Jan Ashley’s name resurfaces every time people dig into the early history of the Kardashian family. She was Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife, a former beauty queen from Oklahoma whose marriage to the famous attorney lasted barely a month. Yet her story is far bigger than one short union. She spent nearly two decades married to Hollywood actor and producer John Ashley, built a career as an executive secretary, and later made headlines with a controversial claim about Khloé Kardashian’s paternity.
This article covers everything publicly documented about Jan Ashley, from her Texas roots and pageant days to her quiet final years in Tulsa. It also separates confirmed facts from unverified tabloid claims, something many existing articles fail to do clearly.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
| Full name | Janice Lynn Glass Ashley |
| Also known as | Jan Ashley |
| Date of birth | August 3, 1948 |
| Place of birth | Amarillo, Texas, USA |
| Date of death | October 1, 2015 |
| Place of death | Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA |
| Age at death | 67 |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Second wife of Robert Kardashian Sr. |
| First husband | John Ashley (actor and producer) |
| Second husband | Robert Kardashian Sr. (married 1998) |
| Children | None publicly documented |
| Parents | James Douglas Glass and Monnie M. Glass |
| Sibling | Jerry D. Glass |
Who is Jan Ashley?
Jan Ashley was an American former beauty pageant titleholder and executive secretary who became publicly known for two marriages. Her first, to actor and television producer John Ashley, lasted close to twenty years. Her second, to attorney and businessman Robert Kardashian Sr., lasted only about thirty days before it was annulled.
Outside of these relationships, Jan lived a mostly private life. She never pursued acting, reality television, or a public career of her own, which is a big part of why so little detailed information about her exists compared to other figures connected to the Kardashian name.
Early Life and Background
Jan Ashley was born Janice Lynn Glass on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas. Her parents were James Douglas Glass and Monnie M. Glass. When she was around seven years old, her family relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she spent most of her childhood and teenage years alongside her brother, Jerry D. Glass.
In 1966, Jan won the Miss Tulsa beauty pageant title. The win gave her early exposure to public attention and helped shape the poise she reportedly carried throughout her life. Before her marriages made her a topic of tabloid interest, she worked as an executive secretary, reportedly for a senior Phillips Petroleum executive, a detail that shows she had an independent professional identity long before she became known through marriage.
First Marriage to John Ashley
Jan’s first marriage was to actor and film producer John Ashley in 1978. The couple moved to California, where John’s entertainment career was based, and stayed married until his death in 1997. That is nearly nineteen years together, making it by far the longest and most significant relationship of her adult life, even though it receives far less media attention than her brief second marriage.
Public records show no children from this marriage. After John’s death, Jan later chose to be buried beside him, a detail that says a great deal about how central that relationship remained to her even decades later.
Who is John Ashley?
John Ashley was an American actor and television producer, well known in Hollywood for his work behind the camera. He is best remembered for producing hit series and films, including contributions associated with The A-Team, Apocalypse Now, and Beyond Atlantis. Before moving into production, he had also worked as an actor.
John’s death in 1997 ended nearly two decades of marriage to Jan and left her widowed for the first time. She would go on to meet Robert Kardashian roughly a year later.
Meeting Robert Kardashian
According to several accounts, Jan Ashley met Robert Kardashian Sr. in 1998 under fairly ordinary circumstances. She was reportedly selling her house, and Robert came to see the property. He was interested enough to ask a mutual friend to introduce them formally.
The two began dating shortly after and were reportedly together for about seven months, a relationship that moved quickly during a period when both had recently experienced major life changes. Robert proposed in Hawaii, and Jan accepted. They married on November 25, 1998, in a private ceremony in Vail, Colorado.
Who Was Robert Kardashian Sr.?
Robert Kardashian Sr. was an American attorney and businessman best known for his role on O.J. Simpson’s defense team during the widely covered 1995 murder trial. He was previously married to Kris Jenner, then known as Kris Kardashian, from 1978 to 1991. Together they had four children: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Robert Jr.
Jan Ashley was his second wife. After their marriage was annulled, Robert married a third time, to Ellen Pierson, in 2003. That marriage lasted only a few weeks before Robert died of esophageal cancer on September 30, 2003.
Why the Marriage Failed?
Jan Ashley’s marriage to Robert Kardashian ended after roughly thirty days and was legally annulled rather than dissolved through a full divorce. In later interviews, Jan pointed to a few recurring reasons for the breakdown.
- Ongoing emotional strain from Robert’s relationship with his ex wife, Kris Jenner, including what Jan described as frequent tension over past issues.
- Financial pressures connected to his four children, which she said kept Robert constantly preoccupied.
- A reported disagreement over having biological children together, with Jan wanting a child and Robert ultimately deciding against expanding his family further.
