Entertainment

Khloé Learned Of Caitlyn's Transition On Camera

by Michelle McGahan

The Kardashian-Jenner family has been open and honest about Caitlyn Jenner coming out as transgender. And now, Khloé Kardashian has revealed why she had such a difficult time coming to terms with Jenner's life-changing announcement. She she told Ellen DeGeneres, it was because she found out about Jenner's transition on camera.

Speaking to the talk show host in an interview that will air on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday, Nov. 16, Kardashian explained that part of the reason she took Jenner's coming out so hard was because she found out about it while filming the About Bruce special, a moment that had to be immensely difficult, even for someone who has made a career out of being a reality star.

"Well, I had a hard time because I find out on camera, like, while we were filming," Kardashian explained. "And I felt like we kept asking him, 'Bruce, like what’s going on we’re hearing all these rumors,'" she said. "And he kept telling us one thing, but really he knew he was transitioning and wouldn’t be honest with us. So we felt like we were kind of the last to know so that was hard for us. Especially me. I defended him for so long or whatever."

Finding out on camera had to be hard for Kardashian. Yes, the special was planned, and yes, the Kardashian-Jenners have created their entire empire around filming their lives, but having such a life-altering discussion in front of the world was bound to be a gut-wrenching and nerve-wracking one. On top of the countless reasons why learning the news that your step-parent is transgender would be incredibly stressful to comprehend in front of the world (Am I saying the right thing? How will viewers judge my reaction? Shouldn't this have happened privately first so I was better equipped to handle it in front of the nation?), Kardashian was angry and frustrated with Jenner because she felt that this person she had known so long had not been completely honest.

During the special, Kardashian confronted Jenner about the looming transition that she had not yet announced to her family. Kardashian said at the time,

Are you planning on not being Bruce anytime soon? You have children, you don't have to answer to us, but you need to tell us! I don't care that you want to do it, I support you, I have always supported you, but I don't think it's fair that you won't tell us how close this is in the near future. We're still your kids!

And a large part of it, that the family may not have even been aware of at the time, was how much the new identity of Caitlyn was going to be the loss of Bruce.

"So that was hard for me and then now I’m fully OK with it," Kardashian told DeGeneres. "But I think the biggest part for me was understanding that Bruce is totally separate than Caitlyn. I don’t think Bruce knew fully that when he would be Caitlyn... I’m sure he no one knows what’s going to happen, we’re all doing this for the first time"

Though it has been understandably tough at times, the Kardashian-Jenner family has been supportive of Jenner and even plan on spending the holidays with her this season, Kardashian revealed on Ellen — once again proving that in the Kardashian world, once a family member, always a family member.