(1955-)

Who Is Kris Jenner?

Kris Jenner married Robert Kardashian in 1978 and they had four children before they divorced in 1991: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Robert Jr. She married Bruce Jenner (now identified as Caitlyn Jenner) that same year and started managing the family franchise. The couple had two daughters, Kendall and Kylie. In 2007, Keeping Up with the Kardashians aired, giving rise to several spin-offs and making the family multi-millionaires.

Early Years

Jenner was born Kristen Mary Houghton on November 5, 1955, in San Diego, California. Her father, Robert Houghton, was an aircraft engineer. Jenner has one younger sister named Karen.

When Jenner’s parents divorced in 1962, her mother sold the family home in the Point Loma area of San Diego. Jenner, her mom and sister then moved to Clairemont, California, where Jenner attended Longfellow Elementary School.

A year after her parents’ divorce, Jenner developed a cancerous bone tumor. Fortunately, the cancer did not spread. After undergoing surgery to remove the tumor, Jenner was given a clean bill of health.

A few years later, Jenner’s mother remarried to businessman Harry Shannon. Three months after moving to Oxnard, California, Shannon’s business partner ran off with all the company’s money. As a result, the family moved back to San Diego.

When Jenner graduated from Clairemont High School, she was far more interested in becoming a wife and mother than going to college.

Marriage to Robert Kardashian

On July 8, 1978, Jenner married successful high-powered attorney, Robert Kardashian, whose best friend was athlete and actor O.J. Simpson. Jenner became close friends with Simpson’s wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.

Jenner and Kardashian’s marriage yielded four children: three daughters, Kourtney, Kim and Khloé, and son Robert. The couple divorced in 1991.

In the 1990s, Jenner was devastated to learn that Brown Simpson had been killed and that Simpson was being accused of her murder. Kardashian gained national fame by serving on Simpson’s defense team during Simpson’s highly publicized trial. Simpson was ultimately acquitted of criminal charges but found liable in the civil case that followed. In 2003, Kardashian died of esophageal cancer.

READ MORE: A History of O.J. Simpson’s Relationship with the Kardashian Family

Marriage to Bruce Jenner

Just after her divorce from Kardashian was final, Jenner married former Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete Bruce in 1991. As a result, she became the stepmother of Bruce’s children from his two previous marriages: Burt, Casey, Brandon and Brody Jenner. Jenner and Bruce also had two daughters of their own: Kendall and Kylie.

When Jenner married Bruce, she became not only his wife but his manager. Soon, Jenner was negotiating his endorsement deals and promoting his career as a racecar driver, in addition to directing the family franchise.

However, it was clear that Jenner and Bruce were having challenges in their marriage, as seen on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. In June 2013 the couple separated and shortly after, divorced in December 2014. The reality of their breakup was made even more clear when Bruce came out as transgender in April 2015. That fall he officially changed his name to Caitlyn and began identifying as female. The E! Network gave Caitlyn a spinoff series, called I Am Cait, documenting her gender transition.

Reality Star and ‘Momager’

In 2007, Jenner met with producer Ryan Seacrest; the result was the wildly popular reality TV show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, featuring Jenner and her family living the atypical everyday lives of celebrity entrepreneurs. The show has since led to multiple spin-offs, including Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami (later renamed Kourtney and Kim Take Miami), Kourtney and Kim Take New York, and Khloé and Lamar. Jenner’s youngest daughters also had similar spinoffs.

Serving as the manager of her biological children’s business ventures and public appearances, Jenner is a self-described “momager,” and credits herself with coining the term. Business ventures ascribed to the family franchise include everything from clothing, skin care and fragrance lines, to the tell-all autobiographies Kardashian Konfidential and Kris Jenner … And All Things Kardashian.

In 2013, Jenner debuted her own daytime TV talk show. The program, however, failed to attract enough of an audience to be renewed.

Personal Life

Since 2014 Jenner has been dating entertainment businessman Corey Gamble, who is 25 years her junior.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: Kris Jenner
• Birth Year: 1955
• Birth date: November 5, 1955
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: San Diego
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Reality television star and “momager” Kris Jenner appears on ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ with her famous family.
• Industries
• Television
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Schools
• Clairemont High School
• Longfellow Elementary School

Fact Check

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Kris Jenner Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/kris-jenner
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: June 12, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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QUOTES

• I’m a unique combination of mother and manager. I’ve actually trademarked the term ‘momager,’ which is what I am.
• The one thing we decide to do is to show everything and not edit ourselves.