Jan Ashley: Robert Kardashian’s Second Wife, Marriage & Life

Jan Ashley was an American former beauty queen best known as Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife. Long before her brief connection to the Kardashian family, however, she had a life of her own that included winning a beauty-pageant title and a lengthy marriage to actor and producer John Ashley.

Born Janice Lynn Glass on August 3, 1948, Jan became associated with Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a young woman and won the title of Miss Tulsa in 1966. She later married John Ashley, whose entertainment career included acting and producing.

After John died in 1997, Jan eventually met attorney and businessman Robert Kardashian Sr., who had previously been married to Kris Jenner and was the father of Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob Kardashian.

Jan and Robert married in November 1998, but the marriage lasted only about 30 days before ending in an annulment.

Years later, Jan returned to public attention when she made controversial statements about what Robert had allegedly told her regarding Khloé Kardashian’s paternity. Those statements became widely discussed, but they did not establish Khloé’s biological paternity as fact.

Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015, at the age of 67.

Jan Ashley at a Glance

Detail	Information
Birth Name	Janice Lynn Glass
Known As	Jan Ashley
Date of Birth	August 3, 1948
Birthplace	Amarillo, Texas
Known For	Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife
Pageant Title	Miss Tulsa 1966
First Husband	John Ashley
Second Husband	Robert Kardashian Sr.
Marriage to Robert Kardashian	November 25, 1998
Marriage Length	About 30 days
Children	None
Date of Death	October 1, 2015
Age at Death	67
Burial	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Net Worth	Not publicly confirmed

Who Was Jan Ashley?

Jan Ashley was a former beauty-pageant winner who became publicly known through two notable marriages.

Her first husband was John Ashley, an actor and producer with a long career in entertainment. Following his death, Jan later married Robert Kardashian Sr., the attorney and businessman whose family would eventually become one of the most recognizable names in American entertainment.

Jan’s marriage to Robert was unusually brief.

They married in late 1998, but the relationship ended about a month later.

Because Robert was the father of Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob Kardashian, Jan’s short marriage eventually became part of the larger Kardashian family story.

She attracted even more attention years later after speaking publicly about conversations she said she had with Robert concerning Khloé Kardashian.

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What Was Jan Ashley’s Real Name?

Jan Ashley was born Janice Lynn Glass.

She later became known publicly as Jan Ashley after marrying John Ashley.

That surname continued to be used even after John’s death and during the period when she became connected to Robert Kardashian.

Using “Jan Ashley” therefore became the most recognizable way to identify her in public accounts.

Jan Ashley’s Early Life

Jan was born on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas.

She later became closely associated with Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she participated in beauty pageants.

Public details about her parents, siblings and childhood education are limited.

One of the clearest facts from her youth is that she became involved in pageantry while still a teenager.

That experience gave Jan a public identity years before either of the marriages that would later bring her wider attention.

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Jan Ashley Was Miss Tulsa in 1966

Jan won the title of Miss Tulsa in 1966.

She was around 17 years old at the time.

Her pageant background is important because it provides a glimpse into her life before she became known primarily through famous husbands.

Winning Miss Tulsa would have required participation in local competition and public appearances, placing Jan within Oklahoma’s pageant scene during the 1960s.

It also explains why photographs and biographies sometimes refer to her as a former beauty queen.

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What Did Jan Ashley Do for a Living?

Jan’s complete professional history is not extensively documented.

Her early public background is most clearly connected to beauty pageants.

Later in life, she was not known for maintaining a prominent entertainment career of her own.

Most of the public attention surrounding her came from:

• Her Miss Tulsa title
• Her marriage to John Ashley
• Her marriage to Robert Kardashian
• Her later comments concerning the Kardashian family

Because details about a long-term profession are limited, it is better not to assign Jan a specific career that is not clearly documented.

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Who Was Jan Ashley’s First Husband?

Before Robert Kardashian, Jan was married to John Ashley.

John Ashley was an American actor, singer and producer whose career stretched across several decades.

He appeared in films and television projects and later became involved behind the scenes as a producer.

