Bruce Jenner is now “Caitlyn” Jenner.
The Olympic gold-medalist and TV personality has rolled out a new female persona with a corset-clad photoshoot in Vanity Fair and the announcement that she’s changing her name to Caitlyn, making Jenner perhaps the most famous openly transgender American.
Jenner spoke to the magazine about her ongoing efforts to transition to a female, most recently a 10-hour facial feminization surgery which led to a panic attack for which she received counseling. The interview took place in Jenner’s Malibu home and will run in the June 9 edition.
“I’m not doing this to be interesting. I’m doing this to live.” #CallMeCaitlyn http://t.co/Mwfy5PkjTp pic.twitter.com/V2NmSJG2eV
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) June 1, 2015
“If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it. I would be lying there saying, ‘You just blew your entire life. You never dealt with yourself,’ and I don’t want that to happen,” Jenner told writer Buzz Bissinger.
Jenner also opened the Twitter account @Caitlyn_Jenner, which had 669,000 followers two hours after its launch.
“I’m so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self,” Jenner wrote. “Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can’t wait for you to get to know her/me.”
Jenner first announced she’s transgender in a “20/20” interview with Diane Sawyer in April that drew more than 17.1 million viewers.
