About Who Is Jan Ashley? Robert‘s ex-wife in the Miss Tulsa story
Nothing seems to be known about Robert other than the fact that Jan Ashley was married to him for 30 days, but in this time she was married to the so-called late Robert.
But that doesn‘t tell us who Jan Ashley was, not really. Miss Tulsa 1966. Wife of a Hollywood star for 20 years. Someone who had been briefly associated with one of the most famous families in America, and then silently removed herself from the story rather than milk the fame and riches.
Her story is short on drama, packed with dignity, character and quiet strength.
A complete biography of Jan Ashley including where she was raised in Texas, her pageantry history, marriages, connections with the Kardashians and her life completely out of the spotlight until her death in 2015.
Who Was Jan Ashley?
Who Is Jan Ashley? Jan Ashley is best known as the former wife of Robert Kardashian Sr., the American attorney and businessman who gained national attention during the O.J. Simpson trial and later became widely recognized as the father of Kim, Kourtney, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian.Jan Ashley (born Janice Lynn Glass), was a 50 status American woman, she was best known for being the second wife of Robert Kardashian Sr. She was also identified as a former beauty queen.
Born 3 August 1948, Amarillo, TX, daughter of James Douglas and Monnie M. Glass. Died 1 October 2015, Tulsa, Oklahoma, aged 67.
She wasn‘t a star. She wasn‘t a performer. She wasn‘t someone who, long term, ever aspired to be known to the world. And her association with the Kardashians was brief and simple and definitely not what she was after.
Jan Ashley Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Janice Lynn Glass (Jan Ashley) |
| Date of Birth | August 3, 1948 |
| Birthplace | Amarillo, Texas, USA |
| Date of Death | October 1, 2015 |
| Age at Death | 67 years old |
| Parents | James Douglas Glass, Monnie M. Glass |
| Pageant Title | Miss Tulsa 1966 |
| First Husband | John Ashley (married 1978, until his death 1997) |
| Second Husband | Robert Kardashian Sr. (married 1998, annulled) |
| Children | None confirmed |
| Burial | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California |
| Net Worth | Not publicly confirmed |
Early Life in Amarillo, Texas
A Grounded Texas Upbringing
Jan Ashley, was born and grew up in Amarillo, Texas. It is a place where you believe in traditional values, rich family ties, and have a very uncomplicated view of the world. During childhood there was no place for Hollywood, glamour and fame.
All her life, her parents raised her and has always spoken about the importance of education, a hardworking attitude and play fair.
A Naturally Graceful Personality
Jan has always been a naturally beautiful, easy going, relaxed, “focussed” confident person. Not showy, not loud. She was confident, comfortable, poised and knew how to be and use her social skills. All of these came naturally.
Developing Early Interests
During her school days Jan also found an interest in fashion, socialising and community activities. Her speed into the world of beauty contests was a natural one given her poise and style.
Miss Tulsa 1966 Jan‘s Beauty Pageant Success
Winning the Title
In 1966, aged 18, Miss Ashley was the winner of Miss Tulsa. This was a very proud moment for a modest girl born and raised in Texas.
Beauty contests in the 60s were what they said, contests and not by looks only. If Jan won then it was because she had everything.
What the Title Opened For Her
While winning Miss Tulsa, Jan relished the notoriety gained locally, working as a model, and entering into social circles she might not have been able to access otherwise.
It also provided her with some sense of confidence and notoriety that she kept with her long into her adult presence, even through that brief period of notoriety when she was hit with the glare of the spotlight.
Life After the Pageant
Rather than applying her pageant buzz for a career in public entertainment, Jan went from pageant to personal lifestyle.
This was to be a theme of the rest of her life as she had a deep preference for being honestly sincere rather than puffed up with false pretense.
Jan Ashley‘s First Marriage John Ashley
Background and who was John Ashley?
John Ashley was an American actor and producer that was well known in Hollywood for his work as the character of ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock in the hit TV series ‘The A-Team’ and for appearing in a number of B-movies in the 1960‘s and 1970‘s. He was a genuine professional with real connections.
A Lasting Love Story
In 1978, Jan married John Ashley. The couple remained happily married and together for many years; their home was filled with love and understanding.
The union lasted for twenty years – for the film industry that is, where factors outside the couples sphere wield tremendous pressures on how their relationship develops.
John Ashley‘s Death in 1997
He died in 1997 bringing to an end the marriage that had been the one constant in much of Jan‘s adult life.
A year after his death Jan and his wife of 19 years who was left devastated separated. Although huge it was in fact nowhere near the shocking and unforeseen page that was turned just a year on.
