Meet Ellen Pierson? The Woman Who Married Robert Kardashian Before His Death

Ellen Pierson is best known as the last wife of Robert Kardashian Sr. Robert was a famous lawyer and the father of Kim, Khloé, Kourtney, and Rob Kardashian. Ellen married him in 2003, just weeks before he died from cancer. Their marriage was short, but it became a big part of Robert’s final life story.

After his death, Ellen faced family disputes and a court case over his private papers and photos. These events brought her name into the news. Yet Ellen had her own career before she married Robert. She worked in real estate and later in the insurance field. Many people still want to know who she is, how she met Robert, and where she is today. This article covers her life, marriage, work, and family ties using known public facts.

Who Is Ellen Pierson?

Ellen Pierson is an American businesswoman and the third wife of Robert Kardashian Sr. She became part of the Kardashian family through their marriage in 2003. Before that, she worked in the property business. She also held roles linked to insurance and company sales. Ellen was not a TV star when she met Robert.

She lived a more private life and had her own work. Her name became known after she married Robert during his fight with cancer. When he died, she became his widow. Years later, she made news because of a dispute with his children. Since then, Ellen has stayed out of much of the public eye.

Ellen Pierson’s Early Life and Background

Ellen Pierson lived much of her early life away from the news. Few trusted public sources give clear details about her parents, school, or childhood home. Her exact date of birth is also not well confirmed. Some websites share an age or birth year, but many do not show where the facts came from.

Ellen became known to the public much later in life. Before that, she had worked in business and built her own career. Her story is different from that of the Kardashian children, who grew up around fame and later became TV stars. Ellen’s early years remain private, and there is little proof for many online claims about her past.

What Did Ellen Pierson Do Before Marriage?

Ellen Pierson had a career before she married Robert Kardashian. Reports describe her as a former real estate agent. Real estate work involves helping people buy, sell, or manage homes and land. Agents need to learn about home prices, speak with buyers, and help with sales papers. Ellen also worked in the insurance field. Some reports link her to title insurance, which helps protect a homebuyer from certain legal problems with a property.

Her work was not limited to homes. A 2025 report by the South China Morning Post said Ellen had also helped run one of Robert Kardashian’s music companies. This shows she had business ties with Robert beyond their marriage. Still, there is no full public record of every company she worked for or every job she held. Her work history shows that she had a life and career outside the Kardashian name.

Who Was Robert Kardashian Sr.?

Robert Kardashian Sr. was born on February 22, 1944, in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a family with Armenian roots. Robert studied business at the University of Southern California. He later went to law school at the University of San Diego. He became a lawyer but also worked in business. In 1973, he helped start Radio & Records, a music trade magazine.

Robert became famous in the 1990s because of his close friendship with O.J. Simpson. In 1995, Robert joined the legal team that defended Simpson during his murder trial. The case was shown on TV and drew wide public interest. Simpson was found not guilty in the criminal trial. Robert later spoke about his doubts over the case. Long before his children became famous, Robert was already a known public figure.

Robert Kardashian’s First Two Marriages

Before Ellen Pierson, Robert Kardashian had been married twice. His first wife was Kris Houghton, now known as Kris Jenner. They married in 1978 and had four children together. Their first child, Kourtney, was born in 1979. Kim followed in 1980, Khloé in 1984, and Rob in 1987. Robert and Kris divorced in 1991 after more than a decade of marriage.

Robert later married Jan Ashley in 1998. That marriage was brief and ended in 1999. After the split, Robert continued to focus on his family and business life. His third marriage was to Ellen Pierson in 2003. Unlike his marriage to Kris, Robert’s marriage to Ellen lasted only a short time because of his death.

How Did Ellen Pierson Meet Robert Kardashian?

There is no clear public record of the first day Ellen Pierson met Robert Kardashian. However, reports say their bond began years before their wedding. Some accounts state that they became engaged in 2001. This means Ellen and Robert had plans to marry well before his final illness.

Robert was already a well-known lawyer and businessman at that time. Ellen had her own work in real estate and other business fields. Their shared business interests may have been part of their lives, but the full story of how they met has not been confirmed. Unlike Robert’s earlier marriage, their relationship was not followed closely by TV cameras. Much of their time together took place outside the public eye.

When Did Ellen Pierson Marry Robert Kardashian?

Ellen Pierson married Robert Kardashian in the summer of 2003. The exact wedding date differs across reports. Ellen’s legal papers gave July 27, 2003, while other news reports placed the wedding in August. What is clear is that they married less than three months before Robert’s death on September 30, 2003.

Their wedding later became a point of debate. Some members of the Kardashian family raised questions about Robert’s health when he married Ellen. Ellen did not agree with their account. In court papers, she said their marriage was a real and happy event. The family and Ellen gave different views of those final months. The private facts of their wedding are not all known.

Robert Kardashian’s Cancer and Final Days

Robert Kardashian learned he had esophageal cancer in July 2003. This type of cancer grows in the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. It can cause pain, trouble eating, and other health problems. Robert’s illness moved fast. He died on September 30, 2003, at the age of 59.

His death came as a huge loss for his children. Robert had played an important role in their lives. Kim and her siblings have spoken many times about missing their father. Ellen Pierson was Robert’s wife when he died. Their time as a married couple was brief, but she was part of his life during his final months. The illness and his death remain the most important events linked to their short marriage.

Did Ellen Pierson Have Children With Robert Kardashian?

Ellen Pierson and Robert Kardashian did not have any known children together. Robert’s four children were from his first marriage to Kris Jenner. When Ellen married Robert, she became their stepmother. However, the children were already older when the wedding took place.

