Kris Jenner's Mother Mary Jo Shannon Dies at Age 91
Mary Jo Shannon, known as MJ, the 91-year-old mother of Kardashian manager Kris Jenner and grandmother to the Kardashian-Jenner family, died on July 16, 2026. Kris Jenner announced her mother's death through an emotional Instagram post on Thursday, describing MJ as the heart of the family and crediting her with teaching values around family, kindness, and resilience. MJ was born July 26, 1934 in Arkansas and became a recognizable figure through regular appearances on the reality television shows Keeping Up With the Kardashians and The Kardashians. Before television fame, she ran a children's clothing boutique called Shannon & Company in San Diego from 1980 to 2025, where she gave her granddaughter Kim her first job. Multiple family members, including Kim Kardashian, posted heartfelt tributes on social media. The family has not disclosed a specific cause of death.
Key facts
- Mary Jo Shannon died July 16, 2026, just 10 days before her 92nd birthday on July 26
- She was the mother of Kris Jenner and grandmother to Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Rob Kardashian, Kendall, and Kylie Jenner
- MJ opened Shannon & Company children's clothing boutique in La Jolla, San Diego in 1980 and operated it for 45 years
- She survived cancer twice: breast cancer and colon cancer
- MJ appeared regularly on Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Hulu's The Kardashians since 2007
- Her daughter Karen Houghton died in March 2024 at age 65 from cardiac arrest
- No cause of death has been disclosed by the family
How different outlets framed it
Right-leaning coverage: Right-leaning outlets like Daily Wire emphasize MJ's personal character traits—her quick wit, resilience through challenges including cancer survival and her daughter's death in 2024—and frame her as a stabilizing family figure and moral center for the Kardashian-Jenner household.
Limits of this briefing
The family has not disclosed MJ's cause of death or health details surrounding her passing. Most coverage focuses on family tributes and her public legacy rather than investigative journalism about her later life or medical situation.
Sources
- NBC News: Kris Jenner announces death of her mother, Mary Jo 'MJ' Shannon Centre
- ABC News: Kris Jenner's mother Mary Jo 'MJ' Shannon dies at 91 Centre
- Daily Wire: Beloved Member Of America's Most Famous Reality TV Family Dies Right
- TMZ: Kris Jenner's Mom Mary Jo 'MJ' Dead at 91 Centre
- Grazia Daily: Who Was Mary Jo Campbell? Kris Jenner's Mother MJ Dies aged 91 Centre