No Children Together
Jan & John Ashley had no present acknowledged children that they had with each other. It was kept ‘under wraps’ as far as their love story was concerned and was not played out on tv.
Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Sr. The 30-Day Marriage
Who Was Robert Kardashian Sr.?
Kardashian Sr. Robert- An American businessman and lawyer best remembered as a member of O. J. Simpson Defense Team in his 1995 murder case, and the dad of Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob.
He was married to Kris Jenner (1978-1991) the name of the mother of his four famous children. Over the years, since Kim‘s divorce from Kris; Robert has remained a major figure in the public eye, with his high profile participation in the OJ Simpson trial and continuing success in business.
How They Met
In early 1998, Robert and Jan met several months after Jan had widowed when J died in 1997. He heard of Jan by chance through a photograph and was initially attracted by her. They were introduced to each other, got friendly and their relationship grew closer.
The Wedding in Vail, Colorado
1. Vas Jan Ashley was married to Robert David Kardashian Sr. (b, 1944) on 25 November 1998. She married Robert Davidson Kardashian Sr. in Vail Colorado in a discreet wedding.
For Robert it was his second marriage, for Jan it was too as she had just experienced the death of John Ashley last year.
Reasons for the marriage being completed within 30 days:
As does Tanya, Ashley‘s marriage and divorce to RobertorKardashian was only a matter of days before they divorced after close to 2 months of marriage Ashley‘s marriage to Robert Glenn was ended and annulled after close to 32 days.
These reasons, but have never been made public by either party. What is known through the couple’s back channels, however, is that Jan found Robert‘s world extremely difficult to adjust to.
Rob‘s world has come to be synonymous with the world‘s most famous family… It was difficult to say that Rob‘s children, courtesy of the phenomenon that is ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’, weren‘t celebrities in their own right. His world was Hollywood and it was a million miles away from the peaceful, private persona that Jan had always loved.
Annulled Quickly and Quietly
Jan chose to walk away from his marriage, rather than try to get through on Jan‘s terms. The annulment passed without incident, and, for the most part, without a camera lens in front of it.
She declined to be interviewed about the marriage. She did not seek profit as the price of her companionship, she just departed – a most astonishing act of honesty in the world of fame.
The Khloe Kardashian Paternity Claim
What Jan Said
January Ashley was caught in the midst of one of her family‘s most controversial disputes, when she alleged the identity of Khloe Kardashian‘s father.
Jan is said to have stated RobertKlardashian…had told him privately that he wasn, t sure he was khloe’s father within the short space of his marriage to Jan by the time we got married for 30 days.
Why It Caused Such a Stir
The charge trod on the Khloe‘s most sensitive spot – not just as a member of the Kardashians but as her father‘s daughter, who died in 2003 just as the Kardashians are taking hold of the world‘s scandal sheet.
This was not uttered by Robert himself while he was living but after his death so he had no opportunity to clear himself of any such implication. This was very controversial, untestable and hurtful to the família Kardashian.
The Family‘s Response
The Kardashians completely denied these rumors. Their father Robert Kardashian was also publicly identified as Khloe‘s biological father by Kris Jenner and Khloe themselves..
It was received differently by the mass media. Kim Kardashian has made it clear by talking about it publicly that she was supportive and stood by her father and that Jan‘s allegations were horrid and she was begging the public to believe her father. The family’s stance has remained unchanged since.
What It Means for Jan‘s Legacy
This is the element of her experience most often quoted about Jan Ashley in press articles recounting her life. And it‘s also the part that most awkwardly contradicts the image of a reclusive, graceful lady who shunned publicity for the whole of her adult life.
It remains to be seen whether her assertions were correct, erroneous, or simply designed to cause controversy. However, what is indisputable is that the claims attracted ample, and sustained, media publicity, publicity which Jan was never in search of in any other department of her life.
Jan Ashley‘s Life After the Kardashian Marriage
A Return to Privacy
Following the annulment from Robert Kashan, she was reclusive.
She avoided reality television shows. She never wrote a tell-all autobiography. She never manipulated her temporary fame for a media career centered around a family who makes national headlines.And she just went home.
Life in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jan spent the majority of her later life living in Tulsa, Oklahoma-the opposite side of the country from the bright Hollywood lights and endless paparazzi coverage of her granddaughters.
She led a humble low key life preferring personal connections and private peace over public attention.
No Further Public Appearances
Following her brief stint, Jan Ashley did not make any more appearances or make any more public comments, apart from the Khloe paternity rumble, a clear break from her usual privacy.
She was not on Facebook. She did not do interviews. She was not photographed by the media in public. By all accounts, she was a very private person and chose to be so.
