In 1966, Janice Lynn Glass represented Tulsa in Oklahoma’s state beauty pageant competition. At the time, her future connection to one of America’s most recognizable celebrity families was still decades away.
She would go on to work at Phillips Petroleum, marry Hollywood actor and producer John Ashley, and spend nearly two decades connected to the film industry through that marriage. Only after John’s death did she briefly become the wife of attorney Robert Kardashian Sr.
Today, Jan Ashley is often remembered for that second marriage. Her surviving obituary, historical pageant records, and legal documents reveal a much broader life.
Who Was Jan Ashley?
Jan Ashley, born Janice Lynn Glass, was an American former beauty-pageant titleholder and executive secretary. She held the Miss Tulsa title in 1966, married actor and producer John Ashley in 1978, and became Robert Kardashian Sr.’s second wife in November 1998. Her second marriage ended after a short period together. She died on October 1, 2015, aged 67.
Jan Ashley Biography and Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Janice Lynn Glass |
| Also known as | Jan Ashley, Janice Lynn Ashley |
| Born | August 1948 |
| Birthplace | Amarillo, Texas, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Age at death | 67 |
| Died | October 1, 2015 |
| Raised in | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Education | Will Rogers High School |
| Pageant title | Miss Tulsa, 1966 |
| Profession | Executive secretary |
| Employer | Phillips Petroleum |
| First husband | John Ashley (1978–1997) |
| Second husband | Robert Kardashian Sr. |
| Second wedding | November 25, 1998 |
| Marriage outcome | Annulment proceedings in 1999 |
| Children | None independently documented |
| Net worth | Not independently verified |
When Was Jan Ashley Born?
Jan Ashley was born in August 1948 in Amarillo, Texas.
Her exact birthday is less certain than many celebrity biographies suggest. The Floral Haven Funeral Home record lists August 3, 1948, in its heading, but the obituary’s narrative identifies August 1, 1948.
Because these dates appear in the same family record, neither day can be presented as unquestionably correct without further evidence.
What is clear is that Jan was born in August 1948 and was 67 years old when she died in October 2015.
Jan Ashley’s Early Life in Tulsa
Jan was born to James Douglas Glass and Monnie M. Glass. According to her family obituary, her parents moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when she was seven years old.
She attended Will Rogers High School, an established Tulsa institution also associated with several notable Oklahoma entertainers.
The available biographical record provides little detail about her classroom interests or plans after graduation. It does, however, establish her strong connection to Tulsa—a city that would remain significant throughout her life.
Was Jan Ashley Miss Tulsa in 1966?
Yes. Janice Lynn Glass held the Miss Tulsa title in 1966.
Her name appears in a historical archive of contestants for that year’s Miss Oklahoma competition. The archive identifies Jane Anne Jayroe as the state competition’s original winner.
This distinction is important: Jan represented Tulsa, but she was not the winner of Miss Oklahoma or Miss America.
Her pageant achievement remains one of the earliest independently documented public milestones in her life.
Jan Ashley’s Career at Phillips Petroleum
Before her Hollywood connections brought wider attention, Jan worked in the petroleum industry.
Her obituary identifies her as an executive secretary to K. S. “Boots” Adams at Phillips Petroleum.
Adams was a significant figure in the company’s history, making the position a specific and meaningful detail in Jan’s professional biography.
The surviving account does not provide her employment dates, salary, or full responsibilities. Those details should not be reconstructed from assumptions about secretarial work during that period.
Her employment nevertheless shows that Jan had an established professional life outside entertainment and celebrity culture.
Who Was Jan Ashley’s First Husband?
Jan Ashley’s first husband was John Ashley, an American actor and film and television producer.
They married in 1978. According to Jan’s obituary, the couple moved to California, where John was involved in screen acting and production.
John had already built a recognizable entertainment career. His credits included 1960s beach-party movies, genre films produced in the Philippines, and later television work.
He was associated with productions such as Beach Party, Beyond Atlantis, and The A-Team.
IMDb records his marriage to Janice Lynn Glass from 1978 until his death in 1997.
That relationship lasted approximately 19 years, making it a much longer chapter of Jan’s life than her subsequent marriage to Robert Kardashian.
What Happened to John Ashley?
John Ashley died on October 3, 1997, aged 62, while working on a film production in New York City.
His death ended a marriage that had lasted nearly two decades.
Jan’s obituary describes him as a loved husband and identifies plans for her eventual burial beside him.
Their marriage also represents her most substantial documented connection to Hollywood before the Kardashian years.
For another biography examining a woman’s professional life beyond a famous marriage, read Elaine Starchuk’s career and life story.
How Did Jan Ashley Meet Robert Kardashian?
Jan later described meeting Robert Kardashian through circumstances connected to the sale of her house.
In an October 2014 RadarOnline interview, she recalled that Robert saw her photograph while viewing the property and arranged an introduction through actor Mike Connors.
She said they dated for approximately seven months before he proposed during a trip to Hawaii.
These details come from Jan’s retrospective account rather than independently verified contemporary records. They provide her perspective on the relationship without establishing every circumstance as fact.
Robert was already nationally recognizable because of his association with the O.J. Simpson trial.
Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian’s 1998 Marriage
Jan Ashley married Robert Kardashian Sr. on November 25, 1998.
The wedding date appears in a legal declaration signed by Robert on May 13, 1999.
Jan later recalled that their ceremony took place in Vail, Colorado, and that Robert’s four children accompanied them on their honeymoon.
The relationship developed after Robert’s divorce from Kris Jenner. Jan became his second wife; he subsequently married Ellen Pierson in 2003.
