18 Celebrities With A Surprising Connection To The Kardashians

Keeping Up With Those Kardashian Konnections.

1. Elvis Presley

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Yes, really. Elvis dated actor and musician Linda Thompson between 1974 and1976. After their relationship ended, Linda married a certain Caitlyn Jenner, with whom she shares two sons, Brandon and Brody Jenner – Kendall and Kylie's half-brothers.

However, the coincidence doesn't end there. Robert Kardashian Sr dated Priscilla Presley – Elvis's former wife – before he married Kris Jenner.

2. Travis Barker

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As far as unlikely friendships go, Blink 182's Travis Barker being pals with the Kardashian sisters seems pretty up there. However, he knows the family from ~back in the day~, when he was dating Paris Hilton and Kim was her BFF. In fact, he recently revealed that he actually had a massive crush on Kim while he was with Paris. Nowadays, his children are friends with Kourtney's, and he even recently made a cameo on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

3. Avril Lavigne

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In an unlikely celebrity pairing, ~rock chick~ Avril Lavigne dated Brody Jenner for two years between 2010 and 2012. The first fashion show for her line Abbey Dawn was actually shown on an episode of KUWTK spin-off, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, with Kim and Kourtney both in attendance, and Kylie Jenner walking the runway. Avril also attended Kim's wedding to Kris Humphries.

4. Pharrell Williams

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Did you know that Pharrell is partly responsible for North West's name? Kim revealed that she and Kanye hadn't really contemplated naming their daughter "North", but after a rumour began circulating in the press, Pharrell made it known that he thought it was a great idea.

Kim told GQ: "We'd never really considered the name seriously at all. But Kanye and I were having lunch and Pharrell came over to us and said: "Oh my god, are you guys really going to call your daughter North? That is the best name."

After Anna Wintour agreed that the name was "genius", the name North stuck.

5. Michael Jackson

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Kim's first boyfriend was Michael Jackson's nephew T.J. Jackson, who she dated between the ages of 12 and 15. In fact, her 14th birthday party was actually held at Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch, where there were "baby elephants and chimpanzees in overalls".

To this day, Kim is still in possession of a fake chicken foot that was used as a prop in a Michael Jackson video, and a confidentiality agreement signed by him.

But the connection doesn't end there. Kourtney dated Taryll Jackson, another of Michael's nephews, when they were teenagers, and she and Kris Jenner recently attended his 40th birthday celebrations. Furthermore, Kris recently revealed that she's "obsessed" with Michael Jackson, and that Scott Disick had bought her artwork of him for Christmas that's currently hanging in her office.

6. Kylie Minogue

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Believe it or not, Kylie Minogue and Kylie Jenner were embroiled in a legal battle over their shared first name for two years.

In 2015, Kylie Jenner attempted to register "KYLIE" in the US for "advertising and endorsement services". Kylie Minogue's team fired back saying that the trademark would "damage" her branding.

They were pretty savage in the paperwork, stating that Minogue was an "internationally renowned performing artist, humanitarian and breast cancer activist" whereas Jenner was a "secondary reality television personality who has drawn criticism for her photographic exhibitionism and controversial social media posts".

Almost two years later, it appears the two Kylies reached a settlement out of court.

7. Jackie Kennedy

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If reports are to be believed, Kim Kardashian is now in possession of a watch that used to belong to Jackie Kennedy – and boy did she want it. She apparently placed a secret bid on the watch, that was being auctioned at Christie's, for $379,500 – more than triple the asking price. It's a simple vintage design with an engraving on the back reading "February 23, 1963" – the same year John F. Kennedy died. Watch out for it on Kim's wrist.

8. Jessica and Ashlee Simpson

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Shortly after Jessica Simpson split from Nick Lachey in 2006, he went on a date with an unheard-of Kim Kardashian. The relationship didn't last, though, and he later claimed that Kim had tipped off the paparazzi to take photos of them together.

