Jan Ashley was an American former beauty queen and executive secretary. She is best known as the second wife of Robert Kardashian Sr., the attorney and businessman who became famous during the O.J. Simpson trial.
Her full name was Janice Lynn Glass Ashley. Before meeting Robert, she was married for about 19 years to actor and producer John Ashley. Jan married Robert in November 1998, but their marriage was brief and later ended through an annulment process.
Jan had no biological children. She died on October 1, 2015, at age 67.
Jan Ashley’s Profile Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Janice Lynn Glass Ashley |
| Known as | Jan Ashley |
| Date of birth | August 3, 1948 |
| Birthplace | Amarillo, Texas, United States |
| Childhood home | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | James Douglas Glass and Monnie M. Glass |
| Sibling | Jerry D. Glass |
| Education | Will Rogers High School |
| Profession | Executive secretary |
| Beauty title | Miss Tulsa 1966 |
| Known employer | Phillips Petroleum |
| First husband | John Ashley |
| Second husband | Robert Kardashian Sr. |
| Children | None |
| Date of death | October 1, 2015 |
| Age at death | 67 |
| Place of death | Reportedly Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Net worth | Not reliably known |
Jan Ashley’s Early Life
Janice Lynn Glass was born on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas.
Her family reportedly moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when she was around seven years old. She spent an important part of her childhood and early adult life there.
Jan later returned to Oklahoma near the end of her life.
Jan Ashley’s Parents
Jan was the daughter of James Douglas Glass and Monnie M. Glass.
Little reliable information is publicly available about her parents. Their professions and personal backgrounds are not clearly documented.
Jan Ashley’s Brother and Family
Jan had a brother named Jerry D. Glass.
Her obituary reportedly listed Jerry, his wife Diana, and their three sons among Jan’s surviving relatives.
Jan was therefore an aunt to three nephews.
Jan Ashley’s Education
Jan attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Her obituary reportedly confirms that she graduated from the school, although the exact graduation year is not given.
There is no reliable public record showing that she attended a university or earned a college degree.
Jan Ashley Was Miss Tulsa 1966
Jan participated in beauty pageants when she was young.
She was crowned Miss Tulsa in 1966.
The title gave her local recognition years before she became connected with Robert Kardashian and his family.
Jan Ashley’s Career
Jan worked as an executive secretary.
Her best-documented professional connection was with Phillips Petroleum.
She reportedly worked as an executive secretary for Kenneth “Boots” Adams, a businessman and senior executive associated with the company.
The exact length of her employment is not clearly documented.
Jan was not known as an actress, lawyer, producer, or television personality.
Who Was Jan Ashley’s First Husband?
Jan’s first husband was John Ashley, an American actor, singer, and producer.
They reportedly married in 1978.
Their marriage lasted for around 19 years, until John’s death in 1997.
Who Was John Ashley?
John Ashley worked in the entertainment industry for many years.
He started as an actor and singer and later became involved in film and television production.
His career included work connected with productions such as:
- The A-Team
- Walker, Texas Ranger
- Hardball
- Apocalypse Now
- Beyond Atlantis
His exact role was not the same on every production.
Jan and John Ashley’s Marriage
Jan and John reportedly married in 1978.
They later moved to California, where John continued working in the entertainment industry.
They remained married until his death.
The couple did not have any publicly documented children together.
John Ashley’s Death
John Ashley died on October 3, 1997.
He reportedly suffered a heart attack while working on a film in New York City.
Jan became a widow after his death.
She later remarried, but her marriage to Robert Kardashian was much shorter than her marriage to John.
How Did Jan Ashley Meet Robert Kardashian?
Jan later gave an account of how she met Robert Kardashian Sr.
According to Jan, she was selling her house in early 1998 when Robert came through the property and saw her photograph.
She said Robert then contacted someone connected with her late husband’s acting career to arrange an introduction.
This is Jan’s reported account of their first meeting.
Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian’s Relationship
Jan and Robert reportedly dated for about seven months.
Robert later proposed to her in Hawaii.
They married on November 25, 1998.
Their wedding reportedly took place in Vail, Colorado.
Their Reported Honeymoon With Robert’s Children
One account says Jan and Robert went on their honeymoon on the same day as their wedding.
Robert’s four children reportedly joined them.
They were:
- Kourtney Kardashian
- Kim Kardashian
- Khloé Kardashian
- Rob Kardashian
Jan therefore briefly became their stepmother through her marriage to Robert.
How Long Were Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Married?
Jan and Robert’s marriage was very brief.
Many online reports describe it as lasting around 30 days or one month.
However, other information creates uncertainty about that exact timeline.
A reported legal declaration signed by Robert in May 1999 said that he changed his mind about having another child around two months after their wedding.
Because of this difference, it is safer to say their marriage was brief and ended through an annulment process in 1999 rather than claiming an exact number of days.
Did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Plan to Have a Child?
Robert’s reported legal declaration said that he and Jan had agreed before their wedding to have a child together.
According to that account, Robert later changed his mind because he already had four biological children.
Jan later disputed this version.
She reportedly said she had not intended to have a child with Robert. She argued that she could have had children during her long marriage to John Ashley if she had wanted them.
The two accounts conflict, so neither should be presented as the complete undisputed story.
Why Did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Separate?
Different explanations have been reported.
Robert’s reported legal declaration focused on their disagreement over having a child.
Jan later gave a broader explanation.
