Jan Ashley became known because of her short marriage to Robert Kardashian Sr. Yet her life had many chapters before she met him. She grew up in Oklahoma, entered beauty contests, and worked in business.

She also spent many years with actor and producer John Ashley. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1997. Soon after, her name became linked with the famous Kardashian family.

Her marriage to Robert was brief. Still, it brought her public attention for many years. This biography covers her early life, work, marriages, family links, and later years.

Quick Bio

Who Was Jan Ashley?

Jan Ashley was an American former beauty queen and office worker. She later became known through two famous marriages. Her first husband worked in Hollywood.

That husband was John Ashley. He worked as an actor, singer, and producer. He appeared in films and later worked behind the camera.

Her second husband was Robert Kardashian Sr. He was an attorney and businessman. He became widely known during the O. J. Simpson trial.

Robert was also the father of Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Rob Kardashian. This family link brought Jan more public notice.

Early Life in Texas and Oklahoma

Jan Ashley was born on August 3, 1948. Her birthplace was Amarillo, Texas. Her family later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

She was still young when the family moved. Tulsa became an important part of her life. She spent much of her youth in the city.

Jan attended Will Rogers High School. Her parents were James Douglas Glass and Monnie M. Glass. She also had a brother named Jerry D. Glass.

Her early years were far from Hollywood fame. She lived a more normal life in Oklahoma. That changed when she entered local beauty contests.

Beauty Pageants and Miss Tulsa 1966

As a young woman, Jan took part in beauty contests. She won the title of Miss Tulsa 1966. This gave her local fame at a young age.

The title became one of the best known facts about her early life. Still, she did not build a long public career from beauty contests. She later moved into office work.

Her beauty title also showed her strong link with Tulsa. She had grown up there and attended school there. The city stayed important throughout her life.

Years later, people often focused on her famous marriages. Yet her Miss Tulsa title came many years before those events.

Work at Phillips Petroleum

Before her Hollywood connections, Jan had a business career. She worked as an executive secretary. Her employer was Phillips Petroleum.

She worked for Kenneth “Boots” Adams. He was a leading figure at the company. The job gave Jan experience in a major business setting.

This part of her life often gets little attention. Many online stories focus only on Robert Kardashian. Yet her work history shows she had her own career.

She worked before celebrity news followed her name. At that time, she was known more for her job and her beauty title.

Marriage to John Ashley

Jan Ashley married John Ashley in 1978. John had already built a career in film and television. He also worked in music.

John began as an actor. He later became a producer. His television work included The A Team, where he served as a producer and narrator.

Their marriage lasted for almost two decades. They remained together until John died in 1997. His death ended a long part of Jan’s adult life.

John died while working in New York. He suffered a heart attack. Jan later chose to be buried beside him.

What Was Her Life With John Ashley Like?

Public records show that Jan and John had a long marriage. It lasted much longer than her later marriage to Robert. They were married from 1978 until 1997.

John spent much of his life working in entertainment. His work took him into film and television. Jan lived close to the Hollywood world during those years.

Still, she did not seek a major acting career of her own. Her public record remained limited. Much of her life stayed private.

After John died, Jan faced a major change. She later met Robert Kardashian Sr. That new relationship soon brought her back into public view.

How Did Jan Ashley Meet Robert Kardashian?

Jan Ashley met Robert after John Ashley died. She later said Robert learned about her while she was selling her home. An introduction was then arranged.

Actor Mike Connors helped connect them. Jan later spoke about this meeting in a media interview. She said she and Robert started dating soon after.

The pair dated for several months. Jan said Robert proposed during a trip to Hawaii. They later chose to marry.

They married on November 25, 1998. Robert had already been divorced from Kris Jenner for several years.

Marriage to Robert Kardashian Sr.

The marriage placed Jan Ashley inside one of the most famous families in America. Robert already had four children. They were from his marriage to Kris Jenner.

Robert had also gained major public attention before meeting Jan. His friendship with O. J. Simpson brought him into the national news. He later joined Simpson’s legal defense team.

Jan and Robert did not remain married for long. Their relationship ended within months. Robert later asked the court to annul the marriage.

This short union became the main reason many people searched for Jan later. It also caused many wrong claims to spread online.

Why Did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Split?

Robert gave his reason in a court statement. He said the couple had talked about having a child. He said this plan existed before their marriage.

After the wedding, Robert changed his mind. He already had four children. He said he no longer wanted another child.

Robert took blame for changing the plan. His court statement made this clear. The marriage was later annulled in 1999.

Some websites claim the annulment happened exactly 30 days after the wedding. The court record does not support that claim. Legal action was still active in 1999.

Did Jan Ashley Have Children?

No verified record shows that Jan Ashley had any children. Robert’s court papers also state that she had no children before their marriage.

