Kim Kardashian defended sharing a photo of her late grandmother Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon’s “beautiful” foot in a tribute post following her death at the age of 91.
After Kardashian, 45, took to Instagram on Thursday, July 16, to share several photos of her and Shannon over the years, some fans were likely caught off guard when she included a photo of her and Shannon’s feet alongside Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Kylie Jenner’s feet.
However, Kim stood by the decision while sharing the specific photo via her Instagram Stories. “And for anyone that knows my grandma knows she had the most beautiful feet in the world and she would want everyone to know lol,” she wrote under the photo.
In addition to the foot photo, Kim shared several selfies with Shannon over the years.
“My sweet Grandma MJ, my best friend, my gossip buddy, my forever twin… You taught all of us the importance of family, and those values are something we’ll carry with us forever!!!!! You were the woman who showed me what it meant to be a hardworking businesswoman,” she wrote in the caption. “You gave me my very first job at your store in San Diego and taught me lessons about work ethic, strength, and confidence that I’ve carried with me ever since. You always believed in me, championed me, and were my safe place. You truly were the matriarch of our family, and your love is woven into all of us. I know you’re at peace now. Give Papa Harry, Aunt Karen, and my dad a hug for me. You will always be a part of me, I love you soooooo much and I will miss you forever and ever.”
After saying her grandmother was the “best of us,” Kim concluded, “I know you are up in heaven, looking at all of our Instagram posts of you from your sneaky finsta account you would always use lol.”
Kim shared the tribute after Kris, 70, confirmed her mother’s death in an Instagram post of her own earlier that day.
“Today, we said goodbye to my beautiful Mommy MJ. 😞💔,” Jenner wrote in her post. “There are no words that could ever capture what she has meant to me or the heartbreak of having to say goodbye. My mom was the heart of our family. She taught me everything that truly matters … to love your family fiercely, to be kind, to show up for the people you love, and to never take a single moment together for granted. She taught us that family is everything.”
Shortly after Kris confirmed the news, Kim uploaded a photo dump that showed her and her loved ones enjoying a fun getaway. “Lake life,” she captioned the post.
Fans quickly took to the comments section to question the timing of the post, with one person asking, “Didn’t your grandmama just pass? This couldn’t wait to the weekend 😕.”
In light of the backlash, it didn’t take long for Kim to set the record straight.
“This post was scheduled a few days ago before we lost MJ, so its timing came right alongside her passing,” she explained. “I’ve been by my mom and grandma’s side this past week, and my heart is completely with my family right now. We love and miss her so deeply, and in the days ahead, we’ll be focusing on celebrating her beautiful life 🕊️🤍.”
