For most people, turning 40 is a milestone—a time for celebration, reflection, maybe even a little reinvention. But for Kourtney Kardashian, the oldest Kardashian sister, her 40th birthday became a perfect storm of family chaos, emotional soul-searching, and, yes, a bald spot that nearly stole the show.

Here’s what really happened behind the scenes as Kim and Khloé tried to plan Kourtney’s big day, and what Kourtney’s crisis means for the world’s most famous reality TV family.

“It’s My 40th Birthday—But I Hate Being the Center of Attention”

From the very first moment, Kourtney makes it clear: she’s not your typical Kardashian when it comes to birthdays. “It is my 40th birthday and so everyone’s been asking what are we going to do,” she says, her voice tinged with both gratitude and anxiety. “It’s a nice feeling that everyone cares, but it’s just a lot of pressure and I’m not typically someone who has a big party for my birthday.”

Instead, Kourtney dreams of something simple: a getaway with friends, maybe some time with her kids. “I hate being the center of attention,” she admits. And while she trusts Khloé to help plan, she’s quick to point out that their tastes don’t always align. “Our taste levels are a little bit different,” she says, hinting that even the smallest details could become a battleground.

Party Planning Panic: “I Just Don’t Want a Cheesy Party”

Khloé, ever the hands-on sister, drops by to check in—despite being a little under the weather. The party-planning session quickly turns into a negotiation. “I just don’t want a cheesy party,” Kourtney insists. “I don’t want everyone going like ‘woo,’ I don’t want a theme, I don’t want a speech, and I don’t want to have to say thank you to everybody for coming.”

Khloé tries to lighten the mood, joking, “Why don’t we do an ‘I Hate Court’ party?” But Kourtney’s anxiety is real. “That actually sounds awful. That gives me anxiety.”

The conversation is interrupted by a mundane but telling moment: Kourtney needs a Kleenex, but none can be found. “Just shut up and use toilet paper,” Khloé snaps, the sisters’ banter as sharp as ever. But underneath the jokes, there’s tension—Kourtney wants control, but she also wants to let go. It’s a dynamic anyone planning a milestone birthday can relate to.

Themes, Invitations, and Indecision: “I Don’t Want a Party—But I Want a Party”

As the planning continues, the Kardashians’ group chat is abuzz with rumors about the theme. Diana Ross? Somewhere Over the Rainbow? Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz? Kourtney shoots them all down. “She’s not really my vibe. I’m not into the red glittery shoes,” she says.

Meanwhile, Khloé is deep in party-planning mode for her own daughter True’s first birthday, juggling rainbow parasols, colored fog, and a playlist of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” covers. The contrast between the sisters’ approaches couldn’t be clearer: Khloé loves a big statement, Kourtney wants something low-key.

Then comes the invitation disaster. Kourtney is horrified when she sees a draft invite featuring a nude photo of herself and the words “40 never looked so good.” “That’s humiliating,” she says, mortified. “Who on Earth would think that’s okay? That’s like me saying, ‘Hey everyone, look how great I look.’ So embarrassing.”

Thankfully, the invite is pulled before it goes out. But the damage is done: Kourtney feels exposed, and her indecision only grows. “I don’t want a party but I want a party,” she sighs. “Don’t we have 40 years of this to know what she’s like?” Kim quips. “We should just accept you for being an annoying, indecisive, complaining [expletive].”

The Bald Spot Scare: “I Swear It’s From My Ponytail in New York”

As if party planning wasn’t enough, Kourtney is hit with a new crisis: a bald spot on the top of her head. “I wore this insanely tight ponytail in New York, and it like pulled out the whole [section],” she explains to her doctor. Kim and Khloé are horrified. “You have to go to the hospital right now!” Kim exclaims.

Kourtney opts for a trendy solution: PRP injections, where her own plasma is injected into her scalp to stimulate hair growth. “For the love of my bald spot,” she jokes, trying to keep things light. The procedure is uncomfortable but quick, and the doctor reassures her that she’ll likely be fine after a few treatments.

But the symbolism isn’t lost on Kourtney—or viewers. The bald spot is a literal manifestation of the stress she’s under, a sign that even reality TV royalty aren’t immune to the pressures of aging, beauty, and public scrutiny.

“Turning 40 Makes You Analyze Where You’re At in Life”

As the birthday approaches, Kourtney’s anxiety deepens. “Everyone else is making it such a big deal that it really makes me analyze my life,” she confides. “I just had this really overwhelming feeling that’s hard to explain.”

She opens up to her mom, Kris, about the pressure she feels—not just to celebrate, but to have her life figured out. “Turning 40 makes you analyze like where you’re at in your life. Who do I want to grow old with? Do you feel like society is making you feel like you have to decide right now?”

Kourtney’s honesty is raw and relatable. She admits she doesn’t know what she wants, especially when it comes to relationships. “Half of me is like, live your life, have fun, and then when you want to date someone, you do it. But then I’m like, is it scary not knowing if it’s the right thing?”

Her relationship with Scott Disick, the father of her children, is stable but lacks passion. “I don’t feel any passion,” she confesses. “I think you feel incomplete somewhere, but you’re scared—like if you do go back with Scott and it fails, or not being able to see somebody else that you care for.”

The weight of expectation is heavy. “It feels like I have to have it all figured out for some reason by my birthday, and I’m still soul searching,” she says, her voice breaking. “It’s almost like imagining what you think your life would look like at this age, but it doesn’t. It’s making me feel like I failed in some way, and I don’t know why. I have so much and I should just be so happy.”

Family, Fame, and the Pressure to Be Perfect

For all their fame and fortune, the Kardashians are, at their core, a family—one that’s not immune to the same anxieties, insecurities, and sibling drama as any other. Kourtney’s 40th birthday becomes a microcosm of the pressures facing women everywhere: to celebrate milestones with joy, to look perfect, to have their relationships and futures neatly mapped out.

But as Kourtney’s journey shows, it’s okay not to have all the answers. Sometimes, the most honest thing you can do is admit you’re still figuring it out.

The Takeaway

Kourtney Kardashian’s 40th birthday wasn’t the glamorous, Instagram-perfect bash the world might expect. It was messy, emotional, and real—a reminder that even the Kardashians struggle with the same fears and doubts as the rest of us.

As the confetti settles and the party winds down, one thing is clear: turning 40 is less about the perfect party, and more about accepting where you are, bald spots and all.

Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes Kardashian drama, because in this family, the next crisis is always just around the corner.