines, makeup and skin care lines and multiple collaborations with well-known brands. It is clear that the Kardashian family has permanently shaped trends and modern culture.

However, alongside these fairly positive consequences of the spotlight, the family has had repeated scandals, divorces, and sequences of exposure in the media and negatively-twisted gossip. Any time a Kardashian has a child, goes on a date, or even bickers with someone, the media uses each opportunity for gossip or speculation. But hey, there’s no such thing as bad press right?

As for Kanye West, his rising fame began with his singing career in the early 2000s. Since then, he has won many awards and nominations for his music, but his connection to the Kardashian family is a significant part of his relevance most recently. The show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” has featured the length of Kim and Kanye’s relationship, featuring important moments such as his extravagant proposal and even the lives of their four children. Married in 2014, these two had been in the spotlight ever since.

Now, it seems, that Kim “needed to end the marriage for the sake of her kids and her own sanity” according to an article from Vanity Fair. With their level of fame, it would seem incredibly difficult to keep a healthy marriage with that much exposure and speculation in their daily lives.

America has lifted the Kardashians (and anyone in relation to them) upon a pedestal of adoration as a complicated family of influencers and reality television stars. Although there are always exceptions, when celebrities become this popular this quickly, sometimes some hesitation and concern from the general public is needed as to consider why they became famous and received this attention in the first place. This questioning of celebrities’ authenticity needs to happen before blindly praising those in the spotlight.