Who Is Jan Ashley? Robert Kardashian’s Ex Wife Profile

Jan Ashley was an American former beauty queen best known as the second wife of attorney Robert Kardashian Sr. Her name resurfaces often because of her brief but headline making marriage in 1998, and because of comments she later made about the Kardashian family. She lived most of her life away from cameras, choosing privacy over fame. This article covers her early life, both marriages, the Khloé Kardashian paternity controversy, and her final years in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Quick Bio

Field	Details
Full Name	Janice Lynn Glass, known as Jan Ashley
Age at Death	67
Birthplace	Amarillo, Texas, USA
Height	5 feet 6 inches
Weight	121 pounds (55 kg)
Spouse(s)	John Ashley (1978 until his death) and Robert Kardashian Sr. (1998 to 1999, annulled)
Net Worth	$5 million and $22 million
Profession	Former beauty queen, Miss Tulsa 1966, and former executive secretary

Who is Jan Ashley?

Jan Ashley was a private woman who became publicly known through marriage rather than a career of her own. She married Robert Kardashian Sr. in 1998, years after he gained national attention for his role in the O.J. Simpson defense team. Before that, she spent nearly two decades married to actor and producer John Ashley. So who is Jan Ashley, exactly? She was a former beauty pageant winner who briefly stepped into one of America’s most watched families, then walked away from the spotlight for good.

Her story matters to Kardashian fans today for one main reason. She later made public claims touching on Khloé Kardashian’s paternity, and that single interview kept her name alive in Kardashian family history long after her short marriage ended.

Early Life and Background

Jan Ashley was born Janice Lynn Glass on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas. Her family later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when she was about seven years old, and Tulsa became a big part of her early identity.

Her parents were James Douglas Glass and Monnie M. Glass. Public records offer few details about their daily life. She grew up alongside her brother, Jerry D. Glass, who was later named in her obituary along with his wife and their three sons.

As a young woman, she won the Miss Tulsa title in 1966. That early recognition gave her a taste of public attention long before her name became linked to the Kardashian family. She reportedly worked as an executive secretary before she married her first husband.

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First Marriage to John Ashley

Jan married actor and producer John Ashley in 1978. This marriage lasted almost two decades, ending only with his death rather than divorce. It stands as the longest and most stable relationship of her adult life.

During those years, Jan Ashley kept a low public profile. She was not chasing fame or trying to build her own entertainment career. Instead, she lived quietly alongside a working actor in an industry built on visibility. This period shaped the private lifestyle she carried into her later years, long before Robert Kardashian entered the picture.

Who is John Ashley?

John Ashley was an American actor and film producer with decades of work in Hollywood. He built a reputation in front of and behind the camera, with reported credits tied to projects like The A Team and Apocalypse Now, though some exact production roles remain loosely documented.

By the time he met Jan, he already had an established name in the industry. His death marked the end of their long marriage and opened a new chapter in Jan Ashley’s life, one that would eventually connect her to Robert Kardashian Sr.

Meeting Robert Kardashian

Jan Ashley reportedly met Robert Kardashian Sr. in the late 1990s, several years after his involvement in the O.J. Simpson trial made him a household name across the country. Their relationship moved fast. The couple married on November 25, 1998, in Vail, Colorado, in a quick and fairly private ceremony.

This whirlwind pace stood out even at the time. The marriage came together quickly, and it would end almost as fast, setting up one of the shortest documented marriages tied to the Kardashian name.

Who Was Robert Kardashian Sr.?

Robert Kardashian Sr. was an American attorney and businessman best remembered for two things. First, he served on O.J. Simpson’s defense team during the highly publicized 1995 murder trial. Second, he became the father of Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian, the four children who later built a media empire.

Before Jan Ashley, Robert Kardashian was married to Kris Jenner from 1978 to 1991. That marriage produced all four of his children and remained a major part of his life even after the divorce. After his short marriage to Jan ended, Robert Kardashian married a third time, to Ellen Pierson. He passed away from esophageal cancer in September 2003, just weeks after that final marriage.

Why the Marriage Failed?

Robert Kardashian and Jan Ashley’s marriage lasted only about a month before it was annulled in 1999. No single, well documented source fully explains why it fell apart so fast. Instead, most explanations come from interviews Jan gave years later, not from reporting at the time.

