A Look At Brody Jenner's Life And Career Growing Up
Everyone's favorite reality tv heartthrob is none other than Brody Jenner. We've watched him break countless hearts during his time on "The Hills," with his perfect sun-streaked brown locks and rock-hard abs shaped by the Malibu waves. The surfer is everyone's favorite party boy, and while it's clear he knows how to have a good time, he equally enjoys providing a good time through his love of DJing. Jenner's accustomed to the Hollywood spotlight as he was born to famous parents and is a half-brother to Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
We've seen Jenner fall in and out of love with countless blonde beauties, and it's understandable why so many women find him irresistible. But apart from his jaw-dropping looks, Jenner has a charisma that's played out well for him not just on reality television but also in his personal and professional life. He's got a certain swag about him that Spencer Pratt could never seem to capitalize on, that undeniable cool-without-trying vibe that seems to ooze out of him. You know him, you love him, and you might have always been secretly in love with him — we're taking a look at Brody Jenner's life and career growing up in the Hollywood Hills.
He was raised by Hollywood royalty
Brody Jenner was born and bred by parents who were no strangers to the spotlight: former Olympian champion Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) and award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson, who share Brody, 39, and his brother Brandon, 41. His father later married Kris Kardashian, and his mother once dated the King himself, Elvis Presley.
According to Smooth Radio, Thompson behind the Whitney Houston Hit "I Have Nothing," which was inspired by her life with Presley. Brody's father, Caitlyn, won the 1976 Olympic decathlon and later became a motivational speaker. After being a staple on the Kardashian's reality tv show, Caitlyn made headlines when she announced his decision to transition to a woman (via Vanity Fair).
Though his father is absent from his social media, Jenner frequently posts snaps on his Instagram of his mother and siblings. "Happy birthday to this real life angel. Don't know what I would ever do without you mom. Love you so much," Jenner captioned one post. Jenner's mom echoes her son's sentiments and frequently posts adoring Instagram snaps of Brody and his brother Brandon. "All the poets, songwriters & philosophers in the world – past & present – working together could not adequately convey how much I adore you both... " she wrote about her sons in one Instagram caption.
His reality television debut
Before Brody Jenner was everyone's favorite Hollywood playboy on "The Hills" he was coming of age on a different docu-series. Jenner made his reality tv debut on Fox's "The Princes of Malibu" which premiered in 2005. The series showcased Jenner's lavish lifestyle living under his stepfather David Foster's roof, alongside his brother Brandon and their mother Linda Thompson. Spencer Pratt also appeared on the show, causing the same kind of trouble he and Brody were known for years later on "The Hills."
According to The Daily Mail, the Malibu native was even the inspiration behind the infamous "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" reality tv show which spanned 20 seasons on E! Network. "Actually we had a wrap party for Princes Of Malibu... I'm almost positive that's when Kris saw what was going on at our thing and was like "Hey, this would be a great idea for our family," Jenner said. Pratt's sister Stephanie backed up Jenner's claim saying "Brody and Spencer had the first reality TV show ever."
Breaking hearts on The Hills
If "The Hills" doesn't tug at your adolescent heartstrings and you don't know every word of Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten," are you really even a fan? Many know Brody Jenner as Lauren Conrad's on-again-off-again love interest on the hit MTV show, but it wasn't just Conrad he had eyes for at the time. Jenner cemented his spot on the show by stirring up drama in his love life and flirting his way into trouble over and over again.
He also dated off and on with cast mate Kristin Cavallari, which pitted her against Conrad in a reality tv feud that will forever go down in history. As much as we would like to believe the vacillating relationships featured on "The Hills" were as true as they were entertaining, Jenner revealed years later on "The Brody Jenner Podcast" (via Glamour), that he never dated either of the two blonde bombshells while on the show. "We had to pretend like we were dating but we never dated," Jenner admitted. The tv-personality now breaks down "The Hills" storylines on his new podcast "Was it Real?" with some of his former cast members.
Brody Jenner's romance with Avril Lavigne
Brody Jenner has had his fair share of romances, but one earned a forever placemark tattooed on his forearm. Jenner dated Avril Lavigne for two years, from 2010 to 2012, and the couple marked their romance in shared ink. Lavigne and Jenner got matching tattoos during their time together because what says love better than writing it in the original permanent marker?
According to MTV, The "Complicated" singer got "Brody" tattooed on her ribcage, and Jenner has "Avril" inscribed on his forearm. The Hollywood duo also got "F***" tatted on their ribcages with matching lightning bolts. To show their spark, obviously. Although their love didn't last as long as their tattoos, the former couple has a lot of love and respect for each other.
