Brody Jenner Opens Up About Mending Relationship with Caitlyn Jenner

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Brody Jenner, the 41-year-old reality TV star, recently shared insights into his evolving relationship with his father, Caitlyn Jenner, during an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. The two have had a tumultuous past, but Brody revealed that they are now on a more positive path.

Brody, who grew up with limited contact with Caitlyn, described feeling “a little bit abandoned” during his childhood. Caitlyn, who transitioned in 2015, was often absent due to her new marriage and commitments to filming *Keeping Up With the Kardashians*. “I had an incredible mother. Father, Bruce, at the time, wasn’t around that much,” Brody explained. “They split, and then he met a woman. She had kids as well. The woman that he met … they had kids together.”

Despite the challenges, Brody expressed compassion for Caitlyn’s struggles during her transition. “I will say he was going through his own struggles, transitioning, and it was all that was put on TV,” he said. “There were these moments that we would have that was all filmed, and it just felt very invasive and not very genuine, I would say.”

Brody also revealed that he recently received a heartfelt apology from Caitlyn, marking a significant turning point in their relationship. “Just recently, I got a real, sincere apology,” he shared. “It was the first time in my life that I’ve ever gotten an apology. You know, I’m sorry for not being there, and honestly, it meant a lot.”

The former *Princes of Malibu* star believes that his experiences with Caitlyn have shaped him into a more present father for his 17-month-old daughter, Honey. “I think not having Bruce around growing up and her doing that transition, it was tough just being her son,” he said. “I just had a beautiful little daughter. I’m not living for myself anymore. I’m living for her.”

Brody emphasized his commitment to being a more involved parent. “I’m gonna do the exact opposite of, as far as being there for her, as my father did for me,” he said. “When you have kids, you need to accept a little bit of responsibility that the things you do are also going to reflect on them as well.”

Despite their past, Brody and Caitlyn have worked to mend their relationship. “In a lot of ways she did me a favor by not being around that much when I was growing up,” Brody told PEOPLE. “I look at it as a positive. Yeah, she wasn’t around for me growing up that much. I still saw her sometimes, she wasn’t completely absent, but I still say I definitely am going to be much more present as a father, and it taught me to be that, so I’m grateful for it.”

Brody also reflected on the importance of family gatherings, such as Caitlyn’s recent birthday party, where he reunited with his half-sisters and stepsisters, including Kim and Khloé Kardashian. “It’s just so easy with them because I’ve known them for so long and we don’t get to see each other that often,” he said. “We rarely ever get to see each other, even Kendall or Kylie. We are all busy doing our thing, so we don’t get to hang out that often, but when we do, you know how that is with siblings or best friends, it doesn’t matter if one year or 10 years goes by, as soon as you see each other, there’s so much to talk about and catch up on.”

Brody’s journey with Caitlyn and his reflections on fatherhood highlight the complexities of their relationship and the importance of forgiveness and growth. *Special Forces: World's Toughest Test*, featuring Brody, airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.