Kris Jenner Biography: Age, Real Name, Family, Career & Latest News
Who Is Kris Jenner? Biography, Age, Real Name, Career, Family, Businesses & Latest News
Kris Jenner is the American television personality, producer and talent manager at the center of the Kardashian-Jenner family. She executive produces the family’s reality shows, manages the careers of several of her daughters, and helped build a business empire out of a 2007 television pitch. She trademarked her own title, momager, and over nearly two decades has become one of the most recognizable figures in reality television. At 70, she is still a main cast member of The Kardashians, whose eighth season is airing now.
This biography covers her name and background, how she moved from raising a family in Southern California to running a media enterprise, her marriages and children, her recent news, and the facts readers search for most. It uses information that can be confirmed and treats unverified claims as exactly that.
What Is Kris Jenner’s Real Name?
Kris Jenner was born Kristen Mary Houghton. She has used several surnames over the years. She became Kris Kardashian after her first marriage and Kris Jenner after her second, and she has kept the Jenner name professionally since the divorce.
How Old Is Kris Jenner?
She was born on November 5, 1955, which makes her 70 years old as of this article. She turns 71 on November 5, 2026.
Where Is Kris Jenner From?
She was born in San Diego, California, and grew up in that area. She is American. She has described her upbringing as modest, shaped by a mother who worked hard and a father whose job as an engineer kept the family steady.
Kris Jenner’s Early Life and Family
Her father was Robert Houghton, an engineer who died in 1990. Her mother was Mary Jo Houghton, later known as Mary Jo Campbell and, at another point, Mary Jo Shannon, who became a fan favorite on the family’s television shows as “MJ.” Kris has an older sister, Karen Houghton.
MJ died on July 16, 2026, at age 91, just days before what would have been her 92nd birthday. Kris announced the death on Instagram, and the family has not publicly shared a cause. Kris has long credited her mother for her work ethic and her entrepreneurial streak.
Kris Jenner’s First Marriage to Robert Kardashian
Kris married attorney Robert Kardashian in 1978. They had four children: Kourtney (born in 1979), Kim (1980), Khloé (1984) and Rob (1987). Robert Kardashian Sr. became widely known as one of the defense lawyers for O.J. Simpson during the 1995 murder trial, and Kris was a close friend of Simpson’s former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. That friendship left a lasting mark. Her daughter Kendall’s middle name, Nicole, was a tribute to Brown Simpson.
The Kardashians divorced in 1991. Robert Kardashian Sr. died in September 2003 at age 59, after a brief illness with esophageal cancer.
Kris Jenner’s Second Marriage to Caitlyn Jenner
In 1991, Kris married Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner, who later came out as transgender and became Caitlyn Jenner in 2015. They had two daughters, Kendall (born in 1995) and Kylie (1997). The couple separated in 2013, and the divorce was finalized in 2014. Kris and Caitlyn have since appeared on screen together again, and a reunion between them was highlighted in coverage of a recent season of The Kardashians.
How Did Kris Jenner Start Her Career?
For years, Kris was primarily a homemaker and a business-minded mother who helped manage her children’s early careers and the family’s social circle. She has said she came up with the idea for a family reality show in the mid-2000s, partly inspired by seeing how her kids’ lives were already drawing attention.
The turning point came in 2007, when she met with producer Ryan Seacrest to pitch a series built around her blended family. The result was Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which premiered on the E! network on October 14, 2007. It starred Kris, Bruce, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Rob, Kendall and Kylie, and it ran for 20 seasons until 2021.
Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Kardashians
The show made Kim Kardashian a household name and turned the whole family into a business. Kris served as an executive producer and a central character, appearing as the organizer behind her children’s ventures, the person who negotiated their appearances and brand deals, and, in the show’s storylines, a mix of confidant, referee and manager.
After KUWTK ended, the family moved to Hulu with The Kardashians, which premiered on April 14, 2022. The show has continued for multiple seasons, with Kris in a main role and as an executive producer. The eighth season began on October 8, 2026, and is scheduled to run through December 10, 2026.
The Momager and Kris Jenner’s Business Ventures
Kris has long described her role as momager, a term she popularized and attempted to trademark. In practice, it means she has managed or advised her daughters’ careers, negotiated licensing and endorsement deals, and helped structure companies built on their social media reach.
One of the better-known examples is Kylie Cosmetics, which Kylie Jenner founded in 2014 with her mother’s involvement. A majority stake in the company was later sold to the beauty group Coty, and Kylie retains a minority share. Kris also appeared in a lip-kit collaboration called the Kris Kollection, whose mini lip set was named Momager.
