Bruce Jenner’s transition covers US Magazine for the second consecutive week. Last week’s edition focused on “Bruce’s Brave Announcement,” and this week it’s “Kris in Denial.” As we reported yesterday, People Magazine also features Bruce with a positive cover about how happy he is. The narrative in US Magazine is that Kris is not accepting of Bruce’s change, that she’s in denial and is dismissive of his transition. Kris is not said to be mean or rude to Bruce’s face, she just doesn’t want to deal with the issue at all. She was married to the guy for 22 years, it must be hard to accept. It’s not like this is the first time she’s been confronted with it, though.

What’s more is that US claims that cameras from Keeping up With The Kardashians were there to capture the moment when Bruce broke the news to Kris that he’s transitioning to a woman. (Note that US did not state whether cameras were present when he told his entire family.) This strikes me as a strategic decision by Bruce to make sure Kris didn’t overreact. I know Bruce has a docuseries coming up, and I hope that this footage remains unseen or becomes part of his series and not a plotline on KUWTK. For their part, a source tells US that KUTWK “producers don’t want [Bruce’s transition] to be the main storyline.” That’s supposedly due to Kris, who doesn’t want Bruce stealing her spotlight. We’ll see. It’s unlike Kris to pass up an opportunity like this. Here are some excerpts from US, with more in the print edition.

Throughout their 22 year marriage, Kris Jenner always called the shots for her husband Bruce… But on a recent January day… Bruce finally made Kris listen to him – and Keeping Up With The Kardashians cameras were there to capture the moment. “He told Kris he was transitioning to become a woman,” says a production source. The conversation was not new to her – the couple had fought about the topic many times over the years – but it marked the first time she could not silence him or call him “delusional.” Kris played it cool, adds a family insider. “Publicly, she doesn’t want to be seen as turning her back on him,” says the source. When the cameras stop rolling, however, she returns to her dismissive approach. “Kris is in complete denial about what’s going on with Bruce” says a pal. “She doesn’t talk about it at all and refuses to acknowledge it.”

It’s out of her hands, as Bruce is determined to be a role model for other individuals and families grappling with gender identity.

[Bruce] has chosen a female name, multiple sources tell US, and asked his close friends and family to use it. Everyone complied – with one notable exception: “Kris won’t use the name,” says one source… “Bruce has completely shut her out…”

Though Bruce is filming Keeping Up and his own series simultaneously, the network source says his transition won’t be highlighted on the family’s flagship show, which is still undergoing edits for its spring premiere. “The producers don’t want that to be the main story line.”

Or perhaps Kris doesn’t. The more Bruce’s appearance garners attention, the more she bristles.

[From US Magazine, print edition, February 16, 2015]

On one hand I feel for Kris, who must find it very difficult to see her ex husband transitioning. That must be hard to come to grips with. On the other I see how it can be borne out of jealousy as well, because Bruce is finally out from under her thumb, and he’s earning multiple magazine covers now. He’s also calling his own shots, when she’s used to stage managing him and everyone else in her family. This is one thing she can’t control.

I have another issue with this coverage. While I believe that Bruce’s transition is very genuine and incredibly brave, I also question how much of this feud between Kris and Bruce is real and how much is hyped for the media. With the Kardashians, you never quite know what to believe.

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