Skims co-founder Emma Grede and her $70 million California properties

By Kelsi Karruli

Grede says she was not surprised about the backlash over a recent headline.

Emma Grede promotes her book, "Start with Yourself," in Los Angeles on April 17, 2026.

Skims co-founder and longtime Kardashian confidante Emma Grede sparked an uproar recently when she confessed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that she spends a maximum of three hours with her children on the weekends-an admission that saw her face outcry from critics.

Grede, 43, who is the co-founder of Kim Kardashian's $5 billion fashion brand, Skims, as well as Khloe Kardashian's denim label, Good American, made the comments in an article titled "The Kardashian Whisperer Who Says Three Hours With Her Kids Is Enough."

She described herself to the outlet as a "max three-hour mom."

Addressing her life at home with her husband, fashion brand founder Jens Grede, and their four kids, Emma Grede admitted that she doesn't engage in many stereotypical parenting activities like "cutting sandwiches into star shapes" or reading every email that is sent by her kids' school.

During an appearance on the "Today" show, Grede-who is originally from London-addressed the backlash, admitting that she never anticipated her remarks would generate such a fierce debate.

"Well, you know, I just think that headline would never be written about a man. But, no. Was I caught off guard? Absolutely not, because I think that's what happens to women," she said.

"We are held to such an impossible standard both as parents, but also as businesswomen, and what I'm trying to do is be really honest about what it takes and be really honest about the things that I don't do.

"Everybody says, 'How do you do it all? How do you wake up at 5 and run the companies?' And, I'm like, let's give a list of all the things that I don't do because you know what's helpful? That's what's helpful to women," she added.

The businesswoman, who shares children Grey, 11, Lola, 9, and twins Lake and Rafferty, 3, with her husband, then explained what message she was trying to "convey" with her comments, noting that she was simply attempting to prove how hard every parent finds it to balance all of their obligations, while also finding some time for themselves.

"The honest truth is, and what I was trying to convey, when you go to work every day, Monday through Friday, you are spent by the time it gets to the weekend, and anyone who has children, you know that you don't spend eight hours [with them] on a Saturday and Sunday," she said. "You have errands to run, things to do."

Grede arguably has more responsibilities than most when it comes to her career, in which she straddles three different Kardashian-connected companies, a role with a separate fashion brand, and a podcast. She has also recently written a book, "Start With Yourself," which was released this month.

Emma Grede speaks with Martha Stewart while promoting her book in New York City on April 15, 2026.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Grede got her professional start when she dropped out of high school to pursue her dream of a career in fashion, a move that she credited to her desire to "get away from ... what I saw around me."

"I wanted a different existence. I wanted to be in charge of my happiness," she added.

Having launched a career in marketing, Grede was introduced to Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner-with whom she co-founded the plant-powered cleaning brand Safely in 2021-and, in turn, her daughters, two of whom she has also teamed up with on major brand launches.

As of June 2025, Forbes put Grede's personal net worth at a staggering $405 million, ranking her 88th on the outlet's list of America's Richest Self-Made Women for that year.

On the surface, Grede makes little show of her impressive wealth-save for the odd Instagram post documenting her family's latest vacation or a red carpet appearance alongside one of her A-list collaborators.

However, one quick look at her property portfolio reveals a very different story.

The brand whisperer, as she has become known, and her fashion label founder husband own two stunning California properties worth a combined $70 million: a picture-perfect primary residence in Los Angeles and a beach house in Malibu, which was previously owned by Brad Pitt, then Ellen DeGeneres.

They picked up their main abode for $24 million in 2020, the same year that Grede is said to have listed her longtime London townhouse for $6.8 million.

More from Realtor.com: A 'Dirty Ice' Block Smashed Through Their Roof. Now What?

In an interview with C Magazine about their stunning 1937 Bel-Air abode, the brand founder explained that she and her husband made the decision to relocate permanently to the U.S. to be closer to their business ventures.

"Ten years ago, when we first used to come here, you really felt locked out if you weren't part of the entertainment industry. It didn't matter if you were in tech, fashion, or art-this was a town for entertainment people," she explained.

"That's really shifted now. A lot of Silicon Valley is moving here, and there's the art and the music scene. What's driving culture today is food experience, travel, fitness, health, and L.A. is the capital of lifestyle."

Located on a 0.68-acre lot, the property, which was originally designed by architect Paul Revere Williams, boasts seven bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, as well as an abundance of entertaining areas, both inside and out-something that Grede's husband revealed to C Magazine was an essential part of their house hunt.

"A house is to be lived in. I never like anything to be too precious," he said. "Different parts of the house serve different ideas. Emma feels the same way. If we have a party, we open up the doors of the living room, and it's slightly more formal. But we've had our kids' birthday parties here and pool parties here. It's made for a lot of people to be here and for entertaining, and we use it well."

More from Realtor.com: Don't Skip Having an Open House, Even if You Live in a Hot Market

Records show that the couple purchased the home through a trust-the same one that they used to buy their incredible Malibu beach house for $45 million two years later.

That property, which is located on the Pacific Coast Highway, had previously been owned by A-list actor Pitt, who sold it to DeGeneres in 2012. DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, then flipped the dwelling and sold it to businesswoman Victoria Jackson, who then offloaded it to the Gredes.

Speaking to Architectural Digest in 2024, Grede and her spouse explained that they fell in love with the beachfront property as soon as they saw it.

"It was the light. When we saw this view, it was exactly what we had in mind for paradise," Jens Grede explained.

More from Realtor.com: Virginia Approves Redistricting, Signaling Trouble for Trump's Housing Agenda

Though newer than their primary residence, the midcentury modern dwelling-which featured five bedrooms and three bathrooms-still offered plenty of architectural heritage, having originally been commissioned by a former Navy veteran who later went on to launch a career as an aerospace executive.

Emma Grede noted in her AD interview that the smaller size of the Malibu home was appealing because it allowed the family to feel more together.

"Here you can see into every room, every window looks onto the lawn," she said. "I can hear all the kids because we're all so together."

More from Realtor.com: It's Earth Day-These Are the Eco-Friendly Home Pieces Worth Shopping Right Now

After buying the dwelling, which had sustained damage in the 2018 Woolsey fire, but is not thought to have been impacted by the 2025 wildfires, the couple carried out an extensive renovation that gave it what interior designer Jane Hallworth described as a "fresh perspective."

Grede noted in the 2024 interview that she and her family were spending every weekend at the property, noting that they were "still pinching [them]selves" that they had the opportunity to "touch the sand" so regularly.

This story originally ran on Realtor.com.

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-27-26 0459ET