Caitlyn Jenner doesn’t speak to some of her children after her transition from man to woman.
The 67-year-old former Olympian opened up about her life in the years that followed her shock Vanity Fair cover in 2015, where she finally revealed had left her former identity of Bruce behind, and was living as Caitlyn.
But talking to Diane Sawyer on ABC News primetime show 20/20 on Friday (21Apr17), the reality star admitted she has struggled to maintain a relationship with some of her children since her transition.
Caitlyn has six biological children – Burt and Cassandra with first wife Chrystie Scott, Brandon and Brody with second wife Linda Thompson, and Kendall and Kylie with third wife Kris Jenner – as well as four step-children, Kris’ offspring Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob Kardashian.
“Some (of my children) I have remained very close to,” Caitlyn explained. “A couple of them… I’m a little more distant. I have to admit, I’ll sit here and wonder, ‘Is it because of my transitioning? Or is it because their life is so busy that they don’t call, like, all the time?’
“Nobody calls that much. I mostly reach out to them. Obviously, the Jenner side calls more, but they all have their own lives,” she said sadly.
Caitlyn also admitted some of her kids were apprehensive about her iconic Vanity Fair cover, in which she posed in a corset to reveal her identity as a woman for the very first time.
“I know my kids, they thought, ‘You know what, it’s a little too much. But, from my standpoint, I had suffered for 65 years,” she told Sawyer. “To have a beautiful shot of my authentic self was important and the shock value.”
Brody, Brandon, Cassandra, and Burt, who chose not to appear on the show, said in a joint statement to 20/20 that they loved their father no matter what. “We love our father and have a deep admiration for her bravery in pursuit of becoming a more authentic version of herself,” they said.
“Every family is different with its own unique set of milestones, but we can honestly say that Caitlyn’s gender transition has brought our family closer together and for that we are grateful,” they added.
Caitlyn also discussed her strained relationship with her ex-wife Kris Jenner during the interview, and said that they get along fine, despite Kris’ claims otherwise. “Do I talk to… Kris all the time? No,” she said. “She’s kind of moved on. I have certainly moved on, but we’re fine with each other.”
