In 2015, Jenner, an Olympic gold medalist, came out as a trans woman. Her transition journey was documented on the E! network’s show as well as her own series, I Am Cait.
Despite this, the strained relationship with her children from previous marriages—Burt, Cassandra, Brandon, and Brody—and the subsequent challenges with the Jenner-Kardashian household post-transition have been well noted.
Recently, Brody Jenner has shared insights into his challenging relationship with his father during an episode of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
The 41-year-old shared that he felt ‘abandoned’ during his childhood after Caitlyn married Kris, started a new family, and chose to live life publicly on television.
He stated: “I think not having Bruce around growing up and her doing that transition, it was tough just being her son.”
Now a parent himself, Brody mentioned that while he understood his father faced her own ‘struggles’ during the transition, he added: “All that was put on TV and there were these very intimate moments we would have and it was all filmed and it just felt very invasive and not very genuine, I would say.”
The MTV personality also noted that their relationship is improving after he received a ‘real, sincere apology’.
Brody explained: “It was the first time in my life that I’ve ever gotten an apology. You know, ‘I’m sorry for not being there’, and honestly, it meant a lot.”
This isn’t the first time the DJ has discussed his father’s transition on the show, previously expressing that he felt a ‘relief’ when Caitlyn came out as transgender.
“I think that there were a lot of things that started to make sense, you know, just in my life, about my father, and maybe why he wasn’t there all those years,” Brody added.
“I think when you have kids, you need to accept a little responsibility and that the things that you do are also going to reflect on them, as well. I think it really has shaped me to do everything different and to really be there and be present to my little girl.”
Jenner admitted on 20/20 in 2015 that she ‘didn’t do a good job’ as a parent to her eldest four, and told ABC in 2017 that ‘there’s no excuse for not being a good parent, no matter how many problems you have’, according to PEOPLE.
Regarding her other two children, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, she maintains a strong and close bond.
However, since 2017, she has disclosed to UK TV personality Piers Morgan that she no longer communicates with the Kardashians following the release of her critical memoir, The Secrets of My Life.
“I don’t talk about that side of the family, I spent 23 years of my life with those kids – it’s difficult to talk about it, terribly terribly sad,” she expressed.