At the time of their split, Jenner tweeted "Avril has always been there for me and is the closest person to my heart. I love her." He even wished the singer all the best when she got engaged (via InTouch Weekly). As for the ink, Lavigne still has her mark on Jenner, with the tattoo noticeable in this Instagram post on his left forearm.
Brody Jenner's strained relationship with Caitlyn Jenner
Brody Jenner has gotten candid about his relationship with his father Caitlyn Jenner, and by the looks of it, the two are not on good terms. "What I've learned is just to not expect too much from her," he said on an episode of "The Hills: New Beginnings" (via Entertainment Tonight). "When he started the family ... with the Kardashian family ... I didn't really see much of him," Brody confessed. "The Hills" star went on to say the Olympic champion missed out on multiple birthdays and graduations throughout his life, describing their relationship as surface-level. "Eventually we started to become closer, but then all of the sudden it's like, I was just getting to know Bruce, and then Bruce became Caitlyn."
It wasn't just birthdays and graduations that Caitlyn missed out on, the Jenner patriarch also missed out on his own son's nuptials. Brody tied the knot in 2018 with his longtime girlfriend at the time Kaitlynn Carter on an Indonesian island, but his father was missing from the ceremony. "Not having my dad at the wedding, it was a bummer," Brody said on an episode of "THNB" (via People) "Honestly, it really did hurt and I would have loved to have her there ... but she had better things to do."
Brody Jenner's up and downs with the Kardashians
Brody Jenner doesn't keep up with the Kardashians, which is ironic since Kendall and Kylie are his half-sisters. PageSix reported that he referred to them as "not my f****ing family" when a fan congratulated Jenner on his blended family's success. So what exactly went wrong between the Kardashian-Jenner clan? Brody's rocky childhood with an absent father is what "The Hills" star alludes to often. In a "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" episode, Brody confronted his stepmom. "I don't feel like you've ever given two s***s about the way Brandon and I have grown up," he told her (via Us Weekly).
Rumor had it that Brody skipped out on Kim Kardashian's wedding to Kanye West in the 2014 ceremony because his girlfriend at the time was not invited due to Kim's limited guestlist. "I don't know why Brody is still talking about this. We were very strict about our wedding. There were less than 200 people there. Everyone else respected that – it's not a big deal," Kim said on "KUWTK" (via People).
As for his half-sisters, Brody knows as much about them as the rest of us non-celebrities. "Well, to be honest, I didn't even know she was pregnant for the entire pregnancy," Brody told TMZ when asked in 2018 if he had met Kylie's daughter Stormi. Kendall and Kylie were also absent from Brody's wedding. "My two little sisters, we never even heard from them. They never even RSVP'd I don't think," Brody told People at the time.
His career as a coveted DJ
Brody Jenner does more than just reality television. The Malibu native's passion for music has led to his buzz-worthy DJ career. Jenner started making a name for himself on the nightclub scene after DJing noteworthy Las Vegas hotspot Hyde Bellagio. Haute Living gave the former "The Hills" star a positive review for playing Sin City, the make-it-or-break-it DJ capital of the world.
Jenner's turntable skills have him traveling to international hotspots like the picturesque Indonesian island country of Bali. The former reality tv star posted on Instagram about one of his sets, writing, "Stoked to play this Saturday at @omniabali !!! If your (sic) in LA jump on a flight tonight and I'll see you in 2 days." He currently has a residency in Las Vegas at several different EDM clubs as of the time of writing if you ever want to see him in action.
Brody Jenner's return to reality television
Brody Jenner made his reality tv resurrection in 2019 with the spin-off series "The Hills: New Beginnings," which followed the likes of Jenner, Kaitlynn Carter, Audrina Patridge, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, and other former "The Hills" stars in a series reboot. The spin-off lasted two seasons, following Jenner's split with Carter as well as his friendships with former castmates as they navigate life beyond their years of club-going and catfights.
Jenner told People at the time that he couldn't have been happier about the series' eventual cancellation. "To be honest, yeah. It just wasn't the same experience. It was very stressful. There was a lot of manipulation involved. It was just a lot." Jenner said he was originally sold on doing the reboot when he was told he would be joined by a fresh cast. "They said that they were going to hire the new, younger cast like they're doing now when they originally grabbed us," Jenner said. But the pressure to drive the series' storyline wasn't easy for Jenner, who was in a different place in life than when the cameras last saw him. "I'm like, 'Dude, I'm f***ing 37 years old," Jenner told People, "I don't go out to nightclubs every night and go hunting for chicks in nightclubs. That's just not me anymore."
