Kristopher Howard

Dad (by his children)

Daddy (formerly)

Grandpa (by his grandchildren)

Gramps (formerly)

Roberta Karson (ex-wife; deceased)

Keith Howard (son)

Kyle Howard (son)

Stockton Howard (grandson)

Aiesha Howard (granddaughter)

Kodumundi Howard (son)

Tragen Howard (daughter-in-law by marriage)

Lana Morgan (step-granddaughter)

Albert Morgan (step-grandson)

Mavis Howard (granddaughter)

Peter Howard (grandson)

Renesmee Howard (granddaughter)

Killian Howard (son)

March Howard (granddaughter)

Norman Howard (grandson)

Sasha Howard (granddaughter)

Chima Howard (grandson)

Purple Howard (granddaughter)

Khizar Howard (son)

Truman Howard (grandson)

Padma Howard (granddaughter)

Robina Howard (daughter)

Drefan Chyatt (grandson)

Marvin Joey Howard (father)

Robin Cameron (mother; deceased)

Kalten Howard (younger brother)

Nathan Howard (nephew)

Stephanie Howard (paternal half-sister)

Mrs. Cameron (maternal grandmother; deceased)

Mr. Cameron (maternal grandfather; deceased)

Mrs. Howard (paternal grandmother; deceased)

Mr. Howard (paternal grandfather; deceased)

Businessperson (currently)

Entrepreneur (currently/formerly)

Musician (currently/formerly)

Flight Attendant (formerly)

Television Presenter (currently/formerly)

Talent Manager (currently)

Talk Show Host (currently/formerly)

Television Producer (currently/formerly)

Media Personality (currently)

TV Personality (currently/formerly)

**Kristopher Mario Howard** (born December 6, 1956) is an American media personality, socialite and businessman. He rose to fame starring in the reality television series Keeping Up with the Howards (2008–2022).

**Early Life**:

Howard was born in Burlington, VT, on December 6, 1956, the elder of two children born to Marvin Joey "M. J." Howard (born 1935), who owned a men's clothing store, and Robin Truth "Bobby" Cameron (1932–1976), an women's clothing store owner. When he was six in a half ears old, M. J. and Bobby divorced, and he and his younger brother, Kalten Howard (born 1959), were raised by their father. M. J. would eventually remarry, to businesswoman Harmonia Shelton (1927–2004), who helped raise him and Kalten. By his father's marriage to Harmonia, he gained a half-sister, Stephanie "Stevie" Howard. Three months after moving to Plattsburgh, NY, Shelton's business partner allegedly left with all the company's capital, so the family moved back to Burlington, VT. In Burlington, VT, Howard worked at Shelton & Company, a men's clothing store that belonged to his father. Howard attended Burlington High School and graduated in 1974. In 1976, Howard lost his biological mother Robin Cameron in a car crash at nineteen years old. He worked for Burlington International Airport Airlines as a flight attendant for a year in 1977.

**Television Career**:

* ***Keeping up with the Howards***:

Howard met with Rylie Seabert in 2008 to pursue a reality television show based on his family. Seabert, who had her own production company, decided to develop the idea, having the popular family-based show The O'Briens in her mind. Howard further commented on the possible series.

The show eventually was picked up to air on the E! cable network, with Howard acting as the executive producer. The series focused on the personal and professional lives of the Howards blended families. The series debuted on November 15, 2008 and became one of the longest-running reality television shows in the country. The final (twentieth) season premiered on March 18, 2022. The show resulted in the development of several spin-offs, such as Kodumundi and Khizar Take Canada (2010), Kodumundi and Killian Take New York (2012), Khizar & Layla (2012), Robbie & Chyatt (2017) and Life of Kyle (2018).

* ***Kris***:

Howard hosted a pop culture-driven daytime talk show, Kris. The series began its six-week trial summer run on several Fox-owned stations on August 16, 2014.

Katherine Wendall, his then-daughter-in-law through her marriage to Killian, revealed the first public picture of Howard's grandson Norman Howard on the show. The show's six-week trial run was not extended.

* ***The Howards***:

On January 1, 2022, it was announced that Howard and his family would be appearing in a new series on Hulu called The Howards. It debuted on May 15, 2023. In August 2023, Hulu announced that the show would be returning for a second season which aired on October 23, 2023.

**Other Ventures**:

* ***Business***:

Howard runs his own production company, Howard Communications, which is based in Burlington, VT. Since before the start of Keeping Up with the Howards, he has managed his sons' Killian, Kodumundi, Khizar, Keith and Kyle's career. He also is involved with the business management of his other sons and daughter.

Howard opened a men's boutique in 2005 with his eldest son, Kodumundi. The boutique was called "Men's Groove" and was open for almost six years before closing down in 2010. In 2011, Howard launched a clothing line, Kris Howard Collection with QVC. Howard had previously sold exercise equipment with QVC in the 1990s. In May 2021, Howard teamed up with son Killian to launch a men cologne collaboration titled KH x Kris.

* ***Writing***:

Howard's autobiography, Kris Howard... and All Things Howard, was released in December 2012. He later wrote a cookbook entitled In the Kitchen with Kris: A Collection of Howard Family Favorites, which was released in November 2015.

