Kardashian matriarch Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell dies at 91

Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, the Kardashian family matriarch who became one of the most familiar supporting figures in its reality-TV world, died at 91. She was the mother of Kris Jenner and Karen Houghton, and the grandmother of Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner and Rob Kardashian.

Campbell was known to viewers as MJ through multiple episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and later as a recurring presence on The Kardashians. Her visibility reflected how the family’s television brand was built not only around its central stars, but also around the older generation whose reactions, advice and family ties became part of the public story.

Her life had long been folded into the family’s on-camera history. A profile piece described Campbell as a model who owned a children’s clothing store, and photographs from family coverage placed her at Kim Kardashian’s apartment in Paris on May 20, 2014. Those appearances helped keep Campbell in the frame as the family moved from one reality series to the next.

Kris Jenner had recently spoken about her mother’s health and the difficulty of watching her lose the ability to live alone. “It just gets to the point in life where you can’t be by yourself anymore. It makes me sad,” Jenner said. The comment underscored how central Campbell remained inside the family even as her public role shifted from a regular television presence to a more background place in the family’s orbit.

Campbell had also just been celebrated by the family for her 91st birthday, which the Kardashians marked with a lavish garden-themed party. Her death closes another chapter in a family story that has depended for years on the public visibility of its inner circle, with MJ serving as one of the most recognizable links between the dynasty’s private roots and its reality-TV machine.