The Kardashian-Jenner family has spent years proving they understand attention as well as any brand in sports or entertainment. Whether the spotlight lands exactly where they want it or not, it almost always works in their favor. That instinct is once again on display, this time through Kendall Jenner, who decided not to push back against online criticism, but to step straight into it and take control of the conversation.
In a new Super Bowl commercial for Fanatics Sportsbook, Jenner leans into the so-called “Kardashian Curse,” a long-running internet theory suggesting that athletes who date women from the family see their careers decline. Instead of avoiding the narrative, she turns it into the central joke, openly poking fun at her dating history with professional athletes and the idea that their on-court struggles somehow trace back to her.
Turning the joke into the message
Jenner’s approach stands out because it comes after a few public missteps in past advertising campaigns. This time, the tone is self-aware and deliberate. She laughs at herself, embraces the criticism, and reframes it as something she can use. The result has been widely praised, including by close friend Hailey Bieber, who publicly called the campaign genius, reinforcing the idea that this was a calculated and confident move.
The commercial also taps into a broader sports conversation. Kendall has been linked to several NBA players over the years, with her most public relationship being with Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, alongside past associations with Jordan Clarkson, Blake Griffin, and Ben Simmons. By bringing those names into the subtext of the ad, she acknowledges what fans already discuss online, while subtly questioning why accountability so often falls on the women involved, rather than on athletes’ performances themselves.
Flipping blame and calling out the noise
There’s a sharper edge beneath the humor. Jenner flips the narrative by highlighting how often women are blamed when things go wrong, especially in sports culture. Instead of rejecting the label, she exaggerates it, turning the curse into a punchline and aiming it back at internet trolls who criticize how the Kardashian-Jenners live, work, and make money. The message is clear: she knows exactly what people say, and she’s comfortable mocking it.
The reaction online showed how effectively the message landed. Jenner shared the campaign on Instagram, drawing comments from fans, celebrities, and even sports franchises. The New England Patriots joined in, jokingly commenting that they wanted her on their side to “end the curse,” a moment that many fans saw as proof that the ad had crossed cleanly into sports culture rather than sitting outside of it.
Not even a Kardashian, still owning it
The commercial also nods to the wider family dynamic, where dating athletes has long been part of the public storyline. Jenner even points out the irony at the center of it all: the curse carries the Kardashian name, and her last name isn’t even Kardashian. That detail adds another layer of sarcasm, reinforcing how loosely the label has been applied to her in the first place.
By leaning into the joke instead of fighting it, Kendall Jenner manages to reframe years of chatter into a moment of control. In a sports-entertainment world that thrives on narratives, she didn’t just respond to one, she rewrote it on her own terms.
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