You’d think having a household name would get you into every major celebrity hotspot, right? Nope. Just ask Kim Kardashian.
In a new profile in The Hollywood Reporter, staffers from SoHo House — the ultra exclusive London club founded in 1995 that has since expanded to 12 other locations globally — insist the Kardashian name doesn’t mean anything when it comes to trying to get your foot in the door as a member. Though the reality star will probably have no problem footing the $2,000 annual fee, Kardashian won’t be finding herself on the members’ list anytime soon.
“We denied access to every Real Housewife who applied. Kim Kardashian has unsuccessfully tried numerous times,” Tim Geary, the former membership director, tells the publication. “Kobe Bryant showed up and chose not to join. We didn’t let him up. There was a debate over Britney Spears. Not sure how that played out.”
So, why is the club so keen on keeping out the Kardashians?
“We tried not to give membership to people who would fuel paparazzi or bring press,” Geary explains, referring to the club’s goal of assembling like-minded — though often very important — creatives working in the film, fashion, advertising, music, art and media sectors in a non-intrusive environment. “The hardest memberships to deal with, though, were the headmistress of the school you wanted your kids to get into and the coaches of my sons’ baseball and soccer teams.”
SoHo House’s West Hollywood location, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, is perhaps most known for its private underground valet and “no camera” policy — making the hangout a sought-after place for industry power players to meet in peace.
“We have few rules,” Samantha Stone, the current membership director, says. “Obviously, we limit the places you speak on the phone, and no photos. Essentially we expect you to be a good person. And should any of those ‘rules’ — I hate that word — but should those be broken, it’s just not worth it to us. Because we ask so little.”
She continues, “If someone — or, more likely, their guest — posts something, I’ll call them and say, ‘Wow.’ There’s good-naughty, and we’re all about that. The camera thing is bad-naughty. It’s enforced.”
“They don’t take all of the usual suspects. It’s not snotty. That’s why it works,” business manager John McIlwee explains. “There’s self-policing. They don’t want any assholes in there. If they start to let them in there, then you have to sit with them.”
Sucks for the self-proclaimed selfie queen then.
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