Kris Jenner Biography

Kris Jenner is a famous television and internet personality. She is celebrated for her quirky personality and her fun-loving nature. Kris Jenner’s children and her being then Bruce Jenner’s  (now Caitlyn Jenner) spouse are also the other reasons for her being famous. Kris Jenner had a successful career as a reality television personality in her hit television series ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’. Kris Jenner’s children also appeared in the television series alongside her. Kris Jenner had had a prolific life and career as she paved her way to being a successful businesswoman. 

As we learn about Kris Jenner, we will attempt to learn more about the other aspects of life from her early career, her marriages, her children and more. 

Birth and Early Years

Kris Jenner was born on 5th November 1955 in San Diego in the state of California. Born to an aircraft engineer father, Robert Houghton, and his wife Mary, Kris was christened Kristen Mary Houghton. Kris Jenner has one younger sister called Karen. After their parents divorced in 1962, Kris along with her sister and her mom moved to the Clairemont region in the state of California. Their earlier home in Point Loma of San Diego was sold by Kris’ mother before they moved to Clairemont, where Kris was a student of the Longfellow Elementary School. 

Kris’ mother remarried businessman Harry Shannon, and thus, Kris also has a half-brother Steven Shannon from her mother’s second marriage. Kris also struggled with her health after her parent’s divorce, when she was diagnosed with a bone tumour in the year 1963. However, the tumour did not metastasize and she was able to recover after having undergone surgery for removing the tumour. After graduating from Clairemont High School in 1973, Kris was more inclined towards having a married life rather than pursuing education further.

Personal Life 

Kris’ first marriage was to Robert Kardashian, a successful attorney, on July 8, 1978, which is when she adopted the title, thus becoming Kris Kardashian. From her first marriage to Robert Kardashian, Kris had four children - three daughters, Kourtney, Kimberley and Khloé and a son Robert Jr. Unfortunately, this marriage did not last and the couple divorced in 1991. Kris, however, remained close friends with her ex-husband until he breathed his last in 2003 after a long battle with oesophageal cancer. 

Just after a month of having divorced Robert Kardashian, Kris remarried Bruce Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist decathlete in April 1991. This is when she changed her name and finally became Kris Jenner. As a result of the marriage, Kris Jenner became stepmother to Bruce’s children - Brandon, Burt, Casey and Brody Jenner from his two earlier marriages. Bruce and Kris had two daughters of their own - Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner. The Kris Jenner family tree, thus, includes a lot of children from different marriages of spouses. 

Kris Jenner’s marriage to her husband Bruce lasted only a little more than a decade as the couple separated ways in 2013 and soon after got divorced in 2014. After his divorce from Kris Jenner, Bruce publicly acknowledged that he was transgender in April of 2015 and identified as a female. Later that year Bruce officially changed his name to Caitlyn Jenner. The journey documenting the gender transition of Caitlyn Jenner was showcased on E! Network in a series called ‘I Am Cait’

However, it was clear that Jenner and Bruce were having challenges in their marriage, as seen on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. In June 2013 the couple separated and shortly after, divorced in December 2014. The reality of their breakup was made even more clear when Bruce came out as transgender in April 2015. That fall he officially changed his name to Caitlyn and began identifying as female. The E! Network gave Caitlyn a spinoff series, called I Am Cait, documenting her gender transition.

Kris Jenner has not since remarried and is presently dating Corey Gamble, an entertainment businessman and 25 years junior to her. 

Career

Kris started her career as a flight attendant for American Airlines in the year 1976 before her first marriage. While she was a homemaker during her first marriage to Robert Kardashian, her marriage to Bruce Jenner saw her stepping up her role as his manager as well as his wife. She was seen promoting Bruce’s career as a racecar driver along with negotiating the deals of his endorsement. She was also directing the family franchise ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’. 

This television show was based on Kris Jenner’s idea of a reality television show that was based on the various members of her family. In 2007, she first met Ryan Seacrest, the owner of a production company to discuss the idea. Seacrest decided to go ahead with the idea. Eventually, the E! cable network picked up the show to air and Kris Jenner acted as the executive producer of the show. The main focus of the show was on the personal as well as professional lives of blended families of the Kardashian-Jenner clan. The show debuted on 14th October 2007 and went on to become one of the longest-running television shows in the reality TV genre before airing for its 20th and final season in March 2021 with the last episode aired on 20th June 2021.  

Kris Jenner also tried her hand at hosting a daytime talk show driven by pop culture. The series began its six-week trial on several network stations owned by Fox when it began its 6-week trial on 15th June 2003. However, the show failed to capture the attention of its audiences and was not extended beyond its 6-week trial run. 

Even before the airing of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kris was managing the careers of Khloe, Kim, Kourtney, Kendall and Kylie, earning her the nickname, momager. She is also invested in managing the careers of her other children as well. 

Kris Jenner presently runs Jenner Communications, a production company of her own based out of Los Angeles, California. Besides her production company, Kris Jenner is also involved in collaborative business ventures with her children from time to time. In 2004, with her eldest daughter Kortney, Kris Jenner started a children's boutique named ‘Smooch’ which remained for 6 years before it shut down in 2009. In the 1990s Kris had sold equipment for exercise with QVC and later in 2011 launched a clothing line with them called Kris Jenner Kollection. 

Kris Jenner also dabbled her hand in authoring when she released her autobiography, ‘Kris Jenner... and All Things Kardashian’ in November 2011. She also later released a cookbook with the title, ‘n the Kitchen with Kris: A Kollection of Kardashian-Jenner Family Favorites’ that was published in October 2014. 

Kris Jenner has often been termed as the matriarch. She has served as the manager of the business ventures of her biological children. She is applauded for her career decisions and the meticulous planning she puts into the same. She credits herself with coining the term ‘momager’ and describes herself as such. Kris Jenner is undoubtedly an influential public figure and persona and her determination to put forth the strategic best is what is winning her the accolades and the cash at the same time.