Common reasons mentioned in later interviews include:

• Ongoing closeness between Robert Kardashian and his ex wife, Kris Jenner
• Reported financial pressure connected to his four children
• General compatibility issues between the two of them
• Stress Robert carried from his prior family life

Jan later said Robert seemed upset often, not with her, but with his ex wife and kids. Since these claims came years after the fact, readers should treat them as her personal account rather than confirmed history.

The Khloé Kardashian Paternity Controversy

In January 2012, Jan Ashley gave an interview, reportedly with Star magazine, that brought her back into the public eye. She claimed Robert Kardashian once told her that Khloé Kardashian was not his biological daughter.

This single comment sparked wide discussion across entertainment media and fueled years of public speculation about Khloé’s paternity. It remains an unverified, secondhand claim. The Kardashian family has never confirmed it, and no DNA evidence has been made public. Readers should view this as one woman’s recollection, not an established fact.

Life After Robert Kardashian

After the annulment, Jan Ashley stepped back from public life almost entirely. She did not pursue a media career, reality television, or business ventures tied to the Kardashian name. Based on available records, she never remarried and did not have children from either marriage.

This choice set her apart from nearly everyone else connected to the family. While the Kardashians grew into one of the most visible names in entertainment, Jan Ashley moved the other way, choosing quiet independence over public attention.

Final Years and Passing

Jan Ashley spent her final years living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the city where she grew up. She kept a low profile during this period, much as she had for most of her adult life. Little detailed information exists about her daily activities, which fits the private lifestyle she maintained throughout her life.

Jan Ashley’s Death

Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age 67. She was buried beside her first husband, John Ashley, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California, a fitting choice given the nearly two decades they spent together.

Her obituary reportedly named her brother, Jerry D. Glass, his wife, and their three sons as surviving family. No public reporting has confirmed a specific cause of death.

Net Worth and Financial Background

Jan Ashley’s net worth was never publicly disclosed, and no verified financial records exist for her personal wealth. She did not pursue business deals, media appearances, or other opportunities that would have generated documented income after her marriage to Robert Kardashian ended.

There is also no public record of a financial settlement tied to the annulment. Any dollar figures found online should be treated as unverified estimates, not confirmed fact.

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Facts:

• Jan Ashley was born Janice Lynn Glass on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas.
• She won the Miss Tulsa title in 1966.
• Her marriage to John Ashley lasted almost twenty years.
• She married Robert Kardashian Sr. on November 25, 1998, in Vail, Colorado.
• The marriage to Robert Kardashian was annulled after roughly one month.
• In 2012, she claimed Khloé Kardashian was not Robert’s biological daughter.
• She spent her final years living quietly in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• She died on October 1, 2015, at age 67.
• She was buried next to John Ashley in Hollywood Hills, California.
• Her net worth remains undisclosed to this day.

Summary:

Jan Ashley lived a life defined more by privacy than by publicity, despite two marriages that connected her to well known men. Her short union with Robert Kardashian Sr. brought sudden attention, and her later comments about Khloé Kardashian kept her name part of Kardashian family history for years afterward. Still, she chose a quiet path for most of her life, stepping away from fame whenever she could. Jan Ashley, Robert Kardashian’s ex wife, remains a small but memorable piece of a much larger family story.

FAQs

Who is Jan Ashley? 

Jan Ashley was an American former beauty queen best known as the second wife of attorney Robert Kardashian Sr.

How long was Jan Ashley married to Robert Kardashian? 

Their marriage lasted about one month before it was annulled in 1999.

Did Jan Ashley have children? 

Based on public records, she did not have children from either of her marriages.

What did Jan Ashley claim about Khloé Kardashian? 

In a 2012 interview, she said Robert Kardashian told her Khloé was not his biological daughter, a claim that has never been confirmed.

Is Jan Ashley still alive? 

No. She died on October 1, 2015, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

How did Jan Ashley die? 

Her cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.

What was Jan Ashley’s net worth? 

Her net worth was never publicly disclosed and remains unverified.

Was Jan Ashley married before Robert Kardashian? 

Yes. She was married to actor and producer John Ashley from 1978 until his death.