Kim Kardashian has paid an emotional tribute to her grandmother, Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon, who died on Thursday, 16 July 2026 at the age of 91, calling her “my best friend, my gossip buddy, my forever twin.”
Shannon was the mother of Kris Jenner and the great-grandmother at the head of one of the world’s most famous families.
Her death was confirmed by the family this week, as reported by E! News, prompting tributes from across the Kardashian-Jenner clan.
For Kardashian, the loss is deeply personal. She has often credited Shannon with instilling the work ethic that helped build her billion-rand beauty and shapewear empire, pointing to those early days behind the counter as the foundation of everything that followed.
Kim Kardashian’s tribute to her grandmother
In a heartfelt post, the reality star and businesswoman reflected on everything her grandmother taught her.
“You taught all of us the importance of family,” she wrote, before adding, “You were the woman who showed me what it meant to be a hardworking businesswoman.”
Kardashian went on to describe the bond the two shared, writing that Shannon “always believed in me, championed me, and were my safe place.”
She recalled working her very first job at her grandmother’s clothing store in San Diego as a teenager.
The tribute quickly became one of the most shared celebrity posts of the week, with fellow stars and fans alike responding to its raw honesty.
It struck a chord well beyond the family’s usual audience, a rare glimpse of the grandmother behind the famous name.
Who was Kim Kardashian’s grandmother MJ Shannon
Shannon was 91 when she died and leaves behind six grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Known for her sharp wit, she famously kept a “sneaky” Instagram account that she used to quietly keep tabs on her sprawling family and their every move online.
Shannon lived a long life largely out of the spotlight, even as her family became a global phenomenon through reality television.
Those close to her describe a grounded woman who valued family above fame and kept her loved ones close right until the end.
Kris Jenner led the family’s public mourning with her own tribute, remembering her mother as the matriarch who shaped the values her children and grandchildren carry today.
The loss has clearly hit the family hard during what should have been an ordinary week.
Funeral details have not been made public, and the family is expected to grieve privately in the days ahead.
For now, Kardashian’s followers have filled her comments with messages of support as she remembers the woman she called her forever twin.
