Kris Jenner is mourning the loss of one of the most important figures in her life and the Kardashian-Jenner family legacy. The reality TV matriarch announced Thursday that her mother, Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon, has died at age 91.
While fans came to know MJ through her frequent appearances on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and the family’s subsequent reality shows, her influence on the Kardashian-Jenner empire stretched back decades before the cameras ever arrived.
In a lengthy and emotional tribute shared on social media, Jenner reflected on the lessons, love, and values her mother passed down through generations of the family.
“Today, we said goodbye to my beautiful Mommy MJ,” Jenner wrote on Instagram. “There are no words that could ever capture what she has meant to me or the heartbreak of having to say goodbye.”
The 70-year-old described her mother as “the heart of our family” and credited her with teaching the values that would become central to the Kardashian-Jenner family’s close-knit bond. “She taught us that family is everything. She showed us how to love unconditionally and how to find joy in the little moments,” Jenner continued.
The reality star also reflected on the lasting impact her mother had on her children and grandchildren, writing that she sees pieces of MJ in every generation of the family. “My heart is broken into a million pieces,” Jenner concluded. “I love you forever Mommy.”
MJ Shannon Helped Shape The Kardashian Family Long Before Reality TV
Long before the Kardashian-Jenners became household names, MJ was building a successful business of her own. In 1980, she founded Shannon & Co., a children’s boutique in San Diego that became a family gathering place and an early introduction to entrepreneurship for her grandchildren.
In a 2012 interview with The Daily Beast, MJ recalled a young Kim Kardashian spending time in the store and showing an early fascination with business. “I recall Kim sitting on this very floor and counting money,” MJ said. “She would sing, ‘Counting is the game, and money is my name.’”
The story has since become one of the family’s favorite examples of Kim’s entrepreneurial instincts long before she built her billion-dollar business empire.
MJ Endured Personal Tragedy Throughout Her Life
While millions of viewers came to know Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon through reality television, her connection to the Kardashian-Jenner family stretched back decades before the cameras arrived.
MJ gave birth to Kris Jenner in 1955 and later separated from Kris’ father, Robert “Bob” Houghton, when Kris was 7 years old. She eventually married businessman Harry Shannon, who became a father figure to both Kris and her younger sister, Karen Houghton. At the time, MJ operated a children’s clothing store in San Diego, a business that would later play an important role in the family’s life. Following Harry’s hospitalization in 2003, Kris stepped in to help keep the store running.
“My dad was in a car accident in 2003, and when he was in the hospital, my mom wanted to close the store, but I said I would run it for her,” Kris recalled in a 2015 interview with Haute Living. “I was exhausted trying to make it all work from San Diego, but I knew my mom and dad needed me.”
Harry later died from a staph infection contracted while hospitalized, a loss Kris described as “so devastating” for the family. In the years that followed, she threw herself into new business ventures, including opening a children’s boutique with her daughter, Kourtney Kardashian, before eventually agreeing to star on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
MJ Frequently Stole The Show With Her Unfiltered Advice
As the family’s fame exploded, MJ became a beloved recurring presence on both “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and Hulu’s “The Kardashians,” often stealing scenes with her humor and candid advice.
One of her most memorable reality TV moments came in a 2022 episode of The Kardashians, when Kim Kardashian revealed that MJ had once offered an unexpected piece of relationship advice.
“My grandma told me that you really live life when you have sex in front of the fireplace,” Kim said while discussing then-boyfriend Pete Davidson, adding that she and the comedian had taken MJ’s advice “in honor” of her grandmother.
Kris Previously Opened Up About MJ’s Health Struggles
In recent years, Kris Jenner had spoken candidly about her mother’s declining health and the emotional toll it was taking on the family.
During a 2025 episode of The Kardashians, Kris revealed that MJ had been struggling following the death of her daughter, Karen Houghton, who passed away in 2024 at age 65. “She’s frail,” Kris said in a confessional. “Ever since my sister passed away, she’s been super sad.”
The episode also showed MJ discussing some of the physical challenges she had been facing, including mobility issues caused by ongoing pain. For Kris, watching her mother struggle was particularly difficult. “This makes me really sad,” she said through tears. “I just hate it when she’s in so much pain.”
