Kris Jenner's Mother, Mary Jo "MJ" Shannon, Has Died At 91
Mary Jo Shannon, known to millions of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Kardashians viewers simply as MJ, and to Kris Jenner as Mom, died on Wednesday July 16 at the age of 91.
Kris confirmed the news on Instagram with a photo of her mother and a statement that said everything it needed to. "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. My mom was the heart of our family."
MJ was born on July 26, 1934. She gave birth to Kris in 1955. She later married businessman Harry Shannon, Kris's stepfather and father to her late sister Karen Houghton, who died in 2024, and ran a children's clothing store in San Diego before Harry died in 2003.
She appeared on the Kardashian reality shows from their beginning in 2007 through the current Hulu series, bringing a warmth and humor to the screen that made her a fan favorite in her own right. Her declining health had been documented on the show in recent seasons.
"She taught me everything that truly matters," Kris wrote. "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. She taught us that family is everything."
In the past two years, Kris has lost her sister Karen, her mother's health has declined and she herself underwent a hysterectomy following a tumor diagnosis. She is 70 years old, and her mother is gone. "My heart is broken," she wrote. "But I am forever grateful for every moment we had together."
No cause of death has been disclosed.
