Bruce Jenner's Mom Gives Interview on Son's Transition

The 88-year-old talks to the AP about her son's gender journey
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 4, 2015 4:59 PM CST
Bruce Jenner's Mom: I'm More Proud Than in 1976
In this May 6, 2013 file photo, former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner arrives at the 6th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic at the Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake, Calif.   (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

It's the closest a member of the Jenner clan has come to confirming that Bruce Jenner is transitioning to a woman: In a nearly hour-long phone interview with the AP, Jenner's 88-year-old mother, Esther, had this to say when asked, "Have you spoken to Bruce recently about his transition?"

  • "It was brief and I said I was proud of him and that I'll always love him. I never thought I could be more proud of Bruce when he reached his goal in 1976 [winning gold as a decathlete], but I'm more proud of him now. It takes a lot of courage to do what he's doing."

She described the news as a "surprise" and a "shock" but describes the family as "very supportive." When asked how he explained it to her, Esther says, "He said, 'I want to be honest about my identity and I know this is coming out in the press.' ... 'Mom, I'm still the same person. I'm still going to race cars, I'm still going to fly airplanes and I'm going to get my helicopter license.'" She continues, "I am at peace with what he is and what he's doing." The AP notes that a publicist for the 65-year-old Jenner would not comment on Esther's remarks. (More celebrity stories.)

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