Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon, the mother of Kris Jenner and grandmother of the Kardashian-Jenner siblings, died Thursday at age 91.
Jenner announced her mother’s death in an Instagram tribute, writing that the family had said goodbye to her that day. “My mom was the heart of our family,” she wrote, adding that her own heart was “broken into a million pieces.”
Kim Kardashian later shared her own tribute to the grandmother she called her “best friend,” “gossip buddy” and “forever twin.” Kardashian credited MJ with giving her a first job, encouraging her work ethic and providing a place where she always felt supported.
The family did not disclose a cause of death in its initial statements. Shannon, a former model and longtime business owner, survived breast and colon cancer and later became familiar to television audiences through appearances on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Kardashians.
Kris Jenner Called MJ the Heart of the Family
View this post on Instagram
Jenner said her mother taught the family to love one another fiercely, treat people with kindness and show up for the people they cared about. She also remembered MJ’s resilience, faith and ability to find joy in small moments.
People reported that Jenner described seeing pieces of her mother in her children and grandchildren. “There is not a part of me that isn’t shaped by you,” Jenner wrote.
The two remained closely connected through MJ’s final years. During a November 2025 appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, Jenner said her mother lived about a mile from her and also spent time in La Jolla, where she regularly sent Jenner photos of the ocean.
Kim Kardashian Remembered Her First Boss
View this post on Instagram
Kardashian described MJ as the family’s matriarch and said her grandmother’s love remained visible throughout the family. She also remembered MJ as one of the earliest influences on her work ethic and business ambitions.
MJ owned Shannon & Company, a children’s boutique in San Diego. Kardashian said the store gave her a first job and taught her lessons about strength, confidence and work.
Years before the Kardashian sisters opened Dash and developed their own companies, MJ had already built a retail business of her own. Kardashian wrote that her grandmother showed her what it meant to be a hardworking businesswoman.
MJ Built a Life in Fashion and Retail
Shannon was born in Arkansas on July 26, 1934. She worked as a model before opening Shannon & Company in 1980 and operating the boutique in the San Diego area.
She married three times. Her longest marriage was to businessman Harry Shannon, who helped raise Jenner and Jenner’s younger sister, Karen Houghton. MJ and Harry were married for about four decades before his death in 2003.
MJ also survived serious illness during her life. Reuters described her as a cancer survivor, and members of the family had spoken over the years about her breast and colon cancer history.
She Became a Familiar Face on the Family’s Shows
After Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered in 2007, MJ began appearing alongside Jenner and her grandchildren. Her dry humor and direct delivery made her a recurring presence during the show’s run.
Reuters reported that television credits list 12 appearances on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and three appearances on the family’s Hulu follow-up, The Kardashians.
MJ remained part of major family moments away from television as well. She attended celebrations, appeared in birthday and Mother’s Day posts and served as one of the witnesses when Kourtney Kardashian married Travis Barker in Santa Barbara in 2022.
Kris Jenner Said They Spoke Every Day
In one of her final extended public discussions about her mother before MJ’s death, Jenner told Jay Shetty that the two spoke every day.
Jenner said she had invited MJ to live with her, but her mother wanted to keep her independence. She described MJ as living part time near San Diego and said they often compared notes on what they were watching at night.
The final public tributes from Jenner and Kardashian kept the focus on the same family role. Jenner called MJ the center of the family, while Kardashian said her grandmother’s lessons about family and work would stay with them.