Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian’s relationship became too “dark and heavy” for their reality show to continue, it has been claimed.
The 33-year-old model is suing the family of her former fiancé – his mother Kris Jenner, sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian and half-sister Kylie Jenner – for defamation and intentional interference with her E! contract.
But their lawyer, Michael G. Rhodes, insisted the “central problem” with the case is the former make-up artist’s belief that the programme “Rob & Chyna” was ”about her“.
In closing arguments for the trial, Michael said: “It was never her show. This is the central problem in this case. She thinks this show was about her. It wasn’t her show.
“It was a show about a relationship. It was about both of them.
“It’s just one of those relationships that didn’t work. This was supposed to be a lighthearted romantic comedy.
“Rob Chyna in Love was the working title. It’s what the network was trying to produce. The show’s premise was to be lighthearted, a romantic family comedy.”
Referring to the negative press surrounding Chyna, he added: “This wasn’t the kind of content the network wanted to put out. The network wanted the same kind of tone as ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’.
“And, yeah, the Kardashians have problems. They’re real people too but there’s a point it becomes too much. It became dark and heavy.
“This is a real family. Yeah, they’re famous but they are real people.”
The lawyer noted that although there was an option for a second season of “Rob & Chyna'” there was never an obligation to renew the series but insisted executives did their best to keep it going, despite the way Rob and Chyna’s relationship was rapidly falling apart.
He added: “The relationship at the heart of ‘Rob & Chyna’ was unravelling. They were on/off, on/off but by February it’s gone off the cliffs,” Rhodes said, before noting, "This doesn't have a happy ending. It's kind of sad. This is a very sad story. It’s grim.
“If you're the network executive is this the show you want to air? Everybody tried to save the show.
“They weren't trying to kill the show. They were trying to buy time to save it; to pave a road to save it.”