Unlike Jan’s first marriage, this relationship ended quickly.
Were Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Married for Only 30 Days?
Jan described their marriage as lasting about one month in her 2014 interview.
However, that description should not be confused with a verified court judgment ending the marriage exactly 30 days after the wedding.
Robert’s signed declaration referred to a change of mind approximately two months after their marriage. He executed that declaration in May 1999 while seeking to have the marriage declared a nullity.
Contemporary entertainment reporting also describes annulment proceedings extending into 1999.
The most accurate conclusion is that the couple’s relationship broke down soon after their wedding, but the exact finalization date of the legal annulment has not been established by the declaration alone.
Why Did Jan Ashley and Robert Kardashian Separate?
Their accounts of the marriage’s breakdown differed.
Robert Kardashian’s 1999 Declaration
In his sworn declaration, Robert explained that he and Jan had discussed having a child together before marrying.
He stated that he subsequently changed his mind because he already had four biological children and no longer wanted additional children.
This is a documented explanation provided in connection with his request for a marriage nullity.
Jan Ashley’s Later Account
Jan offered a different interpretation in her 2014 interview.
She attributed substantial tension to Robert’s relationships with his former wife and children. She also disputed the explanation involving plans for another child.
These statements reflect Jan’s own recollections years after the marriage ended.
Without additional independently verified evidence, it would be misleading to present either account as a complete explanation of their private relationship.
Jan Ashley and the Kardashian Family Controversy
In January 2012, Jan Ashley attracted renewed attention after making a disputed allegation concerning Khloé Kardashian’s biological parentage.
Kris Jenner publicly rejected the allegation, and Khloé also responded critically.
Significantly, Robert Kardashian’s own 1999 sworn declaration stated that he had four biological children.
That statement conflicts with the later allegation Jan attributed to him.
The allegation was never independently established as fact. It should therefore be understood as part of a public dispute, not as verified information about Khloé Kardashian’s parentage.
Did Jan Ashley Have Children?
There is no dependable public documentation establishing that Jan Ashley had biological children.
Robert’s 1999 declaration stated that Jan had no children when the couple married. They had no documented children together.
Her obituary identifies her brother, Jerry D. Glass, and members of his family among her survivors, but does not list children of her own.
John Ashley had children from earlier relationships, including Anthony Brooks Ashley. His children should not automatically be identified as Jan’s biological children.
Jan Ashley’s Later Years and Death
Following her marriage to Robert Kardashian, Jan maintained a relatively limited public presence.
Although her 2012 statements and 2014 interview generated entertainment coverage, the available record does not establish a later television career or major public business venture.
According to her obituary, she returned to Oklahoma in 2012.
Jan died on October 1, 2015, at age 67.
The funeral-home record does not establish a specific cause of death.
Where Was Jan Ashley Buried?
Her family’s obituary announced that she would be interred beside John Ashley at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in California.
A separate public cemetery database lists Janice Lynn Glass Ashley at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.
The original obituary’s burial announcement and the later cemetery listing are consistent, although the database is not a substitute for an official cemetery-issued burial certificate.
Jan Ashley Net Worth
Jan Ashley’s personal net worth has not been reliably established.
Her documented employment at Phillips Petroleum and marriages to two publicly known men do not provide enough information to calculate her income, assets, inheritance, or estate value.
Specific dollar amounts circulating on unsourced biography websites should not be presented as verified financial information.
Jan Ashley’s Life Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1948 | Born in Amarillo, Texas |
| 1966 | Represented Tulsa in the Miss Oklahoma competition |
| 1978 | Married actor and producer John Ashley |
| 1997 | John Ashley died in New York City |
| 1998 | Married Robert Kardashian on November 25 |
| 1999 | Robert signed a declaration supporting his request for marriage nullity |
| 2012 | Returned to Oklahoma; became involved in a public family dispute |
| 2014 | Discussed her marriage in a published interview |
| 2015 | Died on October 1, aged 67 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Jan Ashley
What was Jan Ashley’s real name?
Her birth name was Janice Lynn Glass. She was also publicly known as Janice Lynn Ashley.
When was Jan Ashley born?
She was born in August 1948. Her funeral-home record contains conflicting dates of August 1 and August 3.
Was Jan Ashley Miss Oklahoma?
No. She was Miss Tulsa in 1966 and appeared in the Miss Oklahoma contestant archive.
What did Jan Ashley do for work?
She worked as an executive secretary to “Boots” Adams at Phillips Petroleum.
Who was Jan Ashley’s first husband?
Her first husband was John Ashley, an American actor and producer. They married in 1978.
Was Jan Ashley Robert Kardashian’s second wife?
Yes. Robert Kardashian married Jan after his divorce from Kris Jenner.
When did Jan Ashley marry Robert Kardashian?
They married on November 25, 1998, according to Robert’s 1999 legal declaration.
Why was their marriage annulled?
Robert cited a disagreement about having another child. Jan later disputed that explanation and described family tensions.
Did Jan Ashley have children?
No biological children have been established through the reliable public records reviewed.
When did Jan Ashley die?
She died on October 1, 2015, aged 67.
Remembering Jan Ashley Beyond the Headlines
Jan Ashley’s life cannot be fully explained by her short marriage to Robert Kardashian. She grew up in Tulsa, represented the city in a state pageant, worked in the petroleum industry, and spent approximately 19 years married to John Ashley.
Her later connection to the Kardashian family brought renewed media attention, but it was only one chapter of her history.
The strongest surviving records portray a woman whose life extended well beyond the celebrity controversy for which she is most frequently remembered.
Related reading: Carly Matros’s professional career and Hollywood family background.