She claimed Robert was frequently upset because of problems involving his former wife, Kris Jenner, and his children. She also claimed that money caused tension between Robert and his family.
Those statements were Jan’s personal account. They do not independently establish what happened within the Kardashian family.
The full private reasons for the end of Jan and Robert’s marriage are not publicly established.
Who Was Robert Kardashian Sr.?
Robert Kardashian Sr. was an American attorney and businessman.
He became widely known because of his friendship with former football player O.J. Simpson.
Robert gained major public attention during Simpson’s 1995 murder trial. He was part of the legal team involved in Simpson’s defense.
Robert was also the father of Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Rob Kardashian.
Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner
Before Jan, Robert was married to Kris Jenner.
Robert and Kris married in 1978 and divorced in 1991.
They had four children:
- Kourtney Kardashian
- Kim Kardashian
- Khloé Kardashian
- Robert “Rob” Kardashian Jr.
Robert’s continuing family connection with Kris and their children later became part of Jan’s account of why her own marriage to him struggled.
Jan Ashley’s Relationship With the Kardashian Children
Jan was technically the stepmother of Robert’s four children during their brief marriage.
There is no reliable evidence that she developed a lasting parental relationship with them.
Her connection with the family later received attention because of statements she made about Robert and his children.
What Did Jan Ashley Say About Khloé Kardashian?
In 2012, Jan attracted media attention because of a claim involving Khloé Kardashian.
Jan and Robert’s later wife, Ellen Kardashian, reportedly claimed that Robert had told them Khloé was not his biological daughter.
Jan said Robert had discussed the matter with her as if it were already known.
This was Jan and Ellen’s disputed allegation. It does not establish Khloé’s biological parentage.
Jan Ashley’s Comments About Khloé’s Appearance
Jan also commented on physical differences she believed existed between Khloé and Robert’s other children.
She referred to Khloé’s height, body shape, and hair.
Physical appearance does not establish biological parentage, so these comments should only be understood as Jan’s personal observations.
How Did Khloé Kardashian Respond?
Khloé Kardashian strongly rejected the public discussion.
She responded on social media and criticized those making claims involving her late father.
The post was reportedly later deleted.
The important point is that Jan made the allegation and Khloé publicly rejected the comments.
Robert Kardashian’s Third Wife
After his marriage to Jan ended, Robert later married Ellen Pierson, who has also been known publicly as Ellen Kardashian.
She became his third wife.
Ellen later joined Jan in making public statements about Robert and the Kardashian family.
Robert Kardashian’s Death
Robert Kardashian died in September 2003.
He had esophageal cancer.
His death came only weeks after his marriage to Ellen, according to the information reviewed.
Did Jan Ashley Have Children?
Jan Ashley had no publicly documented biological children.
Her obituary did not list any sons or daughters among her surviving family members.
She also did not have children with either John Ashley or Robert Kardashian.
Jan Ashley’s Life After Robert Kardashian
Jan largely returned to private life after her marriage to Robert ended.
She did not become part of reality television when the Kardashian family later became internationally famous.
Her name returned to the media mainly because of her 2012 comments about Robert and his family.
Jan Ashley Returned to Oklahoma
Jan reportedly moved back to Oklahoma in 2012.
Oklahoma had been an important part of her life since childhood.
Little public information is available about her daily activities during her final years.
When Did Jan Ashley Die?
Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015.
She was 67 years old.
Her death reportedly occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Her publicly available obituary does not clearly state an official cause of death.
Where Was Jan Ashley Buried?
Jan was reportedly laid to rest, or planned to be interred, beside her first husband, John Ashley.
The reported burial location is Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California.
Her family held a private service.
Jan Ashley’s Net Worth
Jan Ashley’s personal net worth was not reliably known.
Some online sources estimate that she was worth around $1 million, but there are no verified financial records supporting that amount.
Her salary, property, investments, and estate value were not publicly documented.
The wealth of John Ashley or Robert Kardashian should not be used as proof of Jan’s personal net worth.
Jan Ashley’s Height
Jan’s height has been reported as approximately 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm).
Her weight has also been listed as around 121 pounds (55 kg).
These measurements appear to come from secondary sources and should be treated as estimates rather than official records.
Jan Ashley’s Social Media
There are no clearly verified public social media accounts belonging to Jan Ashley.
She generally lived a private life and died in 2015, before the Kardashian family reached some of its later levels of social media fame.
Facts About Jan Ashley
- Her full name was Janice Lynn Glass Ashley.
- She was born on August 3, 1948.
- Her birthplace was Amarillo, Texas.
- She grew up mainly in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Her parents were James Douglas Glass and Monnie M. Glass.
- She had a brother named Jerry D. Glass.
- She attended Will Rogers High School.
- She was crowned Miss Tulsa in 1966.
- She worked as an executive secretary.
- She was associated professionally with Phillips Petroleum.
- Her first husband was actor and producer John Ashley.
- Jan and John married in 1978.
- Their marriage lasted until John’s death in 1997.
- Her second husband was Robert Kardashian Sr.
- Jan and Robert married on November 25, 1998.
- Their wedding reportedly took place in Vail, Colorado.
- Their marriage was brief and ended through an annulment process.
- Jan had no publicly documented biological children.
- She made disputed comments about Khloé Kardashian’s paternity in 2012.
- Khloé publicly rejected the comments.
- Jan returned to Oklahoma around 2012.
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