Caitlyn Jenner is famous for being the father of Kendall and Kylie Jenner as well as the stepfather to Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, and Rob Kardashian during her marriage to Kris Jenner. Caitlyn and Kris were married from 1991 to 2015, and the Kardashians have said that Caitlyn immediately took on a parental role to Kris’ older children after their father, Robert Kardashian, passed away in 1991.
Caitlyn has a strained relationship with the Kardashians following her divorce from Kris as well as a series of comments she said about her ex-wife during her gender transition. However, these aren’t the only family members Caitlyn struggles to have a relationship with.
Before marrying Kris, Caitlyn already had four children from two previous marriages. Her older children haven’t been shy to discuss how and why their relationship with Caitlyn is strained, which helps explain why we’ve rarely seen Caitlyn’s other children on television. Here’s what we know about their relationship.
Why Caitlyn’s Oldest Kids Are Out Of The Spotlight
Caitlyn’s first marriage was to Chrystie Scott. They were married from 1972 to 1981, and welcomed a son and a daughter, Burt (born 1976) and Cassandra (born in 1980). Burt and Cassandra made a few appearances on Keeping Up with the Kardashians in its early seasons, but they were absent from the show once it surged in popularity.
A few years later, Burt admitted to not only wanting to not be involved with KUWTK, but to not even watching it. "I don't watch it. It's just not part of my life," Burt has previously commented.
Caitlyn went on to re-marry Linda Thompson in 1981. They were married for five years, and welcomed two sons – Brandon (born in 1981) and Brody (born in 1983).
Brandon and Brody made various appearances on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, more so that Caitlyn’s two eldest kids. But by the show was in its final seasons, Brandon and Brody were absent from the show. They also haven’t made any appearances on The Kardashians, which isn’t surprising given that Caitlyn also hasn’t filmed for the Hulu show.
Caitlyn’s Kids Believe They Were Abandoned & Neglected
One of the biggest reasons Caitlyn’s colder children have avoided reality television is because they’ve never been that close to their dad. Especially for his Caitlyn’s eldest two kids, it may have been weird being asked to be a part of KUWTK, since Caitlyn hadn’t been a big part of their childhood up until then.
In 2015, Burt admitted that Caitlyn had never financially supported him, despite his father being worth millions.
"My dad's never helped me out [financially] in my life," he told Esquire . "I made it this far […] Nobody's going to call me a daddy's kid."
Brandon and Brody have made similar claims. In his book To Me, He Was Just Dad, Brandon revealed how his relationship with Caitlyn changed once she married Kris Jenner.
"I didn't see my father more than half a dozen times between the ages 8 and 25," Brandon wrote. “After Dad met and married Kris, family became a business for him, and I stayed away for most of my teenage years. I didn't want to be a part of their dynamic."
Caitlyn hasn’t denied her children’s claims. In her memoir The Secrets of My Life, she admitted that her onscreen parenting persona is accurate.
"Everybody in my family has a different personality that is incorporated into the show,” she explained. I am the well-meaning but confused and helpless father and husband. I get love but very little respect. I'm fine with that, because it is largely accurate."
Luckily, Caitlyn’s older children have revealed their relationship is getting better – something that appears to have started when Cait came out as transgender and distanced herself from the Kardashian family.
"My relationship with Caitlyn is much better,” Cassandra told PEOPLE. “But we still have a lot of work to do. We didn't talk for years, and now we see each other every couple of weeks and talk on the phone, which I am grateful for."
Some Of Caitlyn’s Kids Have Tried To Be On T.V.
Caitlyn’s older children may live their lives largely out of the spotlight today, but they haven’t always been against reality television. Caitlyn’s oldest son Burt had a brief stint on the Ford-sponsored reality show Octane Academy. He won the show’s second season, walking away with $100,000 in prize money.
Moreover, Brandon and Brody were familiar with reality television before appearing on KUWTK. Two years before the show premiered, the brothers had their own FOX reality show, The Princes of Malibu.
Though Brandon’s enchantment with reality television didn’t last long, his younger brother Brody has appeared on a number of shows, including MTV’s The Hills, The Hills: New Beginnings, and Bromance. He also briefly had a show with E! called Sex with Brody.
Caitlyn’s children have all tried their hand at reality television, but most of them prefer to stay away from the public’s view nowadays, so don’t expect to see Caitlyn or her older kids on The Kardashians any time soon.
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