Caitlin Jenner returns to 20/20 for an interview with Diane Sawyer two years after coming out as transgender and announcing her intention to transition to life as a woman. While using the appearance to promote her upcoming memoir, The Secrets of My Life , the interview is also an opportunity for Jenner to clear up rumors that have been dogging her, and for audiences to see how far she has come.
It is immediately obvious Jenner has come a long way since first appearing on the show, a fact that is not lost on Sawyer, who notes that the woman sitting before her is “someone very different” than the person she interviewed almost two years ago to the day. Meanwhile, ex-wife Kris Jenner is reportedly feeling apprehensive about the impending interview, specifically revelations made in the tell-all memoir about the couple’s sex life. In the book, the former Olympian reveals that while sex for the couple was “good and frequent,” she was never entirely comfortable with it.
Well renowned as “the world’s greatest athlete” for a win in the Decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, news of Jenner’s intent to transition was always going to be huge news, and the former Olympian has since found herself a spokesperson for the LGBT community. While much of journey has been played out on reality programs Keeping Up with the Kardashians and I am Cait , Jenner wasn’t always such a prominent voice for the community.
After making the statement in her initial sit-down with Sawyer that her views on same-sex marriage were “an evolving process,” Jenner faced significant backlash from the LGBT community, with many rejecting Jenner as their spokesperson. Sawyer uses tonight’s interview to revisit some of the topics covered in Jenner’s original appearance, giving viewers some insight into just how far Jenner has come.
#TransDayOfVisibility There’s no better visibility than with sisters by my side. pic.twitter.com/chtUuBlOR0
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) March 31, 2017
When asked by Sawyer whether her views on gay marriage have changed, Jenner replies that she is now “100 percent behind” it.
Equally publicized is Jenner’s long-standing support of the Republican Party. Considering her new status as a spokesperson for the LGBT community and Trump’s recent moves to abolish many components of trans rights, Sawyer presses Jenner on her feelings towards the current Republican Party.
“Yes, I did vote for Trump but here’s the dealbreaker for the Republican party: You mess with my community, you don’t give us equality and a fair shot, I’m comin’ after you. When it comes to all equality issues for the entire LGBT community, what we need is federal guidance… I’m trying to get the Republican party to make a change.”
A key theme of the interview is discussion around how Jenner’s transition impacted the relationship between the former Olympian and her ex-wife Kris Jenner. While the Kardashian family matriarch appeared shocked and upset by the announcement, Jenner explains that he was open about his gender confusion throughout the couple’s relationship.
“I tell Kris about my gender issues before I make love to her. This will always be a subject of dispute between us. She insists that she was taken by surprise by my ultimate transition to Caitlyn, which obviously means in her mind that she did not know enough.”
Despite initial challenges, Jenner explains that she and Kris have reached a good place in their relationship.
“Do I talk to… Kris all the time? No. She’s kind of moved on. I have certainly moved on, and, but we’re fine with each other.”
Jenner also discusses how transitioning changed relationships between her and her children.
“Some [of my children] I have remained very close to,” she said. “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.”
You can catch a special edition of 20/20 Caitlin Jenner — The Secrets of My Life tonight at 10 P.M. ET on ABC.
[Featured Image by Richard Shotwell/AP Images]