Ellen Pierson, A real estate agent from California. Worked in sales and escrow. Built a modest career. Met a famous lawyer. Dated him for years. Married him as he was dying of cancer. Six weeks later, he was dead. She inherited nothing substantial but became a legal target. She alleged his biological daughter wasn’t his. She sold his private diaries. The Kardashian family sued her multiple times. Now 75 years old, she works in title insurance. Lives quietly. Remains estranged from one of the world’s most famous families. Ellen Pierson is the story of how six weeks of marriage created decades of hatred—and how the legal system sometimes punishes women for simply existing.
ELLEN PIERSON: COMPLETE FACTS
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Judith Ellen Pierson (born Markowitz) |
| Born | May 26, 1950, Los Angeles, California |
| Age | 75-76 years old (as of 2026) |
| Height | 5’10” (178 cm) |
| Ethnicity | White American |
| First Career | Real Estate Agent (1970s-1980s) |
| Married | Robert George Kardashian Sr. (August 2003) |
| Marriage Duration | 6 weeks |
| Husband’s Death | September 30, 2003 (esophageal cancer, age 59) |
| Stepchildren | Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Rob Kardashian |
| Biological Children | 1 daughter (from previous relationship) |
| Grandchildren | 2 (from daughter) |
| Second Career | Title Insurance Sales (1985-2001), Heritage Escrow (2000-2008), Westminster Title Company (2019-present) |
| Net Worth | Estimated $1-5 million |
| Famous Allegation | Claimed Khloe Kardashian is not Robert’s biological daughter |
| Legal Battles | Sued by Kris Jenner for $500,000; copyright infringement case filed by Kardashians |
| Bankruptcy | Filed Chapter 7 in 2010 |
| Home | Foreclosed Indian Wells property (October 2011) |
| Current Status | Retired/semi-retired, works in insurance |
| Public Profile | Virtually nonexistent; despised by Kardashian family |
| Awards | Three-time Affiliate of the Year; Longest Drive Award (2015) |
The Woman Before The Kardashians
Ellen Pierson was born Judith Ellen Markowitz on May 26, 1950, in Los Angeles, California.
She grew up during a generation when women were entering the workforce. She chose business. Real estate. Sales. Building something tangible.
By the 1970s, Ellen Pierson was working as a real estate agent. Not glamorous. Not famous. But respectable. Professional. Building equity in a competitive industry.
She was a woman creating her own life. Her own income. Her own identity.
She had a daughter from a previous relationship. She had grandchildren who she loved. She was building something modest but real.
Then, in the late 1990s, everything changed.
The Lawyer She Dated
Robert George Kardashian Sr. was one of Los Angeles’s most famous attorneys.
He gained prominence during the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. Part of the “Dream Team.” Alongside Johnnie Cochran and others. Robert Kardashian became a household name.
He was also divorced from Kris Jenner. Three children: Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, and Rob. (Plus two later children with Kris: Kendall and Kylie.)
At some point in the late 1990s, Robert Kardashian met Ellen Pierson.
Ellen was a real estate professional. Robert was a famous lawyer. They had different lives but connected somehow.
They dated for years. For three to five years depending on the source. A relationship that wasn’t publicized. Wasn’t the subject of paparazzi attention.
In 2001, Robert proposed. Ellen said yes. They planned a wedding.
The Marriage That Was Never Meant To Be
August 2003. Ellen Pierson married Robert Kardashian.
But something was deeply wrong. Robert had been feeling ill. Extremely ill.
In July 2003, one month before the wedding, Robert Kardashian was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
A death sentence. Aggressive. Advanced. Eight weeks from diagnosis to death.
But Ellen and Robert went through with the wedding anyway. They married knowing he was dying.
Why? That question has haunted the Kardashian family ever since.
Was it love? Was it desperation? Was it a final act of commitment?
The Kardashians never accepted Ellen’s version of events. They believed she married a dying man for his money. For access to his legacy.
They called her a gold digger. A vulture. Someone who took advantage of their father’s vulnerability.
Six Weeks of Marriage
Ellen Pierson was married to Robert Kardashian for approximately six weeks.
Six weeks to become a wife. Six weeks to become a widow. Six weeks to enter one of the world’s most famous families.
On September 30, 2003, Robert Kardashian died. He was 59 years old.
Ellen Pierson became the widow of one of America’s most well-known lawyers. And an instant outsider to his children.
The Kardashian kids were devastated by their father’s death. But they were also suspicious of the woman he had married just weeks before.
Why had he married Ellen? Why so suddenly? Why with cancer diagnosis?
These questions would fuel years of conflict.
The Allegation That Destroyed Everything
In 2012, Ellen Pierson gave an interview to Star Magazine with Jan Ashley, Robert’s second wife.
Ellen made a stunning allegation: Khloe Kardashian was not Robert’s biological daughter.
She claimed differences in Khloe’s appearance—her height, her hair. She claimed Robert had confessed this to her before his death. She claimed he was never sexually intimate with Kris during the time Khloe was conceived.
But he “loved Khloe very much” and never pursued a DNA test.
The allegation exploded. Khloe was devastated. Kim was furious.
The Kardashian family mobilized. They issued statements denying Ellen’s claims. They attacked her credibility. They reinforced that Khloe was absolutely Robert’s daughter.
