On the anniversary of coming out, Jenner will once again talk with Sawyer on a special edition of '20/20' about the reality of her life since transitioning. Ahead of that conversation, ET looks back on what Jenner's done in those two years.
When Caitlyn Jenner first sat down with ABC’s Diane
Sawyer two years ago to reveal that she is a transgender woman, the revelation
became part of the national conversation, given Jenner’s stature as an Olympic
hero and, in later years, as the kindly patriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner clan
on TV.
“For all intents and purposes, I am a woman,” she told
Sawyer just moments into their highly watched interview, later adding: “What I’m
doing is going to do some good. And we’re going to change the world.”
From that moment on, Jenner started living an authentic life
that’s included high-profile magazine covers and a reality series documenting
her transition, an unexpected connection to Amazon’s Transparent, which included a narrative similar to Jenner’s
real-life journey, and controversy over Jenner’s politics and level of fame as
it relates to the transgender community came into question.
“I really wanted it to not just be about me,” Jenner told
ET one year after coming out. “I wanted it about this community and about the
struggles and the difficulties, and to help people understand what being gender
dysphoric, transgender -- whatever you want to call it -- is.”
On the two-year
anniversary of that exclusive interview, Jenner will once again talk with
Sawyer on a special edition of 20/20 (airing
Friday, April 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT) about the reality of her life since
transitioning -- and the impact that she’s had.
Ahead of that conversation, ET looks back on what Jenner’s
done in those two years:
Memoir: The Secrets of My Life
Some of the timing around the 20/20 appearance ties into the release of Jenner’s long-awaited
memoir, The Secrets of My Life, which
is scheduled to hit stores on April 25. According to Jenner, the
book chronicles her “journey from Bruce to Caitlyn, and her brave
transition into womanhood,” apparently pulling no punches when it comes to her
surgeries and her relationship with Kris Jenner, who is reportedly
miffed at how she is portrayed.
Docu-series: I Am Cait
Shortly after revealing herself as transgender, Jenner
announced I Am Cait, an eight-part
documentary series on E! that explored her transition and the effects it had on
family and friends. The show premiered in July 2015 and served as an eye-opener
for many viewers, who might have been previously unaware of transgender issues.
The Hollywood Reporter called
the show “surprisingly thoughtful if undeniably self-serving.” After two
seasons, however, I Am Cait was
canceled.
Scripted TV: Transparent
In a case of life imitating art, Jenner found herself
with a cameo role on the season three premiere of the TV series Transparent, which revolves around family
patriarch Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor), who comes out as a transgender
woman to her ex-wife and three kids. Jenner told
ET at the time that her role, which was part of a dream sequence, “was so
simple really,” she said. “My lines were already written! Doing reality TV, we
have no script -- and it was great to work with such talented actors.”
Magazine Covers: Vanity Fair and Sports Illustrated
After coming out, Jenner appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair, shot by acclaimed
photographer Annie Leibovitz with the headline “Call
Me Caitlyn,” making her the first transgender woman to appear on the cover
of that magazine. In June 2016, she appeared wearing her Olympic
gold medal on the cover of Sports
Illustrated, for an article in which she reflected on the 40th anniversary
of her decathlon triumph and the struggles she felt at the time. “This woman
was living inside me, all my life, and it reached the point where I had to let
her live and put Bruce inside,” she told the magazine. She also appeared on Glamour’s Women of the Year issue and Advocate.
Controversy:
Jenner’s path over the course of these last two years
hasn’t always been smooth. She was involved in a tragic multi-car crash in
2015 that killed a woman in California and led to several legal cases and
settlements. Jenner’s political views have also come under scrutiny, as her
Republican leanings have traditionally not lined up with the LGBT
community. “It was easy to come out as trans, it was harder to come out as
Republican,” she said at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Endorsements: MAC
Cosmetics and H&M
It would make sense that forward-thinking companies would
want to pair up with Jenner, and she has been able to earn several
endorsements. Jenner joined forces with MAC Cosmetics in February 2016 to create a
signature shade of lipstick, “Finally Free,” with all proceeds going to the MAC
AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative. Later in 2016, Jenner was named by H&M as
the face of the brand’s
sportswear line, with the brand telling ET, “We want to illustrate that
everything is possible -- in sports, and in life.”
Awards:
The way Jenner forged her path earned her admiration and
acclaim from several groups. In 2015, she was honored by Time, Glamour, Entertainment Weekly, Out and The Advocate. In addition, she received the Arthur Ashe Courage
Award during the 2015 ESPY Awards, where she delivered a powerful speech to an
audience of sports luminaries and celebrities, in addition to the millions
watching on TV. “I know I’m clear with my responsibility going forward: To tell
my story the right way, for me,” she said. “To keep learning. To do whatever I
can to reshape the landscape of how trans issues are viewed, how trans people
are treated.”