Khloé Kardashian defends Kim's controversial 40th birthday party getaway

Khloé Kardashian is speaking out about her sister Kim’s controversial birthday bash — and her own bout with COVID-19.

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians personality appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show Thursday and answered softball questions about flying to a private island — Tetiaroa, part of Tahiti, in French Polynesia — in a group during a pandemic to party for her sister’s 40th. And, no, she doesn’t regret it — despite the major backlash over Kim’s tone-deaf post bragging about the trip, which reportedly cost $1 million.

“Nobody knew where they were going,” Khloé reported bubbly. “We didn’t find out until on the plane. And it was so special.”

She said Kim planned the event, attended by “20 or 25” people, and didn’t tell people where they were going, only that it was a “tropical” locale.

“We were told three nice outfits for dinners or something like that but other than that we had no idea,” she continued. “It was the coolest experience to be that surprised.”

DeGeneres then asked about Kim getting “in trouble for talking about” the trip — though it was more about the tone-deaf nature in which it was delivered amid 228,000 COVID deaths and countless people unemployed — and Khloé insisted she hasn’t been paying attention to the headlines, but knew enough to know “that people were upset that we all went out of town.” She went on to defend the trip.

“This year is a frustrating year,” said Khloé, who, along with her family members, earns $900,000 per episode of KUWTK, now in its final season. “I think there’s so many frustrations going on for everybody. But also, it’s her 40th and this is something she really wanted to do for us. It was such a nice thing!”

She said they took many “precautions” — everyone there was reportedly repeatedly tested for COVID-19 before they flew to the island via private plane — and the group being there helped “the tourism aspect of it,” with the workers being “grateful” they were there.

“So many people said that we were their first party or guests that they’ve had in months — and what it’s done for them to be able to pay their bills,” Khloé said.

She said hearing that from the workers at The Brando, where prices start at $3,400 a night per person, made them “feel really good” about themselves. “And we did it in the safest way I could imagine someone doing it. It was such a beautiful experience and I want Kim to focus on how beautiful it was and what she did for everybody. I don’t want that to overshadow all the greatness that happened.”

Khloé confirmed Kylie Jenner was not on the trip because of “work stuff.”

She also spoke about getting COVID-19, which she was diagnosed with in March.

“It was so incredibly scary,” she said, especially due to the timing and all the unknowns. “I was really, really sick.”

She said the whole Kardashian family was tested at the time and everyone else was negative. (Brother-in-law Kanye West had it at about the same time, which she didn’t mention.)

“I was just quarantined in my room for about 16 days,” she said. “We had to wait until I had negative test results for me to leave. And that was the hardest part. I don’t care how beautiful of a place you have,” referring to the mansion she quarantined in, “being taken away from your child for that long — because I couldn’t be around my daughter —that was the most heart-wrenching thing.”

DeGeneres also applauded Khloé for co-parenting True with on/of-boyfriend Tristan Thompson — who was Kim’s birthday trip — but made a point to say she would no be asking if they are back together. Though they were photographed kissing at another one of Kim’s parties.

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