MTV has greenlit yet another "Hills" reboot, this time featuring a 20-member cast of fresh faces. The series, dubbed "The Hills: Next Generation" promises a diverse cast of young entrepreneurs coming of age in Los Angeles.
Brody Jenner's marriage to Kaitlynn Carter
Brody Jenner dated various Hollywood socialites over the years, but one in particular, turned him into a married man. The Malibu native met his former wife, Kaitlynn Carter, at a party in 2013. "I was going after her, she's an amazing girl," he told People at the time.
The two tied the knot in 2018 in an intimate ceremony on an Indonesian island. But the tabloids went crazy after discovering that their union was never formally legalized. During an episode of "THNB" (via Cosmopolitan), Jenner opened up to Spencer Pratt, admitting they hadn't gotten around to the paperwork at the time while busy planning the wedding. "Whether you put it on a piece of paper or have just a celebration in Indonesia, we're married, and she's my wife, and I love her to death," Jenner said. "The legitimacy of that marriage has become a matter of public debate, but for he and I, it was very real," Carter told Elle.
But their informal union may have been a blessing in disguise because the pair split a year later. Kaitlynn Carter quickly moved on to Miley Cyrus in a whirlwind romance that garnered intense media attention. Carter opened up about her first-time romance with a woman in an essay for Elle. "Although the relationship with my friend was often referenced in the media as merely a 'summer fling' or a 'same-sex affair,' it was so much more than that," she wrote. "This was a profound journey of self-discovery."
Brody Jenner finds love again with professional surfer Tia Blanco
Brody Jenner is currently off the market. Jenner went public with professional surfer Tia Blanco, with whom he posts various adorable Instagram snaps. The two seem like a match made in heaven, taking trips together and posting their adventures chasing nature and waves. "You have been rocking my world since the day I met you (heart emoji) thank you for all of the love & happiness you have brought to my life. A heart of gold," Blanco captioned an Instagram post.
The pair met while traveling in Hawaii, and Blanco gushed to E! News about their budding romance. "The first date we had, we met on a beautiful island," Blanco said. "We went straight to this amazing waterfall and we're both such earth people so it was just the most beautiful setting. Then we went surfing and to a nice dinner. I don't really know what else a girl could ask for?"
Jenner's mom is a big fan of Blanco's, frequently commenting on the blonde bombshell's Instagram snaps. "Happy six months TOGETHER!" Thompson wrote. In another photo Blanco posted, she gushed, "You could not be more gorgeous! We love you!" Jenner has nothing but kind words for his girlfriend, showing his love for her on Instagram writing, "The most beautiful girl on this planet," on one of her posts.
He's big on travel
Brody Jenner lives every bit of life to the fullest. That is clearly visible in every picturesque snap the adventure seeker posts on his Instagram. It's enough to make any travel lover envious, with various snaps in luxurious locations like the Maldives, Mexico, Hawaii, and Bali to fill up his social feed. "Sometimes you just need to go off the grid and get your soul right," Jenner wrote in one Instagram snap.
It's clear that the Malibu native is fueled by surfable waves and has a connection with the ocean. "The ocean stirs the heart, inspires imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul," he wrote in another post. And when he's not catching waves, he's advocating for them. Jenner is an advocate for 4Ocean, an organization dedicated to removing plastic and pollution from the ocean. "Happy Earth Day! @4ocean love you guys and THANK YOU," Jenner wrote on his Instagram.
He's a spokesperson for a Tequila seltzer brand
Brody Jenner is no stranger to a good time. As for his drink of choice? Jenner is the face of Mamitas, a new tequila-based hard seltzer that hit the market in 2020. The seltzer boasts a light and refreshing gluten-free drink consisting of tequila, sparkling water, and natural agave sweetener. Who better to represent the brand than the carefree Malibu wave chaser himself? "We wanted somebody who can embody Mamitas, who lives that easy, enjoyable life, and is always living," Phusion VP of Marketing Sam Catalina said in an interview with Mashed. Jenner was sent some products after having a friendship with the brand's creative director, and the partnership took off from there.
"It's a deeper partnership than a traditional ambassador," Catalina told Mashed. "He helps us with creative direction. He gives his two cents on everything from flavor to look, and we put a lot of stock in his word ... He's more than an ambassador, but not an owner." The Mamitas ambassador has been vocal about his love for the drink — even seemingly throwing shade at half-sister Kendall's own brand, 818 Tequila. "I prefer REAL tequila in my seltzer. @drinkmamitas best in the game," Jenner wrote on Instagram. Ouch.