Mary Jo Shannon cause of death revealed in death certificate
Kris Jenner’s mother died at 91 after acute cardiopulmonary arrest, with respiratory failure and metastatic lung cancer also listed.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
The Mary Jo Shannon cause of death has been listed as acute cardiopulmonary arrest, according to a death certificate obtained by Us Weekly.
Shannon, the mother of Kris Jenner and a familiar face to Kardashian viewers as “MJ,” died at 91. The medical filing said her heart and lungs stopped at the same time, Us Weekly reported.
The certificate also listed acute respiratory failure and metastatic lung cancer, according to the outlet. Us Weekly reported that the conditions had been present for months.
What was Mary Jo Shannon's cause of death?
Us Weekly reported that Shannon’s immediate cause of death was acute cardiopulmonary arrest. In plain terms, that means the heart and lungs stopped functioning at the same time.
The death certificate also noted acute respiratory failure and metastatic lung cancer, the outlet reported. No autopsy was performed, according to the certificate.
Jenner announced on social media that her mother had died on July 16. The death certificate said Shannon was cremated on July 23, according to Us Weekly.
TMZ reported that Shannon had previously faced breast cancer and colon cancer. The outlet also reported that Kim Kardashian had said in the past that radiation treatment damaged Shannon’s intestines.
Kris Jenner paid tribute to her mother
Jenner remembered Shannon as the center of the family in a social media tribute after her death. She wrote that her mother taught her to cherish family, treat people with kindness and show up for loved ones.
“My mom was the heart of our family,” Jenner wrote, according to Rolling Stone. She added that Shannon taught the family that “family is everything.”
Shannon, born Mary Jo Campbell, was grandmother to the Kardashian-Jenner family and became known to viewers through the family’s reality shows. She appeared on Keeping Up With the Kardashians and later on The Kardashians.
Her granddaughters often spoke warmly about her on the shows, according to Rolling Stone. Fans knew her by the nickname MJ, and her appearances gave viewers a window into the family’s older generation.
Who was Mary Jo Shannon?
Us Weekly reported that Shannon was married three times. Her second marriage, to Bob Houghton, produced two daughters: Kris Jenner and Karen Houghton.
Karen Houghton died in 2024, according to Rolling Stone. Shannon later married Harry Shannon in 1962, and the couple remained married until his death in 2003, Us Weekly reported.
Shannon’s death certificate adds medical detail to the family’s earlier announcement of her death. The public tributes from Jenner and the family focused on her role as a mother, grandmother and steady presence in one of television’s most-watched families.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.