Jan Ashley was an American former beauty queen, a business professional and the second wife of attorney Robert Kardashian Sr. Born Janice Lynn Glass, she was crowned Miss Tulsa in 1966, worked as an executive secretary at Phillips Petroleum and spent nearly two decades married to actor and producer John Ashley.Most people only know her for one chapter. She married Robert Kardashian on November 25, 1998, and the marriage was annulled about 30 days later.
Her life before and after that month is far more interesting than the headlines suggest.This biography pulls together the verified details, flags where sources disagree, and separates documented facts from unproven claims. It covers her roots, her pageant win, her career, both marriages, the Kardashian annulment, the 2012 media storm and her death in 2015.
Jan Ashley Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Full birth name | Janice Lynn Glass |
| Known as | Jan Ashley (Janice Lynn Glass Ashley) |
| Born | August 3, 1948 (reported), Amarillo, Texas |
| Raised in | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Reportedly attended Will Rogers High School, Tulsa |
| Pageant title | Miss Tulsa, 1966 |
| Career | Executive secretary at Phillips Petroleum, reportedly to K.S. “Boots” Adams |
| First husband | John Ashley, actor and producer (married around 1978, widowed October 1997) |
| Second husband | Robert Kardashian Sr., attorney and businessman |
| Wedding date | November 25, 1998 |
| Wedding location | Vail, Colorado |
| Length of marriage | About 30 days |
| Marriage outcome | Annulled (December 1998 in most accounts, some list 1999) |
| Biological children | None documented |
| Known for | Being Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife; 2012 and 2014 media interviews |
| Died | October 1, 2015, aged 67, Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Burial | Reportedly beside John Ashley at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California |
Early Life and Roots of Janice Lynn Glass
Janice Lynn Glass was reportedly born on August 3, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas. Several biographical profiles repeat this date and place. A few low-quality sites give different birth details, so treat any outlier claim with caution.
She grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her obituary and later profiles place her at Will Rogers High School, a well-known public school in the city.
Very little is public about her parents or siblings. She never chased fame, and that privacy explains why her early years are thinly documented.
What we can say with confidence:
- She was born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma.
- She finished high school in Tulsa.
- She entered local pageants soon after graduating.
Beauty Pageants and Becoming Miss Tulsa 1966
Jan Ashley won the Miss Tulsa title in 1966. Her obituary records that she earned the crown after finishing high school, which makes her around 17 or 18 at the time.
Miss Tulsa was a local title tied to the Miss America system, so it carried real social weight in the city. It also opened doors to professional networks.
She did not turn the title into a media career. She stepped into the working world instead, which says a lot about how she approached life.
Professional Career at Phillips Petroleum
After the pageant years, Jan Ashley built a business career. She worked as an executive secretary at Phillips Petroleum, one of the biggest energy companies in Oklahoma. Her obituary says she supported K.S. “Boots” Adams, the long-serving Phillips executive.
An executive secretary at that level handled scheduling, confidential documents and communication between senior leaders. It was a position of trust.
This part of her story matters for two reasons:
- It shows she had an independent career before marrying into Hollywood and then into the Kardashian circle.
- It contradicts the lazy image of her as only a “celebrity ex-wife.”
She later moved to California, where her first marriage placed her inside the film and television world.
First Marriage to Actor and Producer John Ashley
Jan married John Ashley, an American actor, singer and producer. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1934 and raised in Tulsa. That shared Oklahoma link is how many accounts say the two met after she returned to the city.
John Ashley rose to fame in the late 1950s and 1960s with drive-in hits and the American International Pictures beach party movies. He later became a prolific producer, especially through his long partnership with director Eddie Romero in the Philippines. His credits include Mad Doctor of Blood Island and Beast of Blood, and later television work such as Marker.
Their marriage lasted close to 19 years, reportedly beginning around 1978. For Jan, it was the longest and most stable relationship of her adult life.
The Tragic Loss of John Ashley in 1997
John Ashley died on October 3, 1997, at age 62. He suffered a heart attack in New York City while working on the film Scar City. Reports say he collapsed in his car outside the studio.
The loss was sudden. Jan Ashley became a widow with almost no warning, and the timing matters for what followed. Barely a year later, she was a bride again.
Meeting Legal Icon Robert Kardashian Sr.
Robert Kardashian Sr. was a Los Angeles attorney and businessman. He became a household name as a member of O.J. Simpson’s defense team in the 1990s. He had been married to Kris Jenner from 1978 to 1991 and had four children: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob.
According to Jan’s 2014 interview with RadarOnline, the two met in early 1998 while she was selling her house. She said Robert saw her photo, then asked someone connected to her late husband’s circle to arrange an introduction.
Legit.ng reports they dated for about seven months before Robert proposed in Hawaii. That timeline fits with a late 1998 wedding.
The November 1998 Wedding in Vail
Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian married on November 25, 1998, in Vail, Colorado. Multiple profiles describe a private ceremony.
Reports say the couple went on a honeymoon the same day with Robert’s four children in tow. Whether that detail reflected a close family start or an early warning sign depends on whose account you trust.
The 30-Day Marriage and Reasons for the Annulment
The marriage did not last a month. Most sources say it was annulled on December 25, 1998. Others place the formal end in 1999, which is why you will see both years online.