Other ventures within the family include Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims and Kourtney’s wellness company Poosh. Kris’s role in these businesses has generally been as an adviser, producer or investor, not as a founder. She has also published a memoir, Kris Jenner… And All Things Kardashian, in 2011.
Kris Jenner’s Awards and Achievements
Kris’s honors have been tied more to her business influence than to traditional acting awards. She is credited as an executive producer on two major reality franchises, and her influence on celebrity management and brand-building has been widely discussed by industry commentators. She has also earned recognition in business and lifestyle media, though no major film or television award stands out as her signature honor, and this article does not claim one.
Kris Jenner’s Children and Grandchildren
Kris has six children. Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob Kardashian are her children with Robert Kardashian Sr., and Kendall and Kylie Jenner are her children with Caitlyn Jenner. Several are well known on their own. Kim is a businesswoman and actress, Kendall is a fashion model, Kylie is a beauty entrepreneur, and Khloé co-founded the denim brand Good American. Kris is also a grandmother to a large and growing group of grandchildren, though she has generally let her children share their own family news.
Is Kris Jenner Married? Her Relationship With Corey Gamble
Kris is not married. She has been in a relationship with Corey Gamble since 2014, when the two met in Ibiza. They went public the following year. Gamble is 45, which makes him 25 years younger than Kris, a gap she has addressed herself.
In April 2026, on Khloé’s podcast, Kris was asked about wedding bells and said she is full of surprises, adding that Khloé could be the flower girl if it happens. That was playful, not an announcement. Breakup rumors have appeared more than once, and Us Weekly and People have each reported that the couple remained together. A few low-quality websites have recently published articles claiming that Kris and Gamble married, but no reliable source confirms a wedding or engagement, so those claims should be treated as unverified.
Kris Jenner’s Legal Matters
In October 2025, Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner filed a defamation lawsuit against singer Ray J, who had claimed they planned the release of a 2007 video and used a related lawsuit for publicity. In declarations filed in Los Angeles on March 10, 2026, both women denied those claims. This article does not reach a conclusion about the case, and readers should check the court record for the current status.
Kris Jenner’s Current Projects
Her main focus is The Kardashians on Hulu. Season eight began airing on October 8, 2026, with new episodes weekly. She also appears at events supporting her daughters’ projects, including her daughter Kim’s Hulu legal drama All’s Fair, which has returned for a second season.
Kris Jenner’s Latest News
The most recent developments are lighter than the personal losses earlier in the year. On October 24, 2026, Kris attended the All’s Fair season two premiere at the Rome Film Festival, where she wore a vintage cape once owned by Elizabeth Taylor.
On the October 29 episode of The Kardashians, Kris said she had received an endorsement offer from a maker of adult incontinence products, and that Kim talked her out of it, a moment she treated as a joke on camera.
Separately, a new biography of Kim Kardashian by journalist Jonathan Van Meter, scheduled for release on October 27, drew attention for reporting that Kris was upset by the inclusion of a decades-old affair. That account comes secondhand from the author, relaying what he says Kim told him, so it should be treated as reported but unconfirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kris Jenner
What is Kris Jenner’s real name?
She was born Kristen Mary Houghton.
How old is Kris Jenner?
She is 70. She was born on November 5, 1955, and turns 71 on November 5, 2026.
Where is Kris Jenner from?
She was born and raised in San Diego, California.
What is Kris Jenner famous for?
She is best known as the matriarch and manager of the Kardashian-Jenner family and as an executive producer of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Kardashians.
Who are Kris Jenner’s children?
Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob Kardashian, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
Is Kris Jenner married?
No. She has been with Corey Gamble since 2014, but no marriage or engagement has been confirmed.
Who were Kris Jenner’s husbands?
Robert Kardashian Sr., whom she married in 1978, and Caitlyn Jenner, then Bruce Jenner, whom she married in 1991.
What happened to Kris Jenner’s mother?
Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell died on July 16, 2026, at age 91.
What is Kris Jenner doing now?
She stars in and executive produces The Kardashians on Hulu, whose eighth season is airing through December 10, 2026.
Daniel Brooks is a biography writer and storyteller passionate about exploring the lives of influential people around the world. From celebrities and successful entrepreneurs to renowned leaders and rising stars, he shares their life stories, family backgrounds, career journeys, achievements, and challenges. His mission is to provide readers with engaging, informative, and inspiring biographies that reveal the people behind the fame and success.