Then, a year later and just weeks before her sex tape was leaked, Kim appeared in Fall Out Boy's video for "Thnks fr th Mmrs", in which she snogged Pete Wentz. At the time he was dating Ashlee Simpson, who he went on to marry the following year.

9. Jackie Cruz

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We may know her as Flaca on Orange Is the New Black, but back in 2009, Jackie Cruz struck up an unlikely friendship with Kourtney Kardashian while she was filming the spin-off Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami. In fact, she and Kourtney ended up making out in a club during one episode, and Jackie then became part of a storyline in which Kourtney tried to make Scott jealous by flirting with her.

10. Marcia Clark

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Yes, we all know the connection between the Kardashians and the O.J. Simpson trial, but the relationship between Marcia Clark and Kris Jenner often goes unnoticed.

After Kris was sent to Nicole Simpson's home days after the murders to pick up Nicole's children's belongings, Kris saw a red handprint on the poster of Syndey Simpson's bed. Assuming it was blood, she immediately called Marcia, who sent forensic scientists to the scene. The stain turned out to be jelly, but Marcia and Kris remained close throughout the trial. In fact, Marcia even wanted to put Kris on the stand as a witness but couldn't as most of her evidence would have been considered hearsay.

11. Rob Lowe

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Before Kim became a celebrity, she ran a showbiz closet-organising business. This entailed going to the homes of the rich and famous, clearing their closets and then selling any clothes they didn't want on eBay. One of her first clients was a Mr Rob Lowe.

12. Serena Williams

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Serena was also one of Kim's early clients when she was working as a closet organiser. Unlike many of the others, however, Kim remained friends with her and the pair hang out all the time. In fact, Serena spent the night before her US Open match against her sister in 2015 sipping and spilling the tea with Kim.

13. The Osbournes

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Without the Osbourne family, we may never have had KUWTK on our screens. In fact, Kris Jenner was inspired to pitch a reality show involving her family to E! after witnessing the success of MTV's The Osbournes. That show came to an end in 2005, and Kris noticed a gap in the market that her family could slot right into. E! agreed, and the rest is history.

14. Spencer Pratt

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There was a time when Spencer Pratt was reality TV royalty after his part on The Hills. He was best friends with Brody Jenner, and Kim used that connection to shoot scenes for the show, but they all ended up on the cutting room floor. However, apparently, one day Kris cornered Spencer and asked him to manage Kim. Spencer "laughed in her face" and refused – something he says he deeply regrets now. How different things might have been.

15. Cheryl

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She may be one of the UK's biggest stars, but across the pond Cheryl isn't particularly well known. However, she has actually become friends with the Kardashians over the years. It all began when Cheryl wrote an open letter to Kim offering her support and sympathy during the body-shaming she experienced during her pregnancy with North. Kim responded, saying she was "touched".

Kim, Khloe and Cheryl then got together at a Kanye West concert the next time Cheryl was in LA, and she and Khloe had an immediate connection. In fact, they've both spoken about their instant friendship on social media. And Cheryl's boyfriend Liam Payne also recently revealed that KUWTK is on in their house constantly.

16. Brandy

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Kim was friends with singer Brandy before either of them were famous, and through that friendship she came to meet her brother, who just happens to be Ray J. So, without Brandy, we may never have had a Kim Kardashian sex tape.

17. Simon Cowell

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The Kardashians don't just mix with Simon Cowell in showbiz circles. Back in 2011, Simon was actually Khloe's boss when he signed her up as one of the hosts on The X Factor USA. She only lasted one season before Simon axed her.

18. Marilyn Monroe

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Way back in 2007, Kim was asked to pose for the December issue of Playboy. She agreed to the shoot on the condition that she wouldn't be fully naked. However, after Hugh Hefner saw the images, he invited her to his mansion where he told her she needed to ~show more skin~. Kim was initially reluctant, until he told her that he launched the magazine with a December issue with one particularly iconic star on the cover: Marilyn Monroe. Hearing that she'd be in good company was enough to convince Kim to pose fully nude, and birthed one of the most iconic GIFs of all time.