Kourtney Kardashian’s Cuddle Experiment: How One Awkward Group Hug Revealed the Kardashian Family’s Struggle With Affection

In a family that has lived most of their lives in front of the camera, the Kardashians have always thrived on drama, business, and a relentless pursuit of the next big thing. But when Kourtney Kardashian decided to bring her sisters together for a “cuddle session,” she exposed a side of the famous clan rarely seen on TV: their deep discomfort with simple affection.

The Kardashian Family and the Affection Gap

“I don’t really remember being cuddly with my mom,” Kourtney admits at the start of the episode. The moment is striking in its honesty. For a family that spends so much time in the public eye, there’s a surprising admission: “You sisters would never cuddle. Me just giving my sister a simple hug just seems so not normal, like uncomfortable and awkward for both of us.”
It’s not that the Kardashians are cold or uncaring. Kourtney herself is openly affectionate with her own children, recalling how she’s “in bed with my kids under the covers, scratching backs and singing songs.” But when it comes to her siblings, the idea of a hug is almost taboo.

The awkwardness is mutual. “Are any sisters like laying in bed cuddling with each other?” Kim wonders aloud. “I don’t know.” The family’s approach to affection is, in their own words, “just not very affectionate.”

From Odd Jobs to Professional Cuddlers

The idea for the cuddle session comes almost by accident. During a meeting for her lifestyle brand Poosh, Kourtney and her team brainstorm content about “odd jobs”—from ASMR performers to professional Netflix viewers. That’s when someone mentions professional cuddlers.
“Maybe we just do an interesting story about cuddling,” Kourtney suggests, half-joking. But her curiosity is piqued. What starts as a quirky content idea quickly spirals into a full-blown Kardashian experiment.

“We could go see them at their jobs and test it out,” Kourtney proposes. The idea is both comical and, for this family, a little terrifying.

Enter the Cuddle Sanctuary

Kourtney and a friend head to the Cuddle Sanctuary, a place where professional cuddlers work with clients to provide platonic touch and comfort. “Did you know that loneliness is more lethal than smoking and obesity?” their host explains.
The session begins with gentle, non-threatening positions: sitting back-to-back, oxytocin hugs, and “cuddle trains.” Kourtney is hesitant but open-minded. “It does make me a little bit uncomfortable,” she confesses. When offered a hug, she politely declines: “No thanks. Thanks for your boundary.”

But as the session progresses, something shifts. “I didn’t really realize it, but I don’t think I’m affectionate with just anybody,” Kourtney says. She’s quick to note that she loves cuddling her boyfriend or her kids, but with strangers—or even her sisters—it feels unnatural.

The Family Reacts: “We’re Just Not Cuddly People”

After the session, Kourtney shares her experience with Kendall. The two agree: “I think maybe we all feel a little bit uncomfortable with affection.” Kendall admits it took her a long time to even be affectionate with a boyfriend.
The realization is oddly comforting. “I feel like this made me realize that I’m not like a cuddly person in general unless it’s my boyfriend or kid—you feel super safe, probably,” Kourtney reflects.

Kim, too, is honest about her discomfort. “None of us are [touchy]. Do you remember cuddling with Mom?” she asks. “No, more so with my dad.” The sisters laugh about how awkward it would be if Kendall joined a cuddle session: “She would die.”

The Cuddle Challenge: Hugging It Out

Kourtney, determined to get to the bottom of the family’s “affection gap,” takes her experiment to the next level. She begins randomly hugging her siblings, much to their confusion. “Why did you decide to hug me like that?” Kim asks. “Just seeing your reaction,” Kourtney shrugs.
The hugs are awkward, short, and met with suspicion. “I can’t ever see you and Kim hugging,” another sister jokes.

Kourtney even tries to hug North, Kim’s daughter, timing it for the “ideal” 15–20 seconds. North, predictably, thinks her aunt is acting like a “looney tune.”

The Group Cuddle: Awkward Laughter and Honest Connection

Finally, Kourtney brings the family together for a group session with a professional cuddler. The goal isn’t just to get close physically, but to explore why simple affection feels so foreign. “I’m just going to lean into this uncomfortableness,” Kourtney says.
The session starts with breathing exercises and laughter—nervous, awkward, but genuine. When the cuddler asks who wants a hug, there’s hesitation, but eventually, each sister says yes. The real challenge comes with the “spooning” exercise, where the sisters must lie down in a cuddle train.
After the initial giggles and protests, something changes. “After we get all of our laughing out, I think it actually does feel nice to just lay here with each other,” Kourtney observes. “Because there’s been so much misunderstanding or arguing or whatever has been going on with us lately, I think just having a moment together was just nice.”

Why Are the Kardashians So Afraid of Affection?

The episode ends not with a breakthrough, but with a question: why is affection so hard for this family?
Kourtney wonders if it’s generational, or simply a result of their unique upbringing. “I’m not like abnormal when I’m out in the world and I don’t think it’s holding me back in life,” she says. But she can’t shake the feeling that something is missing.

Kim admits she and Kourtney used to be “way more touchy-feely,” but lately, not so much. “I don’t think Courtney likes me very much, but that’s okay,” Kim jokes, hinting at deeper family tensions.

The Takeaway: Small Steps Toward Connection

For all their fame and fortune, the Kardashians are, in this moment, just a family trying to figure out how to be close. The cuddle session doesn’t miraculously heal old wounds, but it does spark a conversation—one that’s as awkward as it is necessary.
By the end, Kourtney is left with a sense of progress. “I really appreciate your curiosity and your open-mindedness,” the cuddle instructor tells her. “I think the fact that you came means you didn’t immediately write it off as something too weird.”

For a family that’s always in the spotlight, maybe the bravest thing they can do is let down their guard—even for just a 15-second hug.