Jan Ashley is the second ex-wife of attorney Robert Kardashian Sr., the late father of Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob Kardashian. They married in 1998, a few years after his divorce from Kris Jenner, and the marriage ended in an annulment in 1999 after only a few months.
She returned to the headlines in 2012 with explosive claims about Khloe Kardashian. This Scan Insider guide covers what is documented about her short marriage, the split and her later comments.
Key Takeaways
- Jan married Robert Kardashian in 1998; the marriage was annulled in 1999.
- Court papers from 1999 listed fraud as the ground and described a dispute over having more children.
- She and Robert had no children together.
- In 2012 she told Star magazine that Robert had said Khloe was not his biological child; the family rejected the claim.
- Her birth date, background and current life have not been publicly confirmed.
Quick Facts About Jan Ashley
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Known for | Second wife of Robert Kardashian Sr. |
| Married | 1998 |
| Marriage ended | 1999, by annulment |
| Length of marriage | About five months, per 2012 reports on the court papers |
| Children with Robert | None |
| Age | Reported as 63 in January 2012 (CBS Los Angeles) |
| Birth date | Not publicly confirmed |
Early Life
Almost nothing about Jan’s early life has been confirmed by a reliable source. CBS Los Angeles and Fox News both described her as 63 years old in January 2012, which is the only age reference we found in mainstream reporting.
Several bio sites claim she was previously married to actor and producer John Ashley, but they do not cite a record, and his Wikipedia biography does not name her. We therefore treat that link as unconfirmed.
Relationship With Robert Kardashian: Timeline
Robert Kardashian was a Los Angeles attorney best known for his role on O.J. Simpson’s defense team. According to his Wikipedia biography, his relationships after Kris Jenner unfolded like this:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Robert marries Kris Houghton (later Kris Jenner) |
| 1991 | Robert and Kris divorce; he later gets engaged to Denice Halicki, but they never marry |
| 1998 | Robert marries Jan |
| 1999 | The marriage ends in an annulment |
| 2003 | Robert marries Ellen Pierson about six weeks before his death on September 30, 2003 |
Why They Split
The clearest look at the breakup comes from court papers that resurfaced in January 2012. According to HuffPost, which described documents first published by RumorFix, the 1999 filing listed “fraud” as the legal ground and said the marriage lasted about five months.
In his declaration, Robert explained that the couple had discussed having more children. “Approximately two months after our marriage, I changed my mind,” he stated.
Jan has not detailed her side of the split in mainstream outlets beyond her 2012 interview, so the court papers remain the main record.
Her 2012 Claims About Khloe Kardashian
In January 2012, Jan and Robert’s widow, Ellen Kardashian, spoke to Star magazine. As CBS Los Angeles reported, Jan said: “Khloe is not his kid — he told me that after we got married.” She added that Robert once said to her, “Well, you know that Khloe’s not really a Kardashian, don’t you?”
The family pushed back hard. Kris Jenner called the allegations “crap” on Good Morning America, saying “I know who the dad was,” while Khloe responded on Twitter: “The audacity you have to mention my father’s name like this! Should be ashamed of urself!”
No evidence has ever been made public to support Jan’s claim, and Scan Insider treats it as an allegation only.
Children
Jan and Robert Kardashian did not have children together. Robert’s four children were all born during his marriage to Kris:
- Kourtney Kardashian (born 1979)
- Kim Kardashian (born 1980)
- Khloe Kardashian (born 1984)
- Rob Kardashian (born 1987)
For more famous families, see our celebrity kids section or the Frank Sinatra family tree.
For other celebrity marriages that ended, browse our celebrity exes category, including Nicole Threatt, whose divorce from Dr. Dre turned on a prenup, and Stephanie Sarkisian.
Where Is Jan Ashley Now?
Jan has stayed out of the public eye since 2012. We found no verified social media account, no recent interviews and no reliable report on where she lives or what she does today. Claims about her current status online do not cite sources.
If you prefer stories of marriages that lasted, see our celebrity spouses section, such as Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale, married to Frank Abagnale Jr. since 1976.
In short, Jan Ashley is a footnote in the Kardashian story: a brief second wife whose 1998 marriage ended within a year, and whose later comments briefly put her back in the news. Scan Insider will update this page if new, reliable details emerge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jan Ashley?
Jan is the second wife of attorney Robert Kardashian Sr., father of Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob Kardashian. They married in 1998 after his divorce from Kris Jenner, and the marriage ended in an annulment in 1999. She made headlines again in 2012 with claims about Khloe’s paternity.
Why did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian split?
Court papers from 1999, reported in 2012, listed fraud as the legal ground for ending the marriage. In his declaration, Robert said that about two months after the wedding he changed his mind about having more children. Jan has not publicly detailed her side of the split, so the court papers remain the main record.
Did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian have children?
No. Jan and Robert Kardashian did not have any children together. Robert’s four children, Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob, were all born during his marriage to Kris Jenner, which lasted from 1978 until their divorce in 1991. His 1999 court papers mention a disagreement about having more children.
Did Robert Kardashian remarry after Jan?
Yes. After his marriage to Jan ended, Robert Kardashian married Ellen Pierson in 2003, about six weeks before he died of cancer on September 30, 2003. That makes Jan the second of his three wives, between Kris Jenner and Ellen Pierson.
Sources
- Robert Kardashian – Wikipedia
- HuffPost (January 2012): Court documents and Kris Jenner’s response
- CBS Los Angeles (January 2012): Robert Kardashian’s exes claim Khloe is not a Kardashian
- Fox News (January 2012): Robert Kardashian’s widow and ex-wife make claims about Khloe
- Featured image (illustrative, not Jan): “Wedding ring with heart shadow” by Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons.
