Brody Jenner Received ‘Apology’ From Caitlyn Jenner After Feeling ‘Abandoned’

Warning: this story contains spoilers from the January 15th episode Special Forces: The world’s toughest test.

Editor’s Note: In this story, Brody Jenner uses Caitlyn Jenner’s former name and pronouns and refers to Caitlyn as “Dad,” which she has previously given her blessing for all her children to do.

Brody Jenner opens up about his complex relationship with his father Caitlyn Jenner.

The January 15 episode of Special Forces: The world’s toughest test, The hills 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 saw him casually — ‘him’ at the time — you know, here and there,” he recalled. “But mom would tell me to write on cards, ‘Why doesn’t dad call me on my birthday?'”

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

“I think not having Bruce around when she was growing up and her in that transition, it was tough just being her son,” he explained. “I just had a beautiful little daughter. I don’t live for myself anymore. I live for her.”

Then he told his colleagues, “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, sharing, “I want to do the exact opposite of being there for her, like my dad. did for me.”

Recalling his own childhood, Brody explained: “I had an incredible mother. Dad, Bruce, wasn’t around much at the time. They split up and then he met a woman. She had kids too. The woman, he met … they had children together.”

Caitlyn played along Keeping up with the Kardashians for 2007 to 2021 with then-wife Kris Jenner and their daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, as well as Kris’ 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 previous reality show, he replied: “To be honest, a little bit left out.” However, Brody has since acknowledged that his father was navigating personal issues during that time.

“I would say he went through his own struggles, transitioned and it was all put on TV and there were these moments that we wanted that were all filmed and it just felt very invasive and not very real , I would say,” Brody recalled.

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

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

In a confessional on Special forcesBrody explained, “When I found out that Caitlyn or Bruce was going to be Caitlyn, it was kind of a relief. I think a lot of things started to make sense, you know, right 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 little bit of responsibility that the things you do will reflect on them as well. I think that’s really shaped me to do everything different and really being there and being present for my little girl.”

In one YouTube video Brody, who documented his daughter’s birth in 2023, also reflected on his relationship with Caitlyn, sharing, “I think what I’m most excited about is doing things differently than my dad did. Growing up , I didn’t have the best relationship with Bruce after that.”

He explained that Caitlyn “wasn’t there for me growing up. So I think just doing the exact opposite, being the absolute best dad I could possibly be and getting ready for the journey and just so excited .”

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Special Forces: The world’s toughest test sent on Wednesdays at 20 ET on Fox.