Kylie Jenner is defending her decision to rent out entire movie theaters for private screenings with friends.
The 29-year-old beauty mogul made the revelation in a recent vlog, telling followers that she believes renting out a theater is necessary every time she watches a movie in Los Angeles due to her intense level of fame. “I’m going to the movies, we’re seeing Verity we rented out a theater,” she said in the video. Jenner then showcased the spread staff had left for her group: candy alongside six large buckets of popcorn, plus bottled water presented in what appeared to be a large champagne cooler.
Critics flooded the comments after the vlog was uploaded to X, with many questioning why someone with her wealth bothers with public cinemas at all. “I wouldn’t even recognize her.. Btw just get a bigger home theater if you are that wealthy,” one user commented. Another viewer offered a simpler solution: “Girl, go on a less busy day, wear a hat, glasses and get your security to come dressed casually. You will blend in. SMH.” A third commenter argued that Jenner’s concerns were overblown, writing: “She doesn’t have a unique look. Movie theaters are dark. Also it’s LA, where residents are used to seeing famous people and are more chill.” Others were more direct in their dismissal of her worries. “Kylie I promise you we won’t care if you walked into the movie,” someone typed, with another user agreeing.
The backlash also touched on Jenner’s considerable fortune, with Forbes having valued her net worth at £670 million as of March last year. Several fans pointed to her real estate holdings as an alternative. “Doesn’t she have a theatre in her big ass house??” one asked.
Yet the practice Jenner described is far more accessible than her lifestyle typically suggests. According to AMC’s website, renting out a theater can cost as little as $99 for older titles, while new releases typically range from $149 to $349 for an entire auditorium hosting up to 20 guests. When split between a group of ten friends, the private booking often works out cheaper than everyone buying individual tickets in Los Angeles.
The economics behind these low prices are straightforward. Close to nine in ten movie theater seats in America go unsold across all showtimes, and on a typical weekday afternoon, auditoriums usually run around a quarter full. The digital projector is already running, the staff is already on shift, and the air conditioning is already on, meaning playing a movie to an empty room costs the theater almost exactly the same as playing it to a full house. Securing a guaranteed $349 for a room that might have only held a dozen strangers is profitable, but chains make their real money when these private buyout groups inevitably hit the concession stand together.
The film Jenner chose for her private gathering was “Verity,” though the vlog did not specify whether this was the 2025 adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling psychological thriller or another project with the same title. What the video made clear was the scale of the setup: enough popcorn for a crowd, premium presentation of even basic beverages, and staff attention that ordinary moviegoers rarely receive.
The online reaction split between those annoyed by the display of wealth and those defending the practicality of her choice. Some commenters framed the rental as a reasonable security measure for one of the world’s most photographed women, while others saw it as another example of how the Kardashian-Jenner family remains disconnected from everyday experiences.