His career included work in movies associated with youth culture, horror and action, as well as television production.

Jan married John in 1978.

Their marriage lasted for nearly two decades, making it dramatically different from Jan’s later month-long marriage to Robert Kardashian.

Jan Ashley and John Ashley’s Marriage

Jan and John Ashley were married from 1978 until his death in 1997.

The couple did not have biological children together.

Their relationship lasted approximately 19 years.

Unlike Jan’s later Kardashian connection, her marriage to John was not constantly discussed in celebrity media.

The couple largely maintained a quieter life despite John’s involvement in entertainment.

Jan became a widow when John died unexpectedly in 1997.

What Happened to John Ashley?

John Ashley died in October 1997.

His death ended Jan’s first marriage after almost two decades together.

The loss appears to have marked a major transition in Jan’s life.

Within the following year, she met Robert Kardashian Sr., who was himself years removed from his divorce from Kris Jenner.

That meeting would lead to a very fast engagement and marriage.

How Did Jan Ashley Meet Robert Kardashian?

Jan Ashley reportedly met Robert Kardashian Sr. in early 1998.

At the time, Jan was dealing with the sale of her home following John Ashley’s death.

Robert entered her life during this period, and their relationship developed quickly.

Robert was already well known within legal and business circles and had gained national attention through his friendship with O.J. Simpson and involvement in Simpson’s 1995 murder trial defense team.

He had also been divorced from Kris Jenner for several years.

Jan and Robert became engaged within months of meeting.

Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian’s Relationship

The relationship moved rapidly.

After meeting in 1998, Jan and Robert became close enough to marry before the end of the year.

At first, the relationship appears to have offered both of them the possibility of a new beginning.

Jan had recently lost her longtime husband.

Robert had already been through a highly public divorce and remained closely connected to the four children he shared with Kris Jenner.

Those previous family relationships eventually became important factors in Jan’s account of why her marriage to Robert did not work.

When Did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Get Married?

Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian married on November 25, 1998.

Their wedding took place in Vail, Colorado.

Jan became Robert’s second wife.

His first wife was Kris Jenner, whom he had married in 1978 and divorced in 1991.

Jan’s marriage placed her briefly within the Kardashian family, although the relationship ended so quickly that she never developed the long-term role of a stepmother to Robert’s children.

How Long Were Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Married?

Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian were married for only about 30 days.

Their relationship therefore became one of the shortest documented marriages associated with the Kardashian family.

They married in late November 1998 and separated by the end of December.

The marriage was subsequently annulled.

Because of the short timeline, Jan is sometimes overlooked when Robert Kardashian’s relationships are discussed.

Nevertheless, she was legally his second wife.

Why Did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian’s Marriage End?

Several explanations have appeared over the years regarding why the relationship collapsed so quickly.

Jan later suggested that unresolved issues involving Robert’s previous marriage and family placed significant pressure on their relationship.

Robert remained deeply connected to Kris Jenner and their four children, and Jan described the broader Kardashian family situation as difficult.

Other accounts have also indicated that disagreements about whether Robert wanted additional children may have played a role.

Because these explanations come from different accounts surrounding the failed marriage, there is no single publicly established cause that explains every aspect of the breakup.

What is clear is that the relationship deteriorated almost immediately after the wedding.

Was Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian’s Marriage Annulled?

Yes.

Their short marriage ended through an annulment rather than developing into a lengthy conventional divorce proceeding.

The annulment reflected how quickly the relationship ended.

Jan and Robert had no children together, and their time as husband and wife lasted only around one month.

After the marriage ended, Robert later married Ellen Pierson in 2003.

Did Jan Ashley Have Children?

Jan Ashley did not have biological children.

She had no children with John Ashley and no children with Robert Kardashian.

This is sometimes confusing because her second husband was already the father of four children.

However, Jan was not the mother of any of the Kardashian siblings.

Did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Have Children Together?

No.

Their marriage was far too brief to result in a family together, and there are no children from their relationship.