Jan Ashley‘s Death in 2015
She died peacefully October 1, 2015.
Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was 67 years old.
And her passing did not warrant much media coverage and that was entirely consistent with the life she had chosen. She was hardly a celebrity at the time of her death and the press responded accordingly.
Buried Next to John Ashley
Jan was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California, where her first husband, John Ashley, was buried.
This ending had a lot of significance. Not a longer, yet controversial marriage to Robert Kardashian. She finally chose to be laid to rest next to the man she loved for almost 20 years, John Ashley.
It conveys everything about where her deepest loyalties and most genuine relationships actually resided.
What Jan Ashley‘s Story Teaches Us
Fame Is Not For Everyone
Jan Ashley‘s life gives you a very clear, consistent message that the ability to be a truly dignified and fulfilling human being doesn‘t depend upon fame, celebrity status, or being aired on mainstream media.
She could‘ve used her association with that family to create a platform for herself, and she refused it entirely.
Privacy as a Deliberate Choice
In a society that prizes visibility as a form of success, Jan Ashley took the contrary route. She preferred peace, modesty and genuine human interaction to any public accolade.
That choice, which she kept her whole life, seems to typify a very subtle and yet true form of strength.
A Life on Her Own Terms
Jan Ashley lived life on her own terms. She gained a crown at 18. She loved for close to 20 years. She handled a startling public occasion with grace. Quietly, she left it behind. She died in secret, as she lived.
Very few people who ever even get close to fame can pull all that off.
FAQs
Who was Jan Ashley?
Jan Ashley born Janice Lynn Glass was an American former beauty queen and recluse. Known for her second marriage with Robert Kardashian Sr. Ashley was born on 3rd August 1948 at Amarillo Texas and died on 1st October 2015 at Tulsa Oklahoma.
What was the date that Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian wed?
Jan Ashley wed Robert Kardashian Sr. (born 1944), in Vail, Colorado, on November 25, 1998. Their marriage lasted some 30 days before being annulled.
What was the reason behind the annulment of Mrs. Jan Ashley and Mr. Robert Kardashian‘s union?
The reasons (for the break up) have never officially been confirmed. What is known indicates that Jan struggled immensely with Robert being thrust into the Hollywood lifestyle with his fame as well as dealing with the Kardashians being in the spotlight also with every move related to the Kardashians being trivialized by the media. Jan did not want to change to fit into that lifestyle.
What did Jan Ashley say about Khloe Kardashian?
Jan Ashley claimed that Robert Kardashian had secretly confessed to her while they were married, for a short period, that he was not the biological father of Khloe Kardashian. This statement was firmly rejected by the family and remains unproven.
Who was Jan Ashley‘s first husband?
Jan Ashley‘s first husband was John Ashley. He was an American actor and producer, who has been seen on The A-Team. The couple married in 1978, and remained together until he died in 1997.
Did Jan Ashley have children?
There are no publicly documented confirmed children from any of Jan Ashley‘s marriages. Her marriage to Robert Kardashian was very brief and she had no confirmed children with him; and her marriage to John Ashley for 20 years also produced no confirmed children.
What was Jan Ashley‘s pageant title?
Jan Ashley was crowned Miss Tulsa in 1966 aged 18. The title gained her some local fame and offered access to modelling and social positions in young adult life.
Where is (or was) Jan Ashley ‘s burial?
Jan Ashley was cremated and interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California, where she was buried alongside her first husband John Ashley.
What was Jan Ashley‘s net worth?
Jan Ashley never publicly disclosed his net worth. He did not accept media deals or enter into entertainment or business enterprises during his years of identification with his famous family. He lived frugally and privately until his demise in 2015.
What has actually happened to Jan Ashley?
Jan Ashley passed away on October 1, 2015 at the age of 67 in Tulsa, OK. No cause of death was given, which was also typical as she was quite private.
Conclusion
Jan Ashley is remembered as a footnote in the history of the Kardashian Family: a woman who was only married to Robert Kardashian Sr. for 30 days and who stirred up controversy over her claims about the paternity of Khloe Kardashian.
But her story is far fuller than even her lone footnote would have us believe. She was the Miss Tulsa winner whose demeanor was breathtaking. She was a wife to John Ashley for almost twenty years. And she was someone who wanted to get out of the spotlight every chance she got, even when it was handed to her.
She did not milk her link to one of the most well-known families on earth. She did not build a media empire from her fleeting marriage. She simply returned to her family, lived quietly, and died anonymously beside the man she really loved.
That, ultimately, was who Jan Ashley actually was. Find all kinds of entertainment and biography stories simply here on The Better Readers.