Jan Ashley was a former beauty pageant contestant best known as Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife. She was crowned Miss Tulsa in 1966 and later married the attorney in 1998. Their marriage lasted only about a month before it was annulled.
Jan was also previously married to actor and producer John Ashley. She had no children from either marriage. She later made headlines for comments about Robert’s family and Khloé Kardashian’s paternity. Jan died in 2015 at the age of 67.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Janice Lynn Glass Ashley |
| Known as | Jan Ashley |
| Date of birth | August 3, 1948 |
| Place of birth | Amarillo, Texas, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Parents | James Douglas and Monnie M. Glass |
| Profession | Former beauty pageant contestant |
| Known for | Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife |
| First husband | John Ashley |
| Second husband | Robert Kardashian Sr. |
| Children | None |
| Date of death | October 1, 2015 |
| Age at death | 67 |
| Place of death | Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Burial place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, California |
Early Life and Family
Jan Ashley was born Janice Lynn Glass on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas. She was raised in the same area.
Her parents were James Douglas and Monnie M. Glass. Very little reliable information is publicly available about her childhood, education, or siblings.
Jan was an American citizen. Sources describe her as Christian and identify her as white. Information about her early career is also limited.
Jan Ashley Was Miss Tulsa
Jan Ashley became involved in beauty pageants when she was young. She was crowned Miss Tulsa in 1966.
This was one of the few documented achievements from her early public life. She did not later become a major entertainment personality. Instead, she became known mainly through her marriages and connection to the Kardashian family.
Marriage to John Ashley
Before meeting Robert Kardashian, Jan Ashley was married to John Ashley, an American actor and film producer.
The couple married in 1978. They later moved to California, where John continued working in the entertainment industry. He was associated with acting and producing projects including The A-Team, Apocalypse Now, and Beyond Atlantis.
John and Jan did not have children together.
John Ashley died in October 1997. One source gives his death date as October 3, 1997, and reports that he died from a heart attack in New York City. He was 62.
Jan was later buried beside him at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.
How Jan Met Robert Kardashian
Jan met Robert Kardashian Sr. in early 1998. At the time, she was selling her home.
According to Jan’s later account, Robert came to see the house and noticed her photograph. He then contacted one of John Ashley’s actor friends to get an introduction to her.
Jan and Robert dated for about seven months before Robert proposed.
Robert had become well known as an attorney and businessman. He was also known for being the father of Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian.
Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian’s Marriage
Jan Ashley and Robert married on November 25, 1998, in Vail, Colorado.
The marriage was extremely short. The couple separated and had their marriage annulled about one month later. One source gives December 25, 1998, as the annulment date, while another simply describes it as an annulment after 30 days.
Their divorce was finalized in 1999, according to the supplied reports.
The reason for the short marriage was not publicly explained when the couple separated. Years later, however, Jan discussed the relationship in an interview.
Why Did Jan and Robert Divorce?
In a 2014 interview with Radar Online, Jan Ashley said Robert was often upset because of problems involving his children and his former wife, Kris Jenner.
Jan claimed that Robert was under pressure over family issues and money. She said the problems were not directly between her and Robert but involved his relationship with his children and Kris.
These comments are Jan’s account of what happened. They should not be treated as an independently confirmed explanation for the divorce.
Court documents also reportedly contained a different detail about children. They indicated that Robert and Jan had discussed having a child together. Robert later changed his mind because he already had four children.
Jan disputed that account. She said she had never planned to have a child with Robert.
Did Jan Ashley Have Children?
No. Jan Ashley had no children.
She did not have children with John Ashley or Robert Kardashian.
Robert already had four children from his first marriage to Kris Jenner: Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Rob Kardashian Jr.
Jan Ashley and Khloé Kardashian
Jan returned to the public spotlight years after her marriage to Robert.
In 2012, Jan and Robert’s third wife, Ellen Kardashian, made claims about Khloé Kardashian’s biological father in an interview with Star magazine.
Jan said Robert had allegedly told her that Khloé was not his biological daughter. She also commented on Khloé’s appearance and said she looked different from her siblings.
These were claims reported by Jan and Ellen, not proven facts in the supplied sources.
Khloé strongly rejected the comments. She responded on Twitter in a since-deleted post and criticized the people who discussed her father’s name and her family.
Kris Jenner later admitted in her memoir that she had been unfaithful during her marriage to Robert. However, that admission does not independently prove the paternity claim made by Jan and Ellen.
Robert Kardashian and His Family
Robert Kardashian was born in 1944 and became a successful attorney and businessman. He gained major public attention during the O.J. Simpson murder trial, when he served as part of Simpson’s defense team.
Robert was married three times.
His first marriage was to Kris Jenner, from 1978 until their divorce in 1991. They had four children together.
After his short marriage to Jan Ashley, Robert married Ellen Pierson in 2003. He died later that year from esophageal cancer.
Robert’s children later became major television and business personalities, making Jan’s connection to the family a continuing subject of public interest.
Jan Ashley’s Net Worth
Jan Ashley’s personal net worth was not publicly documented.
There is no reliable information about her income, assets, investments, or any financial settlement from her marriage to Robert Kardashian. Robert’s reported wealth should not be confused with Jan’s personal finances.
Later Life and Death
Jan remained a private person for most of her life. She did not build a major public career after her pageant years and generally stayed away from the media.
Her comments about Robert Kardashian and Khloé Kardashian brought her back into the news in 2012. She later discussed her short marriage to Robert in 2014.
Jan died on October 1, 2015, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was 67 years old.
She was reportedly buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in California beside her first husband, John Ashley.
Interesting Facts
- Jan Ashley’s full name was Janice Lynn Glass Ashley.
- She was born on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas.
- She was crowned Miss Tulsa in 1966.
- Her first husband was actor and producer John Ashley.
- John Ashley died in 1997.
- Jan married Robert Kardashian Sr. on November 25, 1998.
- Her marriage to Robert lasted about 30 days.
- The marriage was annulled in December 1998.
- Jan and Robert had no children together.
- Jan later spoke publicly about Robert Kardashian’s relationship with Kris Jenner and his children.
- She was involved in the 2012 media controversy surrounding claims about Khloé Kardashian’s paternity.
- Jan died on October 1, 2015, at age 67.
- Her personal net worth was not reliably reported.
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