Two versions of the split exist.
Robert Kardashian’s reported version: Court papers cited in tabloid coverage said he did not want to have a child with Jan. The legal filings reportedly showed they had discussed having a child together before the wedding.
Jan Ashley’s version: In 2014, she told RadarOnline that constant upset and turmoil linked to Robert’s ex-wife Kris and their children helped wreck the marriage.
Neither account has been independently confirmed in full. The honest summary is this: the annulment was real, the cause was disputed, and the two sides never agreed.
Family Pressures and the Shadow of Kris Jenner
Robert Kardashian was close to his children and stayed involved in their daily lives after his divorce. Jan said that closeness, combined with ongoing friction with Kris Jenner, created a tense home.
Her complaint was not about the children themselves, as she framed it. It was about a household that never settled.
Here is the context that helps readers judge the claim:
- Robert had divorced Kris in 1991, only seven years before the wedding.
- Kris had remarried by then, but the families remained closely linked through the children.
- A newlywed couple was trying to form a home inside an already crowded family structure.
Kris Jenner has never publicly confirmed Jan’s version, and you should read it as one side of a private story.
Life After the Kardashian Annulment
After the annulment, Robert Kardashian eventually dated real estate professional Ellen Pierson and married her in 2003. He died on September 30, 2003, after a diagnosis of esophageal cancer.
Jan Ashley withdrew from public view. She did not give interviews for years, did not capitalize on the name and did not publish a memoir. Over time she moved back to Oklahoma.
That choice stands out in an era when short marriages to famous people often turn into reality TV careers.
Media Resurgence and the 2012 Controversies
Jan Ashley returned to the news in 2012. Together with Ellen Kardashian, Robert’s widow, she spoke to Star Magazine and claimed Robert had told them that Khloé Kardashian was not his biological child.
This is an unproven claim. It rests on secondhand recollection and has never been backed by public paternity evidence. Khloé responded angrily on social media, and the Kardashian family has consistently rejected the story.
Then, in 2014, Jan gave her RadarOnline interview about the marriage and annulment. These two media moments are the reason her name still trends today.
What readers should keep in mind:
- Tabloid interviews are not court records.
- Some websites repeat the paternity claim as fact, which is wrong.
- Jan herself never produced documentation for the claim.
Private Life and Personal Philosophy
Jan Ashley never ran a public brand, so there is no official statement of her philosophy. Her choices, though, show a pattern.
- Career first: She held a serious corporate role before and during her early adult life.
- Long commitments: Her marriage to John Ashley lasted almost two decades.
- Privacy over publicity: She spoke up rarely and returned to a quiet life each time.
- Roots matter: She eventually settled in Tulsa, the city that shaped her.
Some profiles list her religion as Christianity and her height as about 5 ft 6 in. These details come from secondary biography sites, so use them lightly.
The Final Years and Passing in 2015
Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015, at age 67, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her cause of death was not made public.
Her obituary, as reported by later profiles, said she would be interred beside John Ashley at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. That detail suggests she saw John as her lifelong partner, even after the brief Kardashian marriage.
Her death received little national coverage, which fits the private way she lived.
The Legacy of Jan Ashley in Pop Culture History
In pop culture history, Jan Ashley is a footnote in the Kardashian story. In real terms, she was a pageant winner, a corporate professional, a long-time Hollywood spouse and a widow who tried to start again.
Her legacy has three parts:
- A cautionary tale about rushed marriages: A wedding within months of a spouse’s death and an annulment within a month shows how fast life can change.
- A reminder to verify celebrity claims: The Khloé paternity story shows how tabloid quotes spread as facts.
- A case for quiet dignity: She never monetized the drama.
Conclusion
Jan Ashley was more than Robert Kardashian Sr.’s ex-wife. She was Janice Lynn Glass of Tulsa, Miss Tulsa 1966, a Phillips Petroleum executive secretary and the wife of John Ashley for about 19 years.Her 30-day Kardashian marriage ended in annulment, and the two sides told different stories. Her 2012 claims remain unproven.
She died on October 1, 2015, leaving behind a life that was quieter, longer and more grounded than the headlines.If you are researching her, rely on obituaries, court-linked reports and reputable biographies, and be skeptical of copy-paste celebrity sites that disagree on basic dates.
FAQs
Who was Jan Ashley?
Jan Ashley (born Janice Lynn Glass) was a former Miss Tulsa and executive secretary, best known as Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife.
When did Jan Ashley marry Robert Kardashian Sr.?
They married on November 25, 1998, in Vail, Colorado.
How long did the marriage between Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Sr. last?
It lasted about 30 days before the annulment.
Why did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Sr. annul their marriage?
Reports say Robert did not want a child, while Jan blamed turmoil involving Kris Jenner and the children. The cause was never confirmed.
Who was Jan Ashley’s first husband?
Her first husband was actor and producer John Ashley, who died of a heart attack on October 3, 1997.
Did Jan Ashley have any biological children?
No children are documented from her marriages to John Ashley or Robert Kardashian Sr.
Is Jan Ashley still alive?
No. Jan Ashley died on October 1, 2015, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age 67.