Ellen also has her own family history. A 2025 media report said she has one daughter and two grandchildren. Ellen does not share much about them in public. Their names and personal lives are not well covered in trusted news reports. She has kept this part of her life away from the attention that follows the Kardashian family.

What Did Robert Kardashian Leave Ellen Pierson?

Robert Kardashian had a will and a family trust before he died. A will is a legal paper that says who should get a person’s property after death. A trust is another way to hold and pass on money or other assets.

Reports about Robert’s estate say his four children received rights to much of his personal property. Ellen was said to have received a home in Indian Wells, California, along with its furnishings. This became important years later when a dispute began over Robert’s diaries and family pictures.

The family said Robert had left the private items to his children. Ellen had a different view of her rights to the materials. The disagreement later became a federal court case. The value of everything Ellen may have received is not fully known from public reports.

Why Did Ellen Pierson Have Problems With the Kardashian Family?

The public dispute between Ellen Pierson and the Kardashian family became widely known in 2013. Reports based on writings said to be from Robert Kardashian appeared in magazines. Some of the stories made claims about Kris Jenner and family life during the children’s early years.

Members of the Kardashian family strongly challenged the claims. They also said Ellen had no right to share their father’s private writings and family photos. Ellen defended her actions and made her own claims about how the family had treated her.

The dispute was not just about money. It also involved Robert’s memory, family privacy, and the use of personal records. Both sides told different stories. A reader should not treat every claim from either side as a proven fact.

The 2013 Lawsuit Over Robert Kardashian’s Diary

On April 4, 2013, Kris Jenner and Robert Kardashian’s four children filed a case against Ellen Pierson. The case was filed in a federal court in California. It dealt with copyright and the ownership of family items.

The family said Robert had left the rights to his writings and photos to his children. They claimed Ellen had kept some of these items and shared them with magazines. The family asked for damages of at least $500,000.

Copyright gives people legal rights over work such as books, photos, and private writing. The court case asked who had those rights after Robert’s death. Ellen did not accept the family’s account of the matter. The case continued into 2014.

How Did the Court Case End?

The case over Robert Kardashian’s diary and photos ended in a settlement in April 2014. A settlement means people agree to end a legal fight without waiting for a full court trial.

Lawyers said the diaries and family photos had been returned to the Kardashians. The other terms of the deal stayed private. On May 16, 2014, the federal court closed the case after the parties reached their agreement.

This is an important part of Ellen Pierson’s story. The $500,000 figure was part of what the family had asked for in the lawsuit. It was not a confirmed payment made by Ellen. The public settlement did not reveal all the terms.

Ellen Pierson’s Defamation Case

Ellen Pierson also took legal action against the Kardashian family. She said comments made about her had harmed her name. Her claims involved statements on the family’s reality TV show and in public.

Ellen filed a defamation case against members of the family and people tied to the show. Defamation is when a false statement harms someone’s good name. Her case was separate from the federal fight over photos and diaries.

In 2014, a judge dismissed much of Ellen’s case. The court also ordered her to pay some legal fees. Later reports said the remaining case ended in 2015. These court events made Ellen’s name appear in the news again. They also showed how serious the family dispute had become.

What Did Kim and Khloé Say About Ellen Pierson in 2025?

Ellen Pierson’s name returned to the news in April 2025. During the season six finale of The Kardashians, Kim and Khloé spoke about dreams they had of their late father.

Kim said she had dreamed that Robert was still alive and living with Ellen in Los Angeles. Khloé gave a short, negative reply when Ellen’s name came up. Their talk suggested that old tensions had not gone away.

The scene did not give any new facts about Ellen’s current life. It did show that the family’s past problems remained a sensitive subject. The moment was covered by People and other news sites in April 2025.

Where Is Ellen Pierson Now in 2026?

Ellen Pierson has kept a low profile in recent years. She is not a regular part of the Kardashian family’s TV shows. She also does not share much about her daily life in public interviews.

As of November 2026, there is little verified public information about her exact home or current job. Some reports still connect her with work in real estate and insurance. However, no clear recent job record confirms her present role.

Ellen has chosen a much more private life than Robert’s children. Her story still interests readers because of her past marriage and the court cases that followed. Yet much of her life today remains outside the news.

What Is Ellen Pierson’s Net Worth?

Ellen Pierson’s exact net worth is not known. Some websites give money estimates, but they do not show clear proof. Her past work in real estate, insurance, and business may have earned her income. She was also named in reports about Robert’s estate.

However, there are no trusted public records that show the full value of her savings, homes, or debts. Without these facts, it is not possible to give a sound net worth figure. Readers should be careful with websites that claim to know her exact wealth.

Why Is Ellen Pierson Still Famous?

Ellen Pierson remains known because of her link to Robert Kardashian. Robert had a major role in one of the most famous court trials in America. His children later became stars through TV, fashion, and business.

Ellen’s marriage also took place during an important time in Robert’s life. He was fighting cancer and died soon after their wedding. The later court disputes brought even more public interest to her story.

Still, Ellen was not just Robert’s wife. She had a career and a family of her own. Her life shows how a private person can become well known through marriage, family events, and legal disputes.

Conclusion

Ellen Pierson became part of the Kardashian family when she married Robert Kardashian Sr. in 2003. She had worked in real estate and business before their relationship became public. Their marriage lasted only a short time because Robert died from cancer on September 30, 2003.

After his death, Ellen had a long public dispute with his children. The fight over family photos and private writings ended in a settlement in 2014. Her own defamation case also led to years of legal news.

Today, Ellen Pierson lives a private life. Her story is about more than a famous marriage. It also includes her work, family ties, Robert’s final months, and the events that followed his death.