Robert’s four children were all from his first marriage to Kris Jenner:

• Kourtney Kardashian
• Kim Kardashian
• Khloé Kardashian
• Rob Kardashian

Jan’s relationship to them existed only through her short marriage to their father.

Was Jan Ashley a Stepmother to the Kardashian Children?

Technically, Jan became connected to Robert’s children through marriage.

However, describing her as a long-term stepmother would give a misleading impression.

Her marriage to Robert lasted approximately 30 days.

There was therefore little time for Jan to develop the kind of extended parental relationship generally associated with a stepmother.

Her later connection to the Kardashian children came primarily through public statements she made after Robert’s death.

What Did Jan Ashley Say About Khloé Kardashian?

Jan Ashley returned to widespread media attention in 2012 after making comments regarding Khloé Kardashian’s paternity.

Jan said that Robert Kardashian had told her he did not believe Khloé was his biological daughter.

According to Jan’s account, Robert allegedly discussed the issue with her during their relationship.

The comments attracted significant attention because questions and rumors about Khloé’s paternity had already circulated publicly.

However, Jan’s statement represented her account of what Robert allegedly told her.

It did not constitute biological proof.

Ellen Pierson Made a Similar Claim

Jan was not the only former wife of Robert Kardashian to make such a statement.

Ellen Pierson, who became Robert’s third wife, also publicly claimed that Robert had expressed doubts about Khloé’s biological paternity.

The fact that two women made similar statements increased media interest in the story.

However, repeating the same claim does not itself establish biological paternity.

Robert Kardashian died in 2003 and therefore could not publicly respond to the later media controversy.

How Did Khloé Kardashian Respond to Jan Ashley?

Khloé Kardashian strongly rejected the public claims made by Jan Ashley and Ellen Pierson.

She criticized the women for speaking about her late father and challenged the credibility and motives behind the statements.

For Khloé, Robert Kardashian was her father regardless of public speculation.

The controversy became particularly sensitive because Robert was no longer alive to explain what he may or may not have said.

How Did the Kardashian Family Respond?

Members of the Kardashian family rejected the idea that Jan Ashley’s comments should be treated as definitive evidence.

Kris Jenner and her children had already faced years of speculation about Khloé’s appearance and biological paternity.

The family maintained that Robert Kardashian was Khloé’s father.

The disagreement therefore became another public dispute between people who had known Robert at different stages of his life.

Was Jan Ashley’s Claim About Khloé Kardashian Ever Proven?

No.

Jan Ashley’s statement did not prove that Robert Kardashian was not Khloé Kardashian’s biological father.

She was recounting something she said Robert had told her.

No biological evidence accompanied the claim.

That distinction is important.

Jan’s statement is a documented part of the Kardashian family controversy, but it should not be transformed into a factual determination of Khloé Kardashian’s biological parentage.

Jan Ashley’s Life After Robert Kardashian

After her marriage to Robert ended, Jan largely returned to a private life.

She did not become a reality television personality and did not attempt to build a long-term career around the Kardashian name.

Her public visibility increased briefly when she participated in interviews about Robert and his family.

Otherwise, relatively little about her everyday later life became public.

This privacy sharply contrasts with the enormous celebrity attention that later surrounded the Kardashian family.

Robert Kardashian After Jan Ashley

Robert Kardashian continued with his personal and professional life after the annulment.

He later developed a relationship with Ellen Pierson.

Robert and Ellen eventually married in 2003.

Their marriage occurred shortly before Robert’s death from esophageal cancer later that year.

By then, Robert was widely recognized not only as a businessman and attorney but also because of his association with the O.J. Simpson trial.

His children would become globally famous several years after his death through Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

When Did Jan Ashley Die?

Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015.

She was 67 years old.

Her death occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the city with which she had been closely connected since her youth.

By the time of her death, her short marriage to Robert Kardashian had become a recurring detail in Kardashian family biographies.

What Was Jan Ashley’s Cause of Death?

Jan Ashley’s exact cause of death has not been widely established in public accounts.

For that reason, claims assigning a particular medical condition or event to her death should be treated cautiously.

