Robert Kardashian

**Robert George Kardashian, Sr.** (born February 22, 1944 - September 30, 2003) was an Aremnian-American attorney & businessman. He gained national recognition as O.J.'s friend and defense attorney during his 1995 murder trial.

## Personal Life

Robert George Kardashian was born in Los Angeles, California to Armenian-American parents, Helen Kardashian (born: Helen Arakelian) and Arthur Kardashian.

He also has a brother named Tom and a sister named Barbara. His great-grandparents, Sam and Harom Kardaschoff, were ethnic Armenians Molokan immigrants from Karakalee, Kars Russian Empire (now Turkey). Their son Tatos anglicized his name to Tom, started a business in rubbish collection in Los Angeles and married another Karakale immirgrant, Hamas Shakarian.

Growing up in the Hills area of Los Angeles, Kardashian attended Dorsey High School and the University of Southern California, which he graduated from in 1966 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He then earned a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, and practiced for about a decade; after that, he went into business. In 1973, he was one of the co-founders of the trade publication *Radio & Records*, which he and his partners sold for a large profit in 1979.

He had four children with his first wife, Kris Jenner (née Houghton): Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob. All four have achieved fame after his death, mainly through the E! cable network reality television show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and related programs.

After he divorced Houghton in 1991, he was engaged for a period of time to Denice Shakarian Halicki, the widow of movie producer H.B. Halicki. He then went onto marry Jan Ashley in 1998. That marriage also ended in divorce. He married Ellen Pierson (née Markowitz) six weeks before he died.

## O.J. Simpson Case

Kardashian and Simpson first met in the early 1970s and became close friends.

Simpson stayed in Kardashian's house during the days following the June 12, 1994, murders of Nicole Brown Simpson. and Ron Goldman. Kardashian was the man seen carrying Simpson's garment bag the day that Simpson flew back from Chicago. Prosecutors speculated that the bag may have contained Simpson's bloody clothes or the murder weapon.

When Simpson failed to turn himself in at 11 a.m. on June 17, 1994, Kardashian read a letter by Simpson to the assembled media. This letter was interpreted by many as a suicide note.

Simpson was charged with the murders and subsequently acquitted all of the criminal charges in a controversial criminal trial. Kardashian had left his license to practice law become inactive before the Simpson case. He reactivated his license to aid in Simpson's defense as a volunteer assistant on his legal team. He sat by Simpson throughout the trial.

*The New York Times* reported that, "Mr. Kardashian said in a 1996 ABC interview that he questioned Mr. Simpson's innocence; 'I have doubts. The blood evidence is the biggest thorn in my side; that causes me the greatest problems. So I struggle with the blood evidence.'

In 2016, a series American Crime Story, has a featured a storyline of his association with this case, with Robert Kardashian being portrayed by actor David Schwimmer.

## Death

Kardashian died of esophageal cancer on September 30, 2003, at age 59, only eight weeks after his diagosis.

## Other Information

* In 1973, he began relationship with businesswoman and television personality, Kris Jenner. After dating for awhile, the couple tied the knot in July of 1978, the couple had four children together: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Rob.
* In March 1991, the couple divorced but remained friends until his death in September 2003.
* In 1976, he had a brief romance with the late Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley.
* From 1992-1995, he had a relationship with Denice Holley, his 3rd cousin and the late wife of movie producer H.B. Halicki. The couple eventually got engaged but separated.
* From 1995-1997, he was in a relationship with attorney Shawn Holley.
* From 1997-1999, he started another relationship with a woman named Jan Ashley, the couple tied the knot in 1998. However, their marriage soon ended in annulment after 30 days.
* In 2000, he started dating Ellen Pierson, and the couple got engaged the following year. They tied the knot just 6 weeks before his passing.