Bruce Jenner is slated to sit down to talk with Diana Sawyer about his transgender plans. The conversation, to be broadcast as a 20/20 special, is set to air Friday, April 24.
On person who will be watching with great interest to see what Bruce Jenner has to say is his former sister-in-law Karen Houghton. Houghton is Kris Jenner’s sister.
Karen Houghton spoke to Radar Online in an interview that has been characterized as critical of Bruce Jenner.
“As with anyone, it has embarrassed my sister. It’s been humiliating for her,” the publication quoted Houghton as saying about Bruce Jenner.
But there were so many more instances of support for Bruce Jenner within the interview than the headline suggested.
“I told Kendall and Kylie, ‘I love your dad, I will always love him. I don’t care what he is or does,’” Karen also said. “I know this is hard on them.”
She even says she told Bruce Jenner himself that she stood behind him.
“I told him ‘I love you no matter what—if you’re blue, white, transgender, gay. I don’t judge people,” said Karen. “I told him ‘It doesn’t matter. It’s what’s in your heart.’ I just said, ‘It doesn’t matter to me. You helped raise my daughter.’ He helped [my daughter] build toys on Christmas. I love him as a man or a woman.”
In fact, Houghton specified that she had nothing ill to say about Bruce Jenner.
“There is nothing I can say that’s bad about him. All he did was make my life better for me and my kids. Everyone is rooting for him.”
She did say that she was not privy to Bruce Jenner’s thoughts about his gender identity when he was married to her sister.
“I never had any idea,” she said. “He was always nice to me. I think he wanted to keep it private. I really admire him for being brave and doing what he wanted to do. And now he’s doing it.”