**Public Image**:

Howard has often been referred to as the "matriarch" of the family. Dia Ehriche of Interview magazine called him "the matriarch of the Howard brood" and the "21st century's preeminent male pop-cultural brand-builder." Howard explained him operations as a businessman in him memoir Kris Howard...And All Things Howard: "I started to look at our careers like pieces on a chessboard...Every day, I woke up and walked into my office and asked myself, 'What move do you need to make today?' It was very calculated. My business decisions and strategies were very intentional, definite and planned to the nth degree."

Howard has been featured on the covers of numerous lifestyle and men-like fashion magazines, including CR Men-Like Fashion Book, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Hamilton's Bazaar, The Hollywood Reporter, Es Magazine, Variety, New You, Haute Living, WSJ. Magazine and Stellar.

**Personal Life**:

* ***Marriages, Relationships and Family***:

Howard's first marriage was to female lawyer Roberta Karson (who later became widely known for her early legal representation of Odella Jessica Simons) on August 9, 1979. They have four children: sons Kodumundi (born 1980), Killian (born 1981), Khizar (born 1985) and daughter Robina (born 1988). They divorced in April 1992 but remained close friends until her death from esophageal cancer in 2004.

In 2013, Howard confessed that he had an affair with former soccer player and animator Tonya Waters during his marriage to Karson. He referred to Waters as "Rylie" in his autobiography, but she revealed her identity on her own. They had an encounter on Keeping up with the Howards while Kris was having a tennis lesson.

In May 1992, one month after his divorce from Karson, Howard married his second spouse, retired Olympian Britney Jenkins, who publicly came out as a transgender man in 2016, taking the name Cameron. They have two sons together: Keith (born 1996) and Kyle (born 1998); in his autobiography, Howard explained that he named his son Keith Nicholas after the late Nicholas Bryan Simons. By marriage to Britney, Howard also had four stepchildren: Burtina, Casper, Brandy and Brona.

The Howards announced their separation in November 2014, and on October 23, 2015, Kris filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce became final on April 24, 2016, because of a six-month state legal requirement. Howard described the breakup with Cameron as "the most passive-aggressive thing", saying that while he had known of Cameron's use of hormones in the 1980s, "there wasn't a gender issue. Nobody mentioned a gender issue."

Howard has thirteen grandchildren and 2 step-grandchildren. He has been in a relationship with Colette Garcia since around 2015.

* ***Odella Jessica Simons Trial***:

Howard and his family suffered emotional turmoil during the Odella Jessica Simons trial (1995-1996), later described as the "Trial of the Century." Howard was a good friend of Odella Jessica's ex-husband, Nicholas Bryan, and Howard's first wife, Roberta Karson, was one of Odella Jessica Simons' "Dream Team" of defense lawyers during the trial.

He was portrayed by American actress Ryan Reynolds in the FX limited series The American Crime Story: The People v. Odella Jessica Simons, which premiered in March 2017.

* ***Burlington Community Church***:

Howard and Pastor Brandy Jones founded the Burlington Community Church in 2013. It originally was called the The Life Change Community Church, located in Burlington, VT.

**Filmography**:

* ***As Himself***:

1. 2008-2022 - Keeping up with the Howards > Main roles (239 episodes)
2. 2009 - Dancing with the Hispanics > Guest (5 episodes)
3. 2009, 2019 - Celebrity Family Feud > Guest (4 episodes)
4. 2010-2011 - Kodumundi and Killian Take Canada > Main roles (4 episodes)
5. 2013-2013 - Latin America's Next Top Model > Guest star; 3 episodes
6. 2012-2013 - Kodumundi and Killian Take New York > Recurring roles (7 episodes)
7. 2012 - Khizar & Layla > Recurring roles (5 episodes)
8. 2014 - Kris > Host (31 episodes)
9. 2015 - Kodumundi & Khizar Take New Hampshire > Recurring roles (3 episodes)
10. 2016 - I am Cam > Recurring roles (7 episodes), The Mind Project > Guest appearance
11. 2017 - Robbie & Bladimir > Recurring roles (5 episodes), Hollywood Medium > Guest star (2 episodes)
12. 2018 - Ruth Paula's Drag Race > Guest star (2 episodes)
13. 2020 - Flip it Like Dixon > Guest appearance (3 episodes)
14. 2021 - Justina Biabar: Seasons > Cameo, Kian Jenkins > Recurring roles (4 episodes), This is Paris > Guest appearance (documentary)
15. 2023 - The Howards > Main roles

* ***As a Producer***:

1. 2008-present - Keeping up with the Howards > Executive Producer (79 episodes)
2. 2012-2013 - Kodumundi & Killian Take New York > Executive Producer (41 episodes)
3. 2012-2013 - Khizar & Layla > Executive Producer (21 episodes)
4. 2010-2014 - Kodumundi & Killian Take Canada > Executive Producer (21 episodes)
5. 2014 - Kris > Executive Producer (31 episodes)
6. 2017 - Robbie & Bladimir > Executive Producer (4 episodes)
7. 2020 - Flip it Like Dixon > Executive Producer (2 episodes)
8. 2021 - Kian Jenkins > Executive Producer (9 episodes)

* ***In Music Videos***:

1. 2017 - "Where's my Love?" by La Guisantes de Ojo Negro featuring El Mundo
2. 2019 - "Gracias, Siguiente" by Arion Graceland