In spite of his being camera-shy and his attempts to lead somewhat of a normal life, Rob Kardashian still cracked the mainstream consciousness as one of the members of the infamous family whose every move is followed on the reality show phenomenon "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" (E!, 2007- ). Robert Kardashian, Jr. was born on March 17, 1987 in Los Angeles. Kardashian was the youngest son of the late Robert Kardashian, a businessman and lawyer who was a key figure in his friend O.J. Simpson's legal saga, and Kris Jenner, who was married to Olympic champion Bruce Jenner between 1989 and 2015. He grew up in the shadows of his three older, fame-hungry sisters: Kourtney, Kim, and Khloé, who individually gained notoriety for their wild and crazy public antics, partying, soap opera-like romances, and in Kim's case, an infamous sex tape with her then-boyfriend, the singer Ray J.
Unlike his sisters, Kardashian maintained a low profile and focused mostly on his education. He considered dropping out of college, but was reportedly convinced by his former girlfriend, Adrienne Bailon of the singing group The Cheetah Girls, to finish his schooling. He graduated from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business in 2009.
Kardashian's low-key life eventually turned into a public spectacle when he joined the rest of his extended family on the hit reality TV series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." He also appeared on the show's spin-offs such as "Khloé & Lamar" (E!, 2011-12) and "Kourtney & Kim Take New York" (E!, 2011-12). While the lion's share of the drama on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" revolved around his sisters and their workaholic mother, show producers sometimes put the spotlight on Kardashian, perhaps to give viewers a break from the weekly screaming fests, shopping expeditions, backstabbing and name-calling courtesy of the female cast. Kardashian's on-and-off romance with Bailon was one of his major plotlines on the series, as well as the tension he caused between Kris and Bruce for refusing to pay his own way and move out of the house.
In 2011, Kardashian followed in his sister Kim's two left footsteps as a contender on season 13 of the reality TV competition "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ), along with actor David Arquette and pop singer Chynna Phillips, among others. He next appeared on the dating series "The Choice" (Fox 2012), and launched a designer sock line, Arthur George.