Kendall Jenner Opens up About Feeling “Out of Place” in Kardashian Family: 'I Didn’t Choose This Life'

Kendall Jenner has spent more than half of her life in the spotlight. She was just 11 when the first episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians aired, and she's had to deal with life in the spotlight ever since. She's not complaining — it's given her immense privilege — but she doesn't seem to be delighted with the role stardom plays in her life. Or, more accurately, she reveals, if she had it her way, she would not have chosen to live this way.

"Since I was really young, I felt out of place in my family," the model told The Wall Street Journal. "I was born into this life, but I didn't choose this life. I'm not built for [fame] by any means…. I'm not good at it. I do it, and I've learned how to do it."

That learning curve was not without its challenges. Jenner stated that she used to scream at paparazzi and has just recently embraced them as a part of life. "It took me [almost] 20 years to be like, Okay, I guess I'm getting used to it now and it's fine and I get it," she said, per Glamour. In contrast, her older sisters appeared to actively seek out publicity, "[Kim's] like, 'I used to go to Kitson on Robertson just to get photographed....' I think she was built for [this life]."

Maybe that's why she said that she feels more like a Jenner than a Kardashian. "I obviously understand I fall under the umbrella of the Kardashian sisters," she said. "It's just weird to me...because I am just like my dad in so many ways. I'm such a Jenner, in my opinion." Kendall firmly identifies with the Kardashian side of the family as well as being Caitlyn Jenner's daughter, whose athletic prowess brought her prominence. 

Kendall Jenner avoided falling into the trap of self-pity by stating that her circumstance is "challenging for me a lot more than it's not," adding, "I consider myself one of the luckiest people on the planet to be able to live the life that I live…. I'm not going to sit here and say, 'Poor me' [about the attention], but I do think that it's pretty intense…. People are more mean to my family in general. They take everything and make it a bad thing."

As each sister forges ahead in their respective spheres of the entertainment business, Kendall is well-known for her print and runway modeling as well as for founding the tequila brand 818.