Brody Jenner Says He Received a 'Sincere Apology' from Father Caitlyn Jenner After Feeling 'Abandoned' amid Kardashian Fame

Warning: This story contains spoilers from the January 15 episode Special forces: the toughest test in the world.

Editor’s Note: In this story, Brody Jenner uses Caitlyn Jenner’s former name and pronouns, and calls Caitlyn “Daddy,” which she previously gave her blessing to all of her children.

Brody Jenner opens up about his complicated relationship with Caitlyn Jenner’s father.

In the episode of January 15 Special forces: the toughest test in the world, Hills The alum, 41, revealed that while his relationship with Caitlyn – who transitioned in 2015 – is “better now”, they were distant when he was growing up.

“I would randomly see him — ‘him’ at the time — you know, here and there,” he recalled. “But my mom would tell me to write ‘Why doesn’t dad call me on my birthday?'”

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From left: Caitlyn Jenner and Brody Jenner pose for a portrait at Brandon Jenner’s interactive party, live show and video premiere for his new single “Death Of Me” on May 11, 2019 in Malibu, California.

Harmony Gerber/Getty

The reality star — who also starred on The Hills: New beginnings — reflected on how the difficult dynamic between him and Caitlyn made him look at fatherhood differently. He and fiancee Tiarah “Tia” Blanco welcomed a daughter, Honey, in July 2023.

“I think it was hard being her son without Bruce growing up and her in that transition,” he explained. “I just had a beautiful baby girl. I don’t live for myself anymore. I live for her.”

He then told his fellow recruits, “I think it will make me a better father.”

After impressing the directing staff (DS) in back-to-back challenges, he elaborated on building a bond with his daughter, saying, “I’m going to do the exact opposite of being there for her, like my father did for me.”

Brody Jenner and his family.

Brody Jenner/Instagram

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Recalling his own childhood, Brody explained: “I had an amazing mother. The father, Bruce, was not around as much at the time. They separated, and then he met a woman. She also had children. The woman he met… they had children together.”

Caitlyn acted Keeping up with the Kardashians from 2007 to 2021 with his then-wife Kris Jenner and their daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, as well as Kris’s children from her first marriage to Robert Kardashian Sr.: Kourtney Kardashian Barker, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian and Rob Kardashian.

When asked how he felt about the famous family’s former reality show, he replied: “To be honest, it’s a bit abandoned.” However, Brody has since realized that his father was dealing with personal issues at the time.

“I will say that he was going through his own struggles, transitioning, and that was all that was shown on TV, and there were these moments that we would have had if they were all filmed, and it just felt very invasive and not very authentic , I would say,” Brody recalled.

“I just recently got a real, sincere apology,” he continued of Caitlyn. “It was the first time in my life that I received an apology. You know, I’m sorry I wasn’t there, and honestly, it meant a lot to me.”

Caitlyn’s rep tells PEOPLE, “Caitlyn has a positive relationship with Brody and Tia,” and declined to comment on anything about their private conversations.

Brody Jenner on ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’.

Pete Dadds / FOX

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In the confessional at Special forcesBrody explained: “When I found out that Caitlyn, or Bruce, wanted to be Caitlyn, it was a relief. I think 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.”

He added: “And I think when you have kids, you have to accept a bit of responsibility that the things you do will affect them as well. I think it really shaped me to do things differently and really be there and be present for my little girl.”

In a YouTube video documenting the birth of his daughter in 2023, Brody also reflected on his relationship with Caitlyn, saying, “I think I’m most excited about doing things differently than my dad did. Growing up, I didn’t have the best relationship with my then- Bruce.”

He explained that Caitlyn “wasn’t there for me growing up. So I think I’m doing the exact opposite, being the absolute best dad I can be and getting ready to go and I’m just really excited.”

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Special forces: the toughest test in the world airs Wednesdays at 8:00 PM ET on Fox.

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Source: HIS Education