The Real Reason Brody Jenner And Kaitlynn Carter Split
Many fans were surprised when, in June 2018, The Hills: New Beginnings star Brody Jenner wed blogger Kaitlynn Carter in Indonesia. Although the duo were together for 5 years before tying the knot in a luxurious ceremony, it was hard to believe the hard-partying bachelor would ever settle down. And perhaps that's why fans weren't as shocked when the pair announced their split in August 2019, shortly after the The Hills reboot kicked off in June of that year. Not only did their relationship appear on shaky ground pre-breakup, but some of the drama that's now come out about it sounds like something straight out of a Keeping Up With the Kardashians episode — though Kim Kardashian's former stepbrother probably wouldn't love that comparison.
Anyways, we have to wonder: What was real and what was fake in this relationship? This question only intensified for us after Carter was spotted kissing Miley Cyrus in Italy shortly after the songstress announced her split from Liam Hemsworth. Guys, we were shook. And if you are experiencing a similar feeling, you're probably curious about what really led to this breakup. Ready for a wild ride? Buckle up and let's dive deep into the real reason Brody Jenner and Kaitlynn Carter split.
Wait, Brody Jenner and Kaitlynn Carter weren't legally married?
Arguably the most shocking piece of info to surface about Kaitlynn Carter and Brody Jenner's split is that they were never legally married, because they didn't obtain a marriage license in the United States after saying "I do" in Indonesia. Additionally, a source revealed to Us Weekly in August 2019 that Jenner was supposedly hesitant to go through with the marriage, a report his former friend, The Hills villain Spencer Pratt, backed up. Pratt alleged that Jenner feared that Carter was just a gold digger. "By the way, I knew their marriage wasn't real," Pratt said in an interview for Cosmopolitan. "I already addressed it with Brody, and he said he didn't want to marry her because he didn't want her to have access to Linda's money." (Jenner's mother, Linda Thompson, who was once married to music producer David Foster, is reportedly worth $10 million).
Of course, we can't say for sure why the two didn't make their wedding legal. It could have been a paperwork issue or maybe the two just forgot. Either way, it's fair to wonder whether this legal detail played a role in the split.
Did Kaitlynn Carter use Brody Jenner for fame?
When it was revealed that Brody Jenner and Kaitlynn Carter were never legally married, questions arose about the legitimacy of their romance. Was it all for show? Jenner's former BFF, Spencer Pratt, is on board with this possibility, as he accused Carter of hooking up with Caitlyn Jenner's son for fame. "I'm not going to say she's [Kaitlynn's] a clout chaser, but she had 95 followers before she started dating Brody," Pratt explained to Cosmopolitan. "Then she became an 'influencer.'" Some fans seemingly agreed with Pratt's take, as one commenter tweeted: "Will there ever be a bigger clout chaser than Kaitlynn Carter?" And after Carter was spotted smooching a newly single Miley Cyrus in Italy, this sentiment intensified, with a fan writing: "She is using you for fame; cut her loose."
It's worth pointing out, however, that Carter has plenty of her own accomplishments. A year after creating a travel and beauty blog called Hey, Miss Carter, in 2014, she launched an online clothing store, Foray, with her friend, Tiana Haraguchi. Not to mention, we can't imagine Jenner would date a fame-chaser for six years... but who knows.
Brody Jenner and Kaitlynn Carter didn't see eye-to-eye on kids
A big issue in a marriage can be whether or not to have kids, a sentiment Brody Jenner and Kaitlynn Carter are probably all too familiar with. That's because the two were constantly in disagreement about having children, with Carter reportedly wanting to start a family while Jenner supposedly had hesitations. "They butted heads over that constantly," a source told People. "Kaitlynn really wants to be a mom and never swayed from that. She thought Brody was change his mind, but he didn't."
Jenner, however, told Us Weekly six weeks before the August 2019 split that he and Carter were "open" to having kids. "We're at a point in our lives now that we're not opposed to having kids but we're not necessarily really trying to have children right now," he explained.
Obviously, this isn't any of our business — fertility and family planning are private topics.
Brody Jenner put his own needs above all else
If it's true that Kaitlynn Carter was eager to have children, Brody Jenner arguably wasn't the best choice to fulfill her aspirations. Why, you ask? Look no further than to what Jenner said about Carter wanting to procreate with him. "While I don't have kids," Jenner explained in a The Hills: New Beginnings confessional (via E! News). "I'm gonna pretty much do what I wanna do and live for myself, as opposed to live for another human being. I think that's why she wants kids, she wants me to change in that way." Yikes.
We don't want to make assumptions about how Jenner would handle fatherhood (no parent-shaming to see here, folks!), but it sounds like he was priority number one during his marriage. And for someone who is looking to solidify a family unit like Carter supposedly was, we can understand how this might have been off-putting. What's more? Jenner was 35 at the time of this eyebrow-raising remark. It's kind of an odd time in one's like to be so self-involved, but to each their own. As long as Jenner is happy, then that's all that matters.
