Kris Jenner's Mother, Mary Jo "MJ" Campbell, Dies at 91
Mary Jo "MJ" Campbell, the mother of Kris Jenner and beloved matriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner family, has died at 91, according to multiple sources.
Specific details surrounding her death, including the cause, have not yet been widely confirmed. In a post on social media, the Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner shared news that her mother had died on July 16. Her passing comes just under a year after she celebrated her 91st birthday in July 2025 with a lavish, family-filled celebration.
A Life That Predated the Family's Fame
Campbell was born July 26, 1934, in Arkansas. At 15, she enrolled in Fashionability, a charm school for young women, before eventually building her own career in fashion. In 1980, she founded Shannon & Company, a children's clothing store in La Jolla, California, that she continued running for decades.
Campbell was married three times. Her first marriage, to her high school sweetheart, lasted only a few months. She went on to marry Robert Houghton, with whom she had two daughters, Kris (born in 1955) and Karen (born in 1958); the couple divorced when Kris was 7. Campbell later married businessman Harry Shannon, with whom she had another son.
A Fixture of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians"
Known affectionately by the family as "MJ," Campbell became a recognizable figure to viewers of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and its various spinoffs over the years, frequently appearing at family gatherings, birthdays and milestone celebrations alongside her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In recent years, Kris Jenner had spoken candidly about her mother's declining health. On a 2025 episode of "The Kardashians," Jenner grew emotional describing her mother's frailty at 90, saying, "I know my mom struggles with so much right now because she is 90 and she's frail." She added that the family had leaned on each other more closely in the years following the sudden death of Kris's sister, Karen Houghton, in March 2024.
Despite her health struggles, Campbell had continued living independently, splitting her time between Los Angeles and La Jolla, California, and had resisted her daughter's requests to move in with her. "I try to get her to move in with me, but she refuses," Jenner said on Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast in late 2025. "She's so independent, which I admire and love."
A Close Bond With Kris
Jenner has repeatedly described her mother as one of the most influential figures in her life. Speaking on the same podcast appearance, Jenner said the two spoke every day, often bonding over their shared love of true crime and Dateline. "I talk to her every day on the phone. We help each other with what we're going to watch. She loves Dateline as much as I do," Jenner said.
Campbell is survived by her children, grandchildren, including Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Rob, Kendall and Kylie, and great-grandchildren.
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