Karen Houghton is the younger sister of Kris Jenner. That’s right! Kris has an infamous sister we never knew existed. This soon-to-be 64-year-old lives a life away from the spotlight, unlike her TV-famous sister. She, thus, has a career in writing and has written two cookbooks so far.
So, how is the relationship between these polar opposite siblings? According to Kris, she loves her sister to bits and has had her back since childhood. However, things have gone south for this sister duo. We will talk about this soon.
Therefore, in this article, we will look closely at the life of Karen Houghton. Did you know she had a daughter and is currently divorced? But who was her husband? We will have all the answers as we read further. So, let’s get started!
The Early Life of Karen Houghton
Karen was born on 24th November 1958 in San Diego, California. She is the daughter of mother Mary Jo Campbell and father Robert Houghton. Unfortunately, her parents separated in 1962 when their youngest daughter was only four years old. Therefore, her mom Mary raised both Karen and Kris on her own.
According to Jenner, the sisters had a bad family life growing up. Their father was a chronic alcoholic and used to fight with their mother often; this also was the cause of Mary and Robert’s divorce after 7 years of marriage. This instability and chaos wouldn’t have been easy on little Karen. Therefore, she only had her sister to rely on.
Their dad soon passed away in 1975 due to a horrifying accident. On the other hand, Campbell married Harry Shannon; the couple was together for almost 40 years before Shannon’s death in 2003.
Besides her family life and disorganized childhood, we know very little about Houghton’s educational background. Moreover, we believe that she is a well-educated woman as she has a career as an author.
How Is the Relationship Between Karen Houghton & Kris Jenner?
We have heard very little about Houghton. Most of us didn’t even know that she is the sister of Kris Jenner. So, how is the relationship between these two, you may ask? Well, they had a very good relationship growing up. The following is also written in Karen’s sister’s autobiography,
“We loved each other and we were there for each other through thick and thin, and to this day, we are a part of each other’s lives.”
The book came 11 years from today and a lot has happened between the siblings during this time. Some might even believe that their relationship has hit rock bottom today. Why is that?
In 2018, Kris faced a lot of criticism for not acknowledging her sister’s birthday. As well as that, she did not even acknowledge her sister being in and out of the hospital and being severely sick at the time. Moreover, Jenner never even visited her sister once during a hard time like this.
On the other hand, the sisterly bond between these two was also hampered by Karen’s judgment of her sister in the past. During an interview with Closer, she said,
“I can’t get to her anymore. But I guess it’s the money. She’s a huge celebrity, and now she has changed. I’m not saying good or bad. But I’ve seen what it can do to Kris… ever since she moved to LA.”
Apparently, Houghton did not like how Kris was handling fame and thought of the Kardashian momager to be a “nutcase”.
However, the sisters did reunite briefly in December 2019. We do not know whether they met again after that.
Karen Is An Author Of 2 Cookbooks
Houghton has a very private life, unlike her sister, who is the mastermind behind Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Even though she stays away from the limelight, she has a successful career of her own as an author.
As of 2022, Karen has released two cookbooks. Naturally Gourmet was released in 2010 which was her first book, followed by Volume II after 3 years. However, we have very less knowledge of her whereabouts today. After the 2 books, she basically vanished and is not in the writing game.
Well, she is 63 years old, so maybe Karen thought it was time for her to retire. Regardless, wherever she is today, we hope she is happy and healthy and living her best life.
She Is Divorced And Has A Daughter With Her Ex-Husband
Houghton was formally married to Mark Zettel. Very little is known about their relationship, but the couple separated in 2002, after 6 years of being together.
From their marital relationship, the former couple even shares a daughter together whose name is Natalie Zettel. She was born on January 20, 1998, in San Diego, CA. As of 2022, Karen’s daughter is 24 years of age.
Unlike her mother, Natalie goes well with the Kardashian family. She is a low-key Instagram model who spends a lot of time with her cousins.
What Is Karen’s Net Worth?
With her name connected with the Kardashians, Karen must have a steady income. Although not confirmed, she stands at a net worth of almost $9 million dollars. This fortune might be enough for her, but it sure isn’t for her sister.
Kris Jenner, the proud businesswoman, and TV personality has a net worth of $190 million dollars. She lives a lavishly expensive life with her children and grandchildren in California.
