SYDNEY — Kim Kardashian has pulled out of a scheduled appearance at an Australian horse racing event — which would have nabbed her AU$150,000 (US$153,000) for a one-hour appearance — to return home to Los Angeles and deal with the fallout from her divorce.
In a complete turnaround, the ubiquitous reality TV superstar, who was being paid to appear in the Swisse vitamins marquee at Saturday’s Stakes Day — part of Melbourne’s annual racing festival — said she would be unable to attend the event in the wake of her divorce from basketballer Kris Humphries after just 72 days of marriage.
The decision is at odds with what Kardashian, 31, has repeatedly said in interviews since arriving in Australia on Wednesday — that she “really didn’t want to bail on everyone” — and comes after a day of plugging her new handbag line in Sydney.
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In a statement to the Herald Sun she said, “I am very disappointed that I am unable to attend the Swisse marquee but I hope to come back and work with the Swisse team at another point in time.”
It could not be confirmed whether money had already changed hands between Kardashian and the vitamin company.
A spokesman for Swisse confirmed the withdrawal and said they were disappointed.
“All indications were that Kim wanted to fulfill all of her commitments once she landed in Australia but has obviously changed her mind given her very difficult personal challenges at the moment,” the spokesman said.
It is believed Swisse tried to get Kardashian’s younger sister Khloe — also in Australia — as an eleventh hour substitute at the event but were also turned down. The siblings will now leave Sydney for Los Angeles on Friday.
In her first live TV interview since announcing the divorce, Kardashian told Australian morning show “Sunrise” that she was a professional who kept her word.
“I really wanted to stick to my commitments to come out here,” she said. “I love our fan base out here. Of course I do really want some time to myself and it has been tough, but I didn’t wanna bail on everyone and, you know, skip out on this commitment.”
After a whirlwind romance with Humphries — who she met on Oct. 31, 2010 — Kardashian filed for divorce on Monday on the grounds of “irreconcilable differences.”
Kardashian later said in a message on her website that she married for love and it just didn’t “turn out to be the fairytale” she wanted.
Meanwhile, Humphries, 26, said he is committed to the marriage and does not want to divorce.