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Kris Jenner is continuing to mourn the loss of her sister. Last month, the momager was rocked by the death of her only sister, 65-year-old Karen Houghton. Unlike Kris and mom Mary Jo Houghton, Karen wasn’t part of the famous family’s day-to-day life. In fact, fame presented some strain on the relationship between sisters. That said, Kris was genuinely gutted by her sister’s “unexpected” death, the details of which have been revealed.
Karen’s Death was Health Related
According to a copy of her death certificate revealed by TMZ, an autopsy found that Karen Houghton died of illness. First responders attempted life-saving measures when they were called to her San Marcos, California home.
The document lists Karen’s official cause of death as cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac arrhythmia, with Type 2 diabetes listed as a secondary cause.
The document also revealed that Karen lived with bipolar disorder, though it’s unclear during what time of her life she was diagnosed. Instead of a burial, Karen was cremated after her death.
The Relationship Between Kris and Karen Wasn’t Always Easy
Kris Jenner penned a heartfelt tribute to her sister on Instagram while announcing her passing.
My heart aches for my mom MJ and my niece Natalie and I pray that God guides us all through this difficult time. Karen was beautiful inside and out. She was the sweetest, kindest, the most sensitive and vulnerable and so so funny. She always felt grateful and thankful for her life and treasured her family and friends and especially her beautiful daughter. She holds such a huge part of my heart and I cherish every single memory we have together. Karen’s passing is a reminder that life is so short and precious and tomorrow is never promised. We must tell those we cherish how much we love them. I love you my beautiful sister.
Kris Jenner/Instagram
Some fans noted a lack of recent photos of Kris and Karen together. That’s because since Kris’ family has risen to fame, things haven’t been so easy between the sisters. In 2013, Karen spoke to outlets, sharing exclusive details from family events. Karen also shared some commentary about her sister’s split from ex Caitlyn Jenner on social media in 2014, saying that Jenner had “walked out on her, and I think [she’s] not coming back. [She] couldn’t take the yelling anymore and stuff.”
If there was animosity between the two, it never showed. A holiday photo from 2019 showed the sisters celebrating together. A number of Kris’ daughters showed their support, both by commenting on the post and sharing their own tributes to their Aunt Karen. Whatever their differences may have been, there still seemed to be a lot of love between the sisters and their larger family.
