Kris Jenner, 69, the matriarch of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, has recently made headlines for undergoing yet another facelift—one in the extensive series of enhancements she’s had.
“Just because you get older, it doesn’t mean you should give up on yourself,” she expressed amid the media racket, and said that this was her “version” of “aging gracefully.”
The socialite and icon rose to fame after making her clan famous. She was raised in San Diego, California, born into a family of retailers.
Kris’ parents divorced when she was only 7, and she had to grow up without her biological father, Robert True Houghton.
Many superfans are unaware that Kris had another father. So, if you’re wondering about the man behind the person who built the billionaire Kardashian-Jenner dynasty, you’re exactly where you need to be.
Here’s everything we know about Robert True Houghton.
Robert True Houghton Was an Engineer
Robert True “Bob” Houghton was born on May 12, 1932, and was raised in San Diego, California. His father, True Otis Houghton, was an Oklahoman, while his mother, Mary Lee, was a Texan.
Not much is known about Robert’s upbringing. But we know he had a younger sister, Linda Lee, who died in 2014.
As someone who grew up in San Diego, a city with a rich aerospace industry, he most likely loved science, mathematics, physics, and anything aviation-related as a kid.
True enough, after graduating from high school, Robert went straight into engineering. There’s a good chance he attended one of California’s major engineering universities. This was back when the industry in the state was still in its formative years.
He earned his degree sometime around the ‘50s and became a successful, if not as impactful, aerospace engineer.
Robert Married Jo Campbell In 1954
Robert met Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell sometime in the ‘50s. He was pursuing his engineering career, and she was freshly out of a short-lived, two-month marriage to her high school sweetheart.
By this time, Robert was in his 20s, while Mary Jo was 18.
It’s unclear how or when exactly the former couple met, but they immediately clicked and started dating. But Robert was charming and intelligent, with an undoubtedly prosperous career ahead of him.
A little over one year after Mary Jo’s first divorce, Robert proposed marriage, and she had her second chance on the aisle. They settled and built a home in Point Loma, west of San Diego.
The couple were together for a year when they welcomed their first and eldest daughter, Kris, on November 5, 1955. Mary Jo was 20 then. Some short while later, they were blessed with their second daughter, Karen.
Their union, unfortunately, would turn out the same as Mary Jo’s first marriage.
“Once you get married, you realize it,” Mary Jo once said in an interview. “You try to stay in there for a month or so and really try hard, and you just can’t.”
The Divorce That Changed Everything
The eventual divorce happened in 1962, when Kris was only 7 years old, an event that would haunt the socialite star most of her life.
According to some accounts, the reason for the split is infidelity on Robert’s part. While details on who or when the cheating started in their marriage are unknown, it proved serious enough to warrant Mary Jo’s leaving her husband.
With Robert out of the picture, Mary Jo had to raise Kris and Karen on her own. She decided to sell their family home and move to Clairemont, California, where Kris and Karen spent most of their childhood.
Soon, Mary Jo remarried Harry Shannon, the person who would raise Kris and Karen and whom they would call their father.
Still, Robert remained in contact with his family for a while. But he drifted slowly from their lives until the chasm between him and his children grew ever wider.
Kris and Robert Had a Strained Relationship
As the eldest daughter, Robert’s absence left a lasting mark on Kris. She remembered her biological father the most and was the one most affected after the split.
According to authors Cathy Griffin and Dylan Howard in Dirty Sexy Money: The Unauthorized Biography of Kris Jenner, she blamed herself for her father’s leaving.
“Like many children in that situation, Kris could not shake the idea that she was somehow responsible for her dad leaving,” the investigative journalists wrote. “Kris had to fend off feelings that she wasn’t worthy or had done something wrong.”
However, Robert didn’t fare well after the divorce, either. Devastated by his mistakes, he would develop a drinking problem, sabotaging his career and further complicating his relationship with Kris.
Moreover, in an interview with Robert’s former girlfriend, Leslie Johnson Leech, she revealed how Robert “felt he’d really dropped the ball.”
“Talking about the situation was painful for him, but he did often say how much he missed his daughters and how pretty they were,” she added.
In an attempt to repair their relationship, Robert and his then-girlfriend reportedly invited Kris on double dates. Despite that, their relationship remained troubled.
Robert True Houghton Died In 1975 When He Was 43
Although he tried to go sober, Robert’s binge drinking only spiraled further. Unfortunately, his alcohol misuse ultimately became the catalyst for his early death.
On the night of March 29, 1975, Robert was with his fiancée, Vicky Thomsen. The couple planned on getting married at Rosarito Beach, Mexico, the next day.
“The plan was to hit the next big town and get married there in the morning,” Vicky recounted with Star.
Robert was drunk, yet insisted on driving his Porsche. They were talking on the drive when he swerved and crashed into an oncoming truck.
Vicky “woke up crushed under the dashboard.” Robert was impaled on the steering wheel and suffered terrible internal injuries. He later died in a nearby Mexican convent.
FAQs
What was Rober True Houghton’s net worth?
Having led a relatively prestigious career, it’s safe to assume that Robert True Houghton, Kris Jenner’s biological father, possessed substantial wealth. Unfortunately, records of his net worth remain elusive.
What did Kris Jenner’s parents do for a living?
Kris Jenner grew up with her mother, Mary Jo Campbell, who owned a clothing store in California. Her biological father, Robert Houghton, was an aerospace engineer.
Final Words
While the father and daughter’s relationship remained complicated, Robert’s grisly death shocked and pained Kris Jenner. She was 19 when she found out, and despite his flaws, he was her biological father.
His influence on Kris is debatable, but there’s no question that he loved his daughter. It won’t be far-fetched to say that without Robert, we may never have known the same Kris Jenner, the icon who built an empire.
Featured image source: Google