Jan later suggested that Robert struggled to balance a new marriage with the demands of his existing family life, and that this imbalance made the relationship unsustainable almost from the start.
The Khloé Kardashian Paternity Controversy
In January 2012, years after her marriage to Robert had ended, Jan Ashley gave an interview in which she claimed that Robert privately told her he did not believe he was Khloé Kardashian’s biological father. The claim generated significant tabloid attention and reignited public speculation that had already circulated for years about Khloé’s parentage.
The Kardashian family has firmly denied these claims, and no independent verification has ever confirmed them. It is important for readers to treat this as a disputed, unverified allegation rather than an established fact. Khloé herself has publicly addressed and pushed back on paternity rumors on multiple occasions over the years.
Life After Robert Kardashian
After the annulment, Jan Ashley largely stepped away from public life. She did not pursue media appearances, endorsement deals, or any career built around her brief connection to the Kardashian name. Instead, she returned to a quieter existence, eventually settling back in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she had grown up.
She kept a small circle of longtime friends and family and avoided the spotlight almost entirely, aside from the occasional interview where she discussed her marriage and the claims about Khloé.
Final Years and Passing
Jan spent her final years living privately in Tulsa. Those who knew her described her as private and grounded, someone who valued a stable, low profile life over any lasting connection to celebrity culture. She stayed away from cameras and rarely discussed her past publicly during this period.
Jan Ashley’s Death
Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 67. Her passing received very little media coverage, which was consistent with the private life she chose to live for most of her adult years.
She was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California, buried beside her first husband, John Ashley. Her obituary noted that she was survived by her brother, Jerry D. Glass, his wife Diana, and their three sons.
Net Worth and Financial Background
There is no verified or independently documented figure for Jan Ashley’s net worth. Unlike many public figures, she did not build a media career, endorsement portfolio, or business that would allow for a reliable financial estimate. Any specific net worth numbers found online should be treated with caution, since they are not backed by public financial records.
What is documented is that she worked professionally as an executive secretary before her marriages and lived a comfortable but private life in Tulsa afterward, without relying on public visibility for income.
Facts:
- Jan Ashley was born Janice Lynn Glass on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas.
- She won the Miss Tulsa beauty pageant title in 1966.
- Her first marriage, to actor and producer John Ashley, lasted nearly nineteen years, from 1978 until his death in 1997.
- She married Robert Kardashian Sr. on November 25, 1998, in Vail, Colorado.
- The marriage to Robert Kardashian was annulled after roughly thirty days.
- In 2012, she publicly claimed Robert privately doubted he was Khloé Kardashian’s biological father, a claim the Kardashian family has denied.
- She had no publicly documented children from either marriage.
- She died on October 1, 2015, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age 67.
- She was buried beside John Ashley at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.
Summary:
Jan Ashley is remembered primarily as Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife, but that thirty day marriage was only a small part of her life. She spent nearly two decades married to actor and producer John Ashley, built her own career as an executive secretary, and later made headlines with a disputed claim about Khloé Kardashian’s paternity. After her brief marriage to Robert ended, she chose privacy over publicity, living quietly in Tulsa until her death in 2015. Her story adds meaningful context to the early history of the Kardashian family, while also standing on its own as the life of a woman who largely avoided the fame associated with that name.
FAQs:
1. Who is Jan Ashley?
Jan Ashley was an American former beauty pageant titleholder and executive secretary best known as the second wife of Robert Kardashian Sr.
2. When did Jan Ashley marry Robert Kardashian Sr.?
She married Robert Kardashian Sr. on November 25, 1998, in a private ceremony in Vail, Colorado.
3. How long was her marriage to Robert Kardashian Sr.?
The marriage lasted approximately thirty days before it was legally annulled.
4. Did Jan Ashley have children?
No publicly documented children exist from either her marriage to Robert Kardashian or her marriage to John Ashley.
5. Who was her first husband?
Her first husband was John Ashley, an American actor and television producer, married from 1978 until his death in 1997.
6. When did Jan Ashley die?
Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 67.
7. Where did she live after her marriage?
After her marriage to Robert Kardashian ended, she returned to a private life in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
8. What is Jan Ashley known for?
She is best known for her brief marriage to Robert Kardashian Sr. and for later claiming he privately questioned Khloé Kardashian’s paternity.
9. Is Jan Ashley active on social media?
No. Jan Ashley passed away in 2015 and, even before that, kept a deliberately low public and media profile.
10. What is her net worth?
There is no verified or publicly documented net worth figure for Jan Ashley, so any specific number circulating online should be treated with caution.
I am the writer behind PickHives.com, with 4 years of experience sharing simple reflections on everyday blessings. Through my writing, I highlight the beauty in small moments and the power of gratitude.My goal is to create content that feels positive, comforting, and meaningful.