Some online pages claim she had a son named Cole Ashley. That claim is not correct. Cole was a son of John Ashley and his earlier wife.

Jan and Robert also had no children together. Their marriage ended before they started a family.

This fact matters because many short biographies repeat the wrong claim. Verified records do not list Jan as Cole Ashley’s mother.

Her Link to the Kardashian Family

Her marriage made Jan part of the wider Kardashian family story. Robert’s four children were already part of his daily life. They later became major public figures.

Kim Kardashian became a businesswoman and media star. Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Rob Kardashian also became famous through television.

Jan’s marriage to Robert ended years before their reality show began. Keeping Up with the Kardashians started in 2007. Robert had died four years earlier.

Because of this, Jan never became a regular part of Kardashian television. Her link to the family came through Robert alone.

What Did She Say About the Kardashians?

Jan Ashley gave a few interviews in later years. Some of her comments created public debate. She spoke about Robert and his family.

In 2012, she made a claim about Khloé Kardashian’s father. She said Robert had told her that Khloé was not his child.

The Kardashian family rejected that statement. Robert’s own signed court paper also said he had four biological children. For that reason, Jan’s later comment cannot be treated as proven fact.

A careful biography should keep that difference clear. Jan made the claim, but strong proof does not confirm it.

Life After Robert Kardashian

After her marriage ended, Jan lived a much quieter life. She did not turn her brief fame into a public career. She stayed away from reality television.

She still spoke to the media from time to time. These interviews focused on Robert and the Kardashian family. They brought her name back into celebrity news.

Jan later returned to Oklahoma. She moved back in 2012. Tulsa had been her home during much of her youth.

Her return to Oklahoma gave her a quieter setting. She stayed out of the daily Hollywood spotlight. Most details about those later years remained private.

Robert Kardashian’s Later Life

After his marriage to Jan Ashley, Robert later married Ellen Pierson. They married in 2003. Robert died only weeks later.

He died on September 30, 2003. He had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He was 59 years old.

Robert’s name stayed famous after his death. His children later became global media figures. Their television show made the Kardashian name known around the world.

His short marriage to Jan became one small part of his personal history. It also remained one of the main reasons people continued to search for her.

Jan Ashley’s Death

Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015. She was 67 years old. Her family held a private service.

Her obituary focused on her family and early life. It also mentioned her years in Tulsa. It did not make her Kardashian marriage the main part of her story.

This is important because celebrity articles often do the opposite. Her life included far more than a short marriage. She had family ties, work history, and a long first marriage.

Her death came almost 18 years after John Ashley died. It also came 12 years after Robert Kardashian died.

Burial at Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Jan was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in California. She was placed beside John Ashley.

That choice reflected their long marriage. John had been her husband for almost two decades. Their relationship covered a large part of her adult life.

Forest Lawn is the burial place of many people from the entertainment world. Jan’s burial there also connects to John’s Hollywood career.

Her final resting place tells an important part of her story. Her longest marriage was with John, not Robert Kardashian.

What Is Jan Ashley Best Known For?

Today, Jan Ashley is best known as a former wife of Robert Kardashian Sr. Search interest often comes from the fame of the Kardashian family.

Yet her life did not begin with Robert. She was once Miss Tulsa, worked at Phillips Petroleum, and spent many years married to John Ashley.

Her second marriage was short. Still, it became a lasting part of celebrity family history. It also caused some wrong facts to spread online.

Verified records give a clearer picture. Jan had no children, and her annulment did not finish exactly 30 days after her wedding.

Final Thoughts

Jan Ashley lived a life that touched business, beauty contests, Hollywood, and celebrity news. She was born in Texas and grew up in Oklahoma. She later became Miss Tulsa.

She also worked for Phillips Petroleum. Her first marriage to John Ashley lasted nearly 20 years. He remained an important part of her life story.

Her later marriage to Robert Kardashian Sr. lasted only a short time. Still, it made her name part of Kardashian family history.

She died in 2015 at age 67. Her life is best understood through verified records. Those records give a clearer story than many repeated online claims.

FAQs

Who was Jan Ashley?

She was a former Miss Tulsa, executive secretary, and the second wife of Robert Kardashian Sr. She was also married to actor and producer John Ashley for many years.

When did Jan Ashley marry Robert Kardashian?

She married Robert Kardashian on November 25, 1998. Their marriage ended soon after, and Robert later asked the court for an annulment.

Why did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian separate?

Robert said they had planned to have a child before marriage. After the wedding, he changed his mind because he already had four children. Their marriage was later annulled.

Did Jan Ashley have any children?

No verified record shows that she had children. She also had no children with Robert Kardashian. Reports that call Cole Ashley her son are not supported by the records.

When did Jan Ashley die?

She died on October 1, 2015, at age 67. She was later buried beside John Ashley at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in California.