Kris Jenner and Her Late Sister Karen Houghton Had a Complicated Relationship

While we’ve watched Kris Jenner and her famous family’s remarkably close bond, little is known about the reality TV mogul’s family of origin. Although many know her mother, Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, many weren't aware of Kris's younger sister, Karen Houghton.

Sadly, Karen passed away unexpectedly at age 65 on March 18, 2024.

Kris and Karen had a bumpy relationship over the years, but they seemingly resolved their issues in 2019. Here's what to know about the sisters' relationship.

Kris’s upbringing was vastly different from her famous children’s rambunctious lifestyle. The San Diego, Calif., native grew up as the eldest daughter of MJ and Robert Houghton. Three years after Kris was born, her parents welcomed her younger sister, Karen Houghton.

Despite being three years apart, Kris and Karen reportedly had a rocky relationship that followed them into adulthood. The rivalry seemingly worsened after Kris became famous, as Karen began spilling a bunch of her sister’s tea to outlets like The Daily Mail and RadarOnline.

In 2014, amid Kris’s public divorce from her ex Caitlyn Jenner, Karen told Radar that Caitlyn “walked out” on Kris and said she’s “got issues right now.” Karen also called out her sister on her Facebook account in May 2014, calling Kris “crazy” while also referring to herself as the “crazy aunt.”

Karen further revealed on Facebook how Kris refused to answer her calls, causing her to discuss their issues online. The former nurse also shared that Kris reportedly refused to help care for their older mother, MJ, and said Kris had “changed” since becoming a household name.

“I don’t care how much money you have or who you are; you’re my sister,” Karen explained to Radar in 2014. “I’m not afraid of her. I can’t get to her anymore. But I guess it’s the money.”

“She’s a huge celebrity, and now she has changed,” she added. “I’m not saying good or bad. But I’ve seen what it can do to Kris… ever since she moved to L.A.”

Since going public with their issues, Kris and Karen were able to get to a more cordial place. In 2016, Karen underwent a facelift and reportedly asked her surgeon to make her “look like my beautiful sister, Kris,” per Daily Mail.

During the 2019 Christmas season, Karen and Kris proved they were on better terms. In December 2019, they posed with MJ, Karen’s daughter, Natalie Zettel, and Kylie Jenner for a family photo before a Christmas tree.

The photo op with the sisters confirmed they were ready to put the family drama behind them. However, Natalie scrubbed the photo from her Instagram account at some point afterward. Kris, who routinely posts about her kids, grandkids, and extended family, kept Karen away from her famous social media handle.

Karen, for her part, seemingly didn’t have any public social media accounts. Nonetheless, she sporadically appeared on Natalie’s page alone or with MJ.

"It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sadness that I share that my sister Karen passed away yesterday unexpectedly. My heart aches for my mom MJ and my niece Natalie and I pray that God guides us all through this difficult time," Kris wrote on social media on March 19, 2024.

"Karen was beautiful inside and out. She was the sweetest, kindest, the most sensitive and vulnerable and so so funny. She always felt grateful and thankful for her life and treasured her family and friends and especially her beautiful daughter," she went on.

Kris continued: "She holds such a huge part of my heart and I cherish every single memory we have together. Karen’s passing is a reminder that life is so short and precious and tomorrow is never promised. We must tell those we cherish how much we love them. I love you my beautiful sister."

As of this writing, Karen's cause of death has reportedly been attributed to natural causes, per TMZ.