Kris Jenner has announced the death of her mother, Mary Jo Shannon, days before she was set to turn 92.
“Today, we said goodbye to my beautiful mommy MJ,” the Kardashian matriarch, 70, wrote in a Thursday Instagram post. “There are no words that could ever capture what she has meant to me or the heartbreak of having to say goodbye.”
She continued in her tribute: “My mom was the heart of our family. She taught me everything that truly matters… to love your family fiercely, to be kind, to show up for the people you love, and to never take a single moment together for granted. She taught us that family is everything.”
Shannon, nicknamed MJ, was often praised by the Kardashian-Jenner family with tributes to the “best grandmother ever” on social media. She was one of the two witnesses for Kourtney Kardashian’s courthouse marriage to Travis Barker in May 2022.
Her appearances on the Kardashian family’s reality show, which was called Keeping Up With the Kardashians at the time, made her a beloved guest star because of her memorable antics — including one famous moment where she and Jenner took weed gummies together and both became overtaken in a fit of giggles.
Jenner wrote in her tribute: “She showed us how to love unconditionally and how to find joy in the little moments. She showed me how to face life’s challenges with resilience and faith. Mom, thank you for every sacrifice you made, every piece of wisdom you shared, and every moment you loved us so completely. I will miss our daily talks, your smile, your laughter… Our hearts are broken, but we find comfort knowing that love like yours never truly leaves us.”
She wrote in the emotional post that Shannon’s love will live on through their family, saying: “When I look at my kids and my grandkids, I will forever see pieces of you in all of us. There is not a part of me that isn’t shaped by you. And if I have done anything right in this world, it’s because I spent my life trying to live in a way that would make you proud. Every memory, every moment, every blessing, it was all because of you, and I will forever thank God every single day for making you my mommy.”
She concluded the post, “My heart is broken into a million pieces… thank you for giving me the greatest childhood and oh what a beautiful blessed life… I love you forever Mommy. Thank you for giving us everything.”