About that open relationship...
Unfortunately for Kaitlynn Carter and Brody Jenner, The Hills: New Beginnings reboot shone a bright light on their tumultuous relationship. Case in point: In the June 2019 trailer for the show, the two got into a big disagreement about whether their relationship was open. When talking about Jenner supposedly getting a lap dance from another woman, Carter yelled: "You said to her last night that we had an open relationship," to which her then husband replied, "We're not talking about this anymore." Talk about major drama, right?
Jenner's former BFF, Spencer Pratt, even spilled a tad bit of tea on the subject to Cosmopolitan. The Hills bad boy referred to Jenner and Carter as "two pathological liars" and said he was "calling [them] out for pretending to be a married couple for 12 episodes, when they're boyfriend and girlfriend who sleep with other people."
Of course, Pratt's entire brand is stoking the flames of controversy, so we can't say for certain, but we wouldn't be surprised if this whole open relationship thing contributed to their breakup. If Carter wasn't into the idea, for instance, then she might have bid Jenner adieu. And there's no judgment to see here — open relationships are completely acceptable, the only caveat being that couples need to be in agreement about the situation.
Brody Jenner once referred to Kaitlynn Carter as a 'nightmare'
It's safe to say Kaitlynn Carter and Brody Jenner's relationship endured its fair share of fights, some of which were captured for The Hills: New Beginnings. Just one example? A particularly nasty spat occurred after Jenner supposedly failed to come home at an agreed upon time. When Jenner finally did show up, he and Carter got into a blowup, which resulted in the DJ sleeping in his car. "What's it like, sleeping in a car, in your driveway?" Carter asked Jenner the morning after (via the Daily Mail), clearly annoyed with his tardiness. Jenner was on the offense, however, telling Carter: "I came home to a psychopath. I went to the truck to go to sleep because I was terrified of you." Jeez.
It's worth pointing out here that all couples fight from time to time, but calling your partner a psychopath on national television isn't a good look. And it's possible these on-air arguments contributed to the demise of their romance.
Was Brody Jenner 'a hostage' in his relationship?
Fans will never know what went on behind-the-scenes in Brody Jenner and Kaitlynn Carter's marriage unless they speak out about it, but Spencer Pratt might have some insight into what went down. From Pratt's perspective, Jenner was a "hostage" in his own relationship, a description that, to say the least, isn't very positive. The reality star shared his perspective on the Make Speidi Famous Again podcast, stating about the Jenner-Carter marriage's end: "I'm not surprised. ... I think Season 2 we're going to get to see real Brody ... I think he's [going to have] way more fun. He's way less intense. I feel like he has a lot going on ... so I just hope we get to see relaxed Brody, having fun, barbecue, for real Brody."
But wait — that's not all. He continued, "So that I look forward to. I think there'll be a lot of success in Brody. ... I feel like I said it ... that he almost was like a hostage, it felt like he was trying to tell me, like, 'Get me out, get me out.'"
Pratt doesn't mince words, does he? We're curious what Carter has to say about this.
What's the deal with Kaitlynn Carter and Miley Cyrus?
Shortly after the couple's split in August 2019, the internet exploded when Kaitlynn Carter was spotted smooching Miley Cyrus in Italy. The newly single ladies (Cyrus split from Liam Hemsworth that same month) were photographed in a cozy embrace, a moment that didn't go unnoticed by Brody Jenner. "Watch out! Pics of Liam and I holding hands on the beach coming soon," he commented on his friend Brandon Lee's Instagram post, to which Cyrus replied, "Go take a nap in your truck and cool off. #HotGirlSummer." Shots fired?
Drama aside, did Cyrus play a role in the exes' breakup? The answer is probably not because the two are reportedly just hooking up. "They've known each other for several months, but the two of them hooking up is very new," a source told ET. "For Miley, she's having fun, and for Kaitlynn, it seems too coincidental that she is hooking up with a huge music star, when that's what she wants most for herself in life — to be famous." And it doesn't sound like the two were sneaking around pre-split, so there's nothing too juicy to see here besides the kiss. As for where this "romance" will go, however, that remains to be seen.
No love lost?
We aren't 100 percent sure what Brody Jenner felt when his marriage imploded in August 2019, but it sounds like he took it pretty well. Case in point: Just a week or so after the breakup news went public, Jenner was reportedly linked to model Josie Canseco. The two were supposedly engaging in a ton of PDA post-split, according to TMZ, and a source told the outlet the two were "romantically involved."
What's more? Jenner was supposedly cool with Kaitlynn Carter's kissing sesh with Miley Cyrus. "Brody had challenges with Kaitlynn and their genuine connection towards the end of their marriage and he is not at all surprised to see Kaitlynn being physical with Miley," a source told Hollywood Life. "He kept what was happening extremely private which is why friends were surprised, but now that he's opening up, the marriage was over a long time ago."
Of course, it's possible Jenner was happy to exit the relationship. But who knows what really went on inside of his head during this time. All we can say is — we wish both parties the best going forward.