Parents' Divorce and Mother's Remarriage

In March 1991, Kourtney Kardashian’s parents, Kris Jenner and attorney Robert Kardashian Sr., officially finalized their divorce after more than a decade of marriage. The separation followed revelations of Kris Jenner’s infidelity, a subject that members of the Kardashian family would later discuss publicly in interviews and reality television programs. At the time of the divorce, Kourtney Kardashian was 11 years old and the oldest of the couple’s four children, which also included Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Rob Kardashian. The family transition unfolded rapidly after the divorce was finalized. In April 1991, only one month later, Kris Jenner married Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, creating a newly blended household that eventually became central to the Kardashian-Jenner family dynamic. The marriage brought together Kris Jenner’s children with Caitlyn Jenner’s children from previous relationships, significantly expanding the family structure. Over the following years, Kris and Caitlyn Jenner would also have two daughters together, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner. The combined family later became widely known through Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which premiered in 2007. Kourtney Kardashian has occasionally spoken about the emotional effects of her parents’ divorce and the adjustments required during her childhood as the family structure changed. Robert Kardashian Sr. remained closely involved in his children’s lives after the separation, while Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner built a new family environment in Southern California during the 1990s. The transition occurred years before the Kardashian-Jenner family became globally famous, but these family relationships later formed the foundation of many storylines explored throughout their reality television franchise. Why This Moment Matters The divorce of Kris Jenner and Robert Kardashian Sr., followed quickly by Kris Jenner’s marriage to Caitlyn Jenner, reshaped the Kardashian family structure that later became internationally recognized through reality television. The blended family formed during this period ultimately became the basis for one of television’s most visible celebrity family dynasties.