Family and Marriages

Robert Kardashian is perhaps equally known for his association with the Kardashian family, which later became a television and media empire. He married Kris Houghton (later known as Kris Jenner) in 1978. Together, they had four children: Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Rob Kardashian. The couple divorced in 1991, after which Kris married Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner).

Following his divorce from Kris, Kardashian was briefly engaged to Denice Shakarian Halicki, the widow of filmmaker H.B. Halicki. However, that engagement ended and he married Jan Ashley in 1998. The union lasted only a short time and ended in divorce in 1999. In 2003, shortly before his death, Kardashian married Ellen Pierson. The couple had only been married for six weeks when he passed away, and he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer eight weeks before his death.

Divorce from Kris Jenner

Robert and Kris's separation was reportedly due in part to Kris's extramarital affair with Todd Waterman. Kardashian was also reportedly concerned about Kris's spending habits and her desire to return to a lavish lifestyle. During their divorce proceedings, Kris alleged that Robert did not provide her with sufficient funds to maintain this lifestyle and claimed she had to begin working to support herself. She also stated that her monthly expenses exceeded $37,000, while Robert was allegedly earning approximately $2,000 per month at the time.

Financial disagreements aside, Kris accused Robert of emotional abuse and once claimed he had acted inappropriately in front of their daughter Kim—a statement that added to the contentious nature of their divorce. As part of the custody arrangement, their children primarily lived with Kris.