Mary Jo 'MJ' Shannon, Kris Jenner's Mother, Dead At 91

Kris Jenner's mother, Mary Jo "MJ" Shannon, died on July 16, 2026, at the age of 91. "Today, we said goodbye to my beautiful Mommy MJ. There are no words that could ever capture what she has meant to me or the heartbreak of having to say goodbye," Kris wrote on Instagram. "My mom was the heart of our family. She taught me everything that truly matters ... to love your family fiercely, to be kind, to show up for the people you love, and to never take a single moment together for granted." Shannon was grandmother to Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Rob Kardashian Jr., Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner, as well a great-grandmother to their offspring. 

Shannon was married three times prior to her death. Her first husband was her high school boyfriend; the couple divorced two months into the marriage. Her second husband, Robert Houghton, was Kris' father, and the two divorced when "The Kardashians" star was just 7 years old. Shannon's third husband of 40 years, Harry Shannon, precedes her in death, as does her daughter, Karen Houghton, Kris' sister. Shannon was a two-time cancer survivor — she had both breast cancer and colon cancer.

Fans of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "The Kardashians" will recognize Kris Jenner's mom, Shannon, from her appearances on the reality TV show. She was featured in several episodes over the years, interacting with her daughter and granddaughters. In a 2022 Mother's Day tribute, Kris showed her love and admiration for Shannon, writing on Instagram, "You are, and have always been, the most incredible mother, business woman, friend, grandmother, mentor and confidant. I could not ask for a more amazing mother and thank God every day that you are mine."

With Khloé Kardashian's Good American line, Kim Kardashian's SKIMS, Rob Kardashian's Arthur George socks, and Kendall Jenner's runway career, fashion seems to run in the Kardashian family — and it can be traced back to Mary Jo "MJ" Shannon. The mother of Kris Jenner and grandmother to the KarJenners was once a model and owned several clothing boutiques through the years. In 2017, at the age of 83, she was still running her latest store, Shannon & Co., in La Jolla, California. 

Shannon was close to her family. She was part of the Kardashian team on the "Family Feud" episode of Kardashians vs. Wests in 2018. When her granddaughter Kourtney Kardashian married Travis Barker in their legal ceremony, Shannon was one of only two witnesses. And one of the rare times Rob appeared on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," it was to plan his grandmother's birthday party. Khloé also thanked Shannon for "giving the best advice and telling the most fascinating stories," in an Instagram tribute in 2019, while Kim credited her grandmother on Instagram as "the woman who taught me my work ethic." Even Kylie Jenner has the name "Mary Jo" for her grandmother tattooed on her arm.

During a 2016 episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," the family interviewed Shannon about her life. When asked what perfect happiness is, Kris' mom answered, "Being around all my kids and seeing everyone happy. I'm very happy to be here. I like waking up in the morning and saying, 'Thank you God. One more day.'"