Kris Jenner's mom Mary Jo 'MJ' Shannon dies at 91: 'Heart is broken'
Mary Jo "M.J." Shannon, mother of reality TV star and media mogul Kris Jenner, has died.
Jenner, 70, revealed her mother's death in an emotional Instagram post Thursday, July 16. A cause of death was not disclosed.
"Today, we said goodbye to my beautiful Mommy MJ," Jenner wrote alongside a photo of her mother. "There are no words that could ever capture what she has meant to me or the heartbreak of having to say goodbye.
"My mom was the heart of our family. She taught me everything that truly matters… to love your family fiercely, to be kind, to show up for the people you love and to never take a single moment together for granted. She taught us that family is everything. She showed us how to love unconditionally and how to find joy in the little moments. She showed me how to face life's challenges with resilience and faith."
Over the years, Shannon made several appearances on Jenner's reality TV series, "Keeping up with the Kardashians" and "The Kardashians," alongside her grandchildren Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Rob Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner. Shannon's most recent appearance was a pair of Season 6 episodes of "The Kardashians" in 2025.
"When I look at my kids and my grandkids, I will forever see pieces of you in all of us," Jenner continued. "There is not a part of me that isn't shaped by you. And if I have done anything right in this world, it's because I spent my life trying to live in a way that would make you proud. Every memory, every moment, every blessing, it was all because of you, and I will forever thank God every single day for making you my mommy."
Jenner said that while her "heart is broken into a million pieces," she thanked her mother for "giving me the greatest childhood."
"Mom, thank you for every sacrifice you made, every piece of wisdom you shared and every moment you loved us so completely," Jenner wrote. "I will miss our daily talks, your smile, your laughter… Our hearts are broken, but we find comfort knowing that love like yours never truly leaves us. Your love will live on in our family, in our traditions, in every moment we are together and in every life you touched."
Jenner opened up about Shannon's declining health, especially following the death of Jenner's sister Karen Houghton, during a Season 6 confessional on "The Kardashians."
"I know my mom struggles with so much right now because she is 90 and she's frail," Jenner said at the time. "Ever since my sister passed away, she's been super sad, like we all have, and I know that I need to be there for her."
In a phone conversation with Jenner later that day, Shannon shared that she couldn't get out of bed for two days because of the physical pain she was experiencing.
"It just gets to the point in life where you can't be by yourself anymore. It makes me sad," a choked up Jenner told her hair and makeup team afterward. "This makes me really sad. I just hate it when she's in so much pain."
This story was updated to add new information.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kris Jenner's mom Mary Jo 'MJ' Shannon dies at 91: 'Heart is broken'
Reporting by Edward Segarra, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 3:26 PM.