Kris Jenner's Announcement Of Sister Karen's Death At 65 Has Everyone Saying The Same Thing

Karen Houghton, the sister of Kris Jenner, died March 18 at age 65. She was survived by her daughter Natalie Zettel. The news was broken by Jenner, who uploaded photos from their childhood in a touching Instagram post. According to the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star, her sister's death was sudden. "It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sadness that I share that my sister Karen passed away yesterday unexpectedly," she wrote in the lengthy caption, while adding heartfelt words about their relationship. Details were sparse, but TMZ confirmed with authorities that Houghton died of natural causes.

Houghton was not in the spotlight herself and was best known as Jenner's sister, even though the pair had a tumultuous relationship. The sister of the momager made headlines in April 2014 when she bashed Jenner in a Facebook rant. She followed that up by claiming the reality star ignored her. "I get pissed off at her because she doesn't respond to me," Houghton told Radar at the time. She went on to add, "I don't care how much money you have or who you are, you're my sister. I'm not afraid of her."

The relationship between the sisters was so fraught that many fans asked who Jenner's sister was, and the announcement of her death has them pointing out why Houghton was rarely heard from. "Yeah I'm pretty sure this was the sister that was in multiple gossip Rags completely tearing your family down," an Instagram follower wrote. There was also another theory why Jenner wanted Houghton out of the spotlight.

In October 2013, Karen Houghton spilled serious tea about her famous sister, Kris Jenner. According to Houghton, O.J. Simpson used to flirt with Jenner at parties and was still trying to make contact with the reality star while he was behind bars, per InTouch. Houghton also said that her sister gave her lavish gifts such as a new Mercedes Benz. "She also furnished my whole house [in 2009]. A truck came down with $50,000 worth of furniture," Houghton told InTouch. A source believed that the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star did not want her sister revealing tightly kept secrets, and the gifts were a form of hush money. Houghton admitted her sister was "generous" but "crazy and controlling."

A few years later, Houghton was in the news again talking about Jenner, but this time she had high praise for the TV star. Houghton was inspired by Jenner to get a facelift. "I want to be a little more beautiful," she told Inside Edition in November 2016 about electing for surgery. "I look like my beautiful sister Kris and I never thought I would," Houghton said after the bandages came off. She mentioned that Jenner offered to pay for the procedure.

Even though they were seemingly estranged, the sisters reunited for the Christmas holidays in 2019. A family photo that included Houghton, Jenner, and their mom Mary Jo Campbell in front of the Christmas tree was shared by Houghton's daughter, Natalie Zettel, per The Daily Mail.