But the damage was done. Ellen Pierson had gone from widow to villain in the eyes of the Kardashians.
And Khloe would spend years wondering if her father was actually her father.
The Diary That Became Evidence
Ellen Pierson did something the Kardashians considered unforgivable.
She sold excerpts from Robert Kardashian’s private diaries to magazines. Life & Style. In Touch.
The excerpts included Robert’s writings about Kris Jenner’s infidelity. About his children. About private family matters.
Robert had written these diaries intending them for his children. His will specified that his belongings—including his papers and personal effects—would go to his four children.
But Ellen had access to them. And she monetized them.
The Kardashian family sued. Kris Jenner sued. They filed copyright infringement and conversion lawsuits.
The courts ruled in favor of the Kardashians. Ellen was ordered to return the diaries. To cease publication. To pay damages.
Kris Jenner’s suit against Ellen was for $500,000.
Ellen had to pay. Had to surrender the documents. Had to acknowledge that she had violated Robert’s last wishes.
The Financial Collapse
Ellen Pierson expected to benefit from Robert Kardashian’s $30 million estate.
But she didn’t. Robert’s will designated his children as primary beneficiaries.
Ellen walked away with minimal financial support. No house. No significant inheritance.
Meanwhile, the legal battles had cost her money. The Kardashian family’s lawsuits were expensive. Ellen had to hire lawyers. Had to pay settlements.
By 2010, Ellen Pierson filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
She went from Robert Kardashian’s widow to a woman struggling financially.
In October 2011, her house in Indian Wells, California—the home she had shared with Robert—was foreclosed on and sold.
The woman who had married one of America’s wealthiest lawyers ended up losing her home.
The Quiet Years
After the lawsuits settled, Ellen Pierson disappeared from public view.
She continued working in title insurance. In escrow. In corporate sales.
She won professional awards. The Affiliate of the Year award three times. The Longest Drive Award at a golf tournament in 2015.
But she wasn’t famous. Wasn’t seeking media attention. Wasn’t trying to capitalize on her connection to the Kardashians.
She was simply working. Surviving. Moving forward.
Her net worth stabilized at around $1-5 million depending on the source.
Not wealthy. Not poor. Middle class. Respectable.
The Estrangement That Continues
In 2025, Kim and Khloe Kardashian appeared on “The Kardashians” and discussed their father.
When Kim mentioned living with “Ellen,” Khloe responded: “Ew.”
That single word encapsulated everything. The disgust. The estrangement. The family’s hatred of Ellen Pierson.
She remained an outsider. An unwelcome shadow in the Kardashian family story.
Ellen Pierson was 75 years old in 2026. Still working. Still quiet. Still despised.
You may also like Opie Taylor
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is Ellen Pierson?
A: Ellen Pierson is an American real estate agent and sales director best known for being the third and final wife of attorney Robert Kardashian Sr. They married in August 2003 and he died of esophageal cancer in September 2003—just six weeks later.
Q: How long was Ellen Pierson married to Robert Kardashian?
A: Ellen Pierson and Robert Kardashian were married for approximately six weeks, from August 2003 to September 30, 2003, when Robert died.
Q: What is Ellen Pierson’s profession?
A: Ellen Pierson has worked in real estate, title insurance, and escrow services for nearly five decades. She has held positions as a real estate agent, sales director, and corporate director.
Q: What is Ellen Pierson’s net worth?
A: Ellen Pierson’s estimated net worth is between $1-5 million as of 2026, primarily earned through her career in real estate and title insurance.
Q: Did Ellen Pierson have children with Robert Kardashian?
A: No. Ellen Pierson and Robert Kardashian did not have children together. However, Ellen has one biological daughter from a previous relationship and two grandchildren.
Q: What is Ellen Pierson’s famous allegation? A: In a 2012 Star Magazine interview, Ellen Pierson alleged that Khloe Kardashian is not Robert Kardashian’s biological daughter, claiming Robert confessed this to her before his death.
Q: Did the Kardashians sue Ellen Pierson?
A: Yes. The Kardashian family filed multiple lawsuits against Ellen Pierson, including a $500,000 suit from Kris Jenner over Ellen’s sale of Robert’s private diary excerpts to magazines. The Kardashians won copyright infringement cases.
Q: Why did Ellen Pierson sell Robert Kardashian’s diaries?
A: Ellen Pierson sold excerpts from Robert Kardashian’s private journals to Life & Style and In Touch magazines. The diaries contained personal information about his family that Robert had intended for his children.
Q: Did Ellen Pierson inherit Robert Kardashian’s money?
A: No. Robert Kardashian’s will designated his four children as primary beneficiaries. Ellen received minimal financial support and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2010.
Q: When did Ellen Pierson file for bankruptcy?
A: Ellen Pierson filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010, several years after Robert Kardashian’s death and following costly legal battles with the Kardashian family.
Q: What happened to Ellen Pierson’s house?
A: Ellen Pierson’s home in Indian Wells, California—the house she had shared with Robert Kardashian—was foreclosed on in October 2011 and sold.
Q: How do the Kardashians feel about Ellen Pierson?
A: The Kardashian family despises Ellen Pierson. They have called her a gold digger, sued her multiple times, and continue to express disdain for her even decades after Robert’s death.