Bruce Jenner married Kris Kardashian in April 1991, one month after she divorced her first husband, attorney Robert Kardashian.

 

At the time, Bruce’s was a twice-divorced, faded Olympic star on the motivational speaking circuit and Kris was a local socialite on the perimeter of fame due to her friendship with O.J. Simpson’s second wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.

Did Bruce and Kris Lead Separate Lives?

Although Bruce and Kris are polar opposites from a Lil' Matchmaker™ perspective, for nearly 24 years, they were able to make their marriage a financial and family success.  Because they have aspects in their character that tend to dominate and oppose each other, divorce is the expected marital outcome for their pairing.

 

Given that Kris knew Bruce used hormones in the 1980s, there were some financial struggles during their marriage, and the intense media scrutiny the family has endured due to their reality television show, the fact that they didn’t divorce earlier is a surprise.

 

For couples with their opposition and domination combination, if they don’t divorce (since divorce was rare in ancient times), over time, they eventually lead separate lives.

 

For example, in the past, Kris has admitted to marital infidelity.  Assuming she and Bruce were ultimately incompatible, it’s possible she would accept an “open marriage” arrangement – this kind of pact isn’t unheard of in Hollywood.

 

Bruce and Kris Needed Each Other

According to Bruce, his life turned around when he met Kris Kardashian in 1990.  In a People magazine interview a few years later, Bruce says he “was drifting…[he] had worked really hard and didn’t have much to show for it.”  Shortly after their marriage, Kris dismissed Bruce’s long-time sports agent and manager and took charge of his career and finances.

 

While Bruce brings intense focus and commitment to every task he takes on, fortunately he is comfortable enough in his manhood to let the women in his life manage him at home.

 

As for Kris, her trademarked “Momager” title is well-earned.  Once her children were old enough to grab the limelight, she was able to leverage the knowledge and experience she gained managing Bruce’s celebrity for their benefit.  Perhaps unexpectedly, Kris herself became a celebrity.

 

As for Bruce’s first and second wives, Chrystie Scott and Linda Thompson respectively, while they tended to dominate him, there were no indications of strong opposition or injury.  And, though they were great in their roles as wife and mother, ultimately, the strain of Bruce’s celebrity wore on his marriages to them.

 

Did Their Financial Success Allow Bruce to Become Caitlin?

Together, Bruce and Kris created more fame, wealth, beautiful children and a close-knit family.  Although being in the media spotlight was financially beneficial for Bruce, Kris and their family, this new-found wealth may have allowed Bruce the means to become Caitlin. Unfortunately, Bruce’s gender transformation to Caitlin may have been more than Kris could accept.  If they had been less financially successful, and/or Bruce less accommodating of his demanding wife, they might have divorced sooner.

 

Side Note:  After four years of intense training to win the 1976 Olympic Men’s Decathlon gold medal, Bruce left athletics to forge a career as a media celebrity – becoming a sports commentator, developing a clothing line, writing an autobiography, and giving motivational speeches.  Bruce’s rise to fame coincided with the growth of cable television – especially sports-oriented channels like ESPN.  With his cheerful personality, photogenic good looks and overall physical fitness, Bruce was a natural in front of the cameras.

 

In retrospect, Bruce’s career is remarkably similar to the one his step-daughter, Kim Kardashian, has created for herself.  Instead of sports television, books, public speaking, and cereal commercials like Bruce, Kim jumped in early on the reality television juggernaut and uses her smart-phone camera to post pictures, videos and tweets to her loyal fans and snag cosmetic and designer clothing endorsements.