Brandon Jenner claims he only saw his dad Caitlyn Jenner “half a dozen times” during his childhood.
The 38-year-old TV personality is the son of Caitlyn – who was formerly known as Bruce Jenner – and Linda Thompson, and has hit out at his father for not spending enough time with him.
Writing in a new book of essays titled ‘To Me, He Was Just Dad’ – which includes passages written by the children of famous parents – he said: “I didn’t see my father more than half a dozen times between the ages eight and 25.”
And Brandon claims any time they did spend together felt “staged”.
He added: “Sadly the infrequent exchanges felt more like staged photo opportunities than real bonding. In fact, they were stage photo ops for ‘family’ Christmas cards.”
The ‘Princes of Malibu’ star also hit out at Caitlyn’s ex-wife Kris Jenner – whom she was married to from 1991 to 2015 – as he claimed their marriage changed Caitlyn’s attitude toward “family”.
He 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. I know now, though, that Dad was pretty unhappy in that house and felt like he wasn’t treated well.”
Despite having a strained relationship with Caitlyn during his childhood, Brandon – who appeared on ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ several times alongside his brother Brody Jenner – and his father have repaired their bond in recent years.
Previously, Brandon credited Caitlyn’s transition in 2015 with helping them reconnect, and said he wished she’d made the changes years ago so they could have enjoyed the relationship they have for longer.
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He said: “Once she decided to go through with the transition, I was the first of her children she confided in. As soon as Dad said it herself, I was so happy for her. As her son, I wish my dad had been able to transition sooner, not only because I think she would have been happier, but because I think we could have built a stronger relationship earlier.
“Now, I’m making up for lost time. I speak to my dad almost every day, and every time, she asks me, ‘How are you doing?’ “
Caitlyn Jenner was born Bruce Jenner in October 28, 1949. She is a retired gold-medal Olympic athlete, who remained in the spotlight through the reality television series ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’. She introduced herself to her family and the world as a woman in April 2015. Caitlyn went on to have gender reassignment surgery, as well as cosmetic surgery completed in 2017.
