Kris Jenner Sister Karen Houghton’s Cause of Death Revealed, Plus Her Bipolar Battle

The official cause of Kris Jenner‘s sister’s death has been revealed.

Karen Houghton, Jenner’s youngest and only sister, died of cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac arrhythmia, TMZ reported citing her death certificate. The document also revealed type 2 diabetes was a secondary underlying cause. Additionally, the certificate revealed the former flight attendant and part-time nurse was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Karen, who lived a life away from the cameras, was Jenner’s only biological sibling. She died on March 18. She was 65 years old.

On Instagram, Jenner confirmed her sister’s death the day after. “It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sadness that I share that my sister Karen passed away yesterday unexpectedly. My heart aches for my mom MJ and my niece Natalie and I pray that God guides us all through this difficult time.”

The Kardashian-Jenner matriarch continued, “Karen was beautiful inside and out. She was the sweetest, kindest, the most sensitive and vulnerable and so so funny. She always felt grateful and thankful for her life and treasured her family and friends and especially her beautiful daughter…Karen’s passing is a reminder that life is so short and precious and tomorrow is never promised. We must tell those we cherish how much we love them. I love you my beautiful sister.”

Karen’s only daughter Natalie Zettel shared her own moving words about her mother. “You were my best friend, my everything,” the 26-year-old wrote on Instagram on March 20. “The best mother a daughter could ever ask for and I’m so grateful to have had a mother like you.”

After their parents Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon and Robert True Houghton got divorced in 1962, Jenner and Houghton grew up together with their mother in California. Despite their supposed estrangement in 2013, the sisters seemed to be on better terms in 2019 when they appeared happily in a family photo together.

In her 2011 memoir “Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashian,” Jenner referenced their sisterhood: “We loved each other, and we were there for each other through thick and thin and to this day, we are a part of each other’s lives.”