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The Kardashians are arguably one of the most famous families on the planet but heartbreakingly, doting father Robert Kardashian never lived to see the incredible success of his children today.
However, Robert was actually the first Kardashian to hit the spotlight thanks to his career as a legal attorney, which saw him defend OJ Simpson back in 1995.
The businessman shot to fame during the murder trial, defending the American football player who was accused of double murder.
Sadly, Robert passed away just a few years after the trial, giving him just a short amount of time to enjoy his new-found fame with his family.
But who was Robert Kardashian Sr and what was his cause of death? Here's everything you need to know:
Who was Robert Kardashian Sr?
Robert Kardashian was a hotshot legal attorney and businessman who gained recognition for defending friend OJ Simpson in his 1995 murder trial.
He served as a member of Simpson's defence team when the American footballer was accused of the double murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
Before the trial, Robert hadn't been in a courtroom for two decades and hadn't worked as a lawyer for 12 years, but re-activated his attorney licence specially to help his friend, claiming he was convinced of his innocence.
OJ was later acquitted for the murders.
Robert tied the knot to his first wife, Kris Jenner, in 1978 and the couple went on to have four children – Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, and Rob.
The couple then split in 1991 after 13 years of marriage following Kris' affair with Todd Waterman.
Robert went on to marry Jan Ashley in 1998, however, the marriage ended in annulment 30 days later.
Jan later claimed frequent upset and turmoil related to Robert's ex-wife, Kris, and their children "were instrumental" in the demise of the relationship.
After dating for three years and proposing in 2001, Robert married his third wife, Ellen Pierson, just six weeks before his death in 2003.
What was Robert Kardashian's cause of death?
The father of the Kardashian sisters sadly passed away on September 30, 2003, following a battle with esophageal cancer.
The attorney was diagnosed with the cancer in July 2003 and passed away just two months later.
The patriarch's sudden decline in health shocked his loved ones as he did not smoke or drink and there was no history of cancer in the family.
Kris Jenner later said of his sudden passing: "It was so surreal, the knowledge he had cancer was one thing, but to think it would actually take his life, I never in a million years thought that would happen to him."
Khloe, the youngest Kardashian sister, later said that she could only put her father's untimely death down to stress.
She added: "I think holding in secrets [and] stress kills you! I feel like you manifest things, you have to think…"
When Robert's cancer was found to be terminal, he called upon Kris' new husband, former Olympian Bruce Jenner, to take care of his children.
Bruce, who came out as a transgender woman at the age of 65, promised that he would 'always take care' of Robert's four children.
Following Roberts death, the blended Kardashian-Jenner family went on to document their lives on their E! reality series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
But as Bruce transitioned to Caitlyn after her split from Kris Jenner in 2013, Khloe accused her step-dad of failing to keep to her word by stating that she felt Bruce was "walking out of their lives".
What was Robert Kardashian's net worth before his death?
Robert had a net worth of $30m (£27.4m) before his death in 2003, according to celebritynetworth.com.
The attorney truly laid the groundwork for the later success of his family, and four years after his death, KUWTK aired and majorly kickstarted the successful careers of Kris, Kourtney, Kim and Khloe, as well as step-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
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- The Kardashians
- Family
- Keeping up with the Kardashians
- Kim Kardashian
- Khloe Kardashian
- Kourtney Kardashian
- Kris Jenner
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