Hollywood princess Kim Kardashian is making a social debut of a different kind today with the shipment of Vivid Entertainment's Kim Kardashian Superstar. Due in stores March 21, the celebrity sex DVD is poised to become one of the top-selling adult titles of the year.
The sexually explicit video of Kardashian and actor/hip-hop artist Ray J has been making tabloid headlines for several months, fueled by interest in the couple's high-profile social connections. A close friend of heiress Paris Hilton, Kardashian is the daughter of late O.J. Simpson defense attorney Robert Kardashian, and step-daughter to Olymplic gold medalist Bruce Jenner. Ray J is the brother of actress Brandy and has lately been romantically involved with pop diva Whitney Houston.
In January, both Kardashian and Paris Hilton vehemently denied the video's existence. After several sources confirmed that an undisclosed third party had been shopping the property to adult studios, Kardashian admitted making the video with Ray J three years ago while the couple was dating. However, she insisted, the footage was never intended for public viewing.
In February, Vivid co-chairman Steven Hirsch announced that the company had acquired the video for $1 million. Two weeks later, Kardashian filed suit against Vivid for violating her right to privacy, demanding that the release be stopped.
Hirsch put the title on hold, but decided to move forward last week, stating that he had met with Kardashian and failed to reach an agreement. Kardashian has not commented on Vivid's final decision to release the video.
According to Vivid's national sales manager Howard Levine, Kim Kardashian Superstar has sold over 100,000 advance copies to date.
In an effort to combat video piracy, Vivid created its own custom packaging for the disc. "The surface of the DVD is a special yellow color available only to Vivid," Levine explained. "The disc comes in a special digipak with a window on the back that says if this DVD is not yellow in color, it is counterfeit and your quality will be compromised."
Thus far, Vivid has kept a tight lid on the Kim disc, releasing only a 30-second teaser on the internet. The few insiders who have seen the DVD vouch strongly for its contents. "This is without a doubt the best celebrity sex tape I've ever seen," Levine told AVN.com. "It blows away Pamela Anderson, Paris Hilton, Janine and all the others. On a scale of 1 to 10, Kim Kardashian is a 20."
Vivid's official Kim site is online at www.kimksuperstar.com.