The reliably reported information is that she died on October 1, 2015, at age 67.

Where Was Jan Ashley Buried?

Jan was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles.

Her burial location also reconnects her story with her first husband, John Ashley.

John was buried at Forest Lawn following his death in 1997.

Despite Jan becoming better known to many people through Robert Kardashian, her nearly two-decade marriage to John represented the much longer relationship of her adult life.

What Was Jan Ashley’s Net Worth?

Jan Ashley’s personal net worth was never reliably confirmed.

Some celebrity-biography websites may attach estimates to her name, but there is no strong public financial record establishing an exact figure.

Her financial situation could have been influenced by:

• Her own assets
• Her marriage to John Ashley
• Property
• Estate arrangements
• Her brief marriage to Robert Kardashian

None of those factors provides enough information to calculate a reliable personal fortune.

Robert Kardashian’s wealth should also not simply be presented as Jan’s net worth because their marriage lasted only about a month.

Jan Ashley’s Connection to the Kardashian Family

Jan’s connection to the Kardashian family was brief in time but lasting in public interest.

She occupies a unique position in Robert Kardashian’s relationship history:

1. Kris Jenner — first wife and mother of his four children
2. Jan Ashley — second wife
3. Ellen Pierson — third wife

Jan’s marriage stands out because it lasted for such a short period.

Years later, her comments about Khloé Kardashian brought her back into a family story that had become far more famous than it was during her brief 1998 marriage.

Why Jan Ashley Still Draws Interest

Jan Ashley remains searchable because her biography intersects with several recognizable names and stories.

She was:

• A former beauty queen
• Miss Tulsa 1966
• John Ashley’s wife for nearly two decades
• Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife
• Part of a marriage lasting about 30 days
• A later source of controversial comments about Khloé Kardashian
• Connected indirectly to one of America’s most famous entertainment families

Those different parts of her life make her more than simply a footnote in Robert Kardashian’s relationship history.

Quick Facts About Jan Ashley

• Jan Ashley’s birth name was Janice Lynn Glass.
• She was born on August 3, 1948.
• She was born in Amarillo, Texas.
• She became closely associated with Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Jan won Miss Tulsa in 1966.
• Her first husband was actor and producer John Ashley.
• Jan and John married in 1978.
• Their marriage lasted until John’s death in 1997.
• Jan later met Robert Kardashian Sr. in 1998.
• She married Robert on November 25, 1998.
• Their wedding took place in Vail, Colorado.
• Jan was Robert Kardashian’s second wife.
• Their marriage lasted approximately 30 days.
• The marriage was annulled.
• Jan did not have biological children.
• She and Robert Kardashian had no children together.
• Jan later made controversial claims concerning Khloé Kardashian’s paternity.
• Her statements represented her account and did not establish biological paternity.
• Jan died on October 1, 2015.
• She was 67 years old.
• Her personal net worth was never reliably confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Jan Ashley’s connection to the Kardashian family lasted only a matter of weeks, but it became the most widely recognized part of her biography.

Her life began far outside the reality-television world later associated with the Kardashian name.

Born Janice Lynn Glass in 1948, she entered beauty pageants as a teenager and became Miss Tulsa in 1966. She later married actor and producer John Ashley, and their marriage lasted nearly two decades until his death in 1997.

Robert Kardashian entered Jan’s life the following year.

Their relationship moved quickly, leading to a November 1998 wedding in Vail, Colorado. Yet the marriage unraveled almost immediately and was annulled after roughly 30 days.

Jan largely returned to privacy afterward, but she reentered the headlines in 2012 when she publicly discussed what she said Robert had told her about Khloé Kardashian’s paternity. Those comments generated controversy and a strong response from the Kardashian family, while never providing definitive proof regarding Khloé’s biological father.

Jan Ashley died in 2015 at 67.

Although she is most often remembered as Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife, her story also includes a pageant title, a long first marriage, widowhood, an unusually brief second marriage and a complicated connection to a family that became significantly more famous years after she left it.