Here's Everything We Now Know About Caitlyn Jenner's ''Authentic'' Life

E! star is paving the way for the LGBT community around the world

By Lily Harrison Jun 03, 2015 5:21 PMTags
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Caitlyn Jenner's road to freedom has been a long one, to say the least, filled with many bumps and hurdles that only a few were privy to at first.

But now, the E! reality star is inviting the world in to witness her transition in an effort to bring awareness to a topic so few have been exposed to.

(With the release of her Vanity Fair cover, Caitlyn has chosen to publicly identify as a woman and E! News will refer to her using female pronouns. In stories published prior to this date, Caitlyn was referred to as Bruce and male pronouns were used.)

So what has life really been like for the 65-year-old as she adjusts into leading a more "authentic" life for herself? Let's take a look:

"Girls' Nights" In: Caitlyn has been hosting a series of intimate gatherings at her home in Malibu for close friends and family as part of her transition. Those social settings were initially where she was most comfortable dressing as desired and felt natural in the presence of women.

Finally "Free": During the behind-the-scenes look at her Vanity Fair cover, Caitlyn confessed to feeling as though a weight was lifted after going public with her transition. She explained, "Caitlyn doesn't have any secrets. As soon as the Vanity Fair cover comes out, I'm free."

And during the first promo clip for her upcoming E! documentary series, I Am Cait, Caitlyn lays out what she has planned for her future. "I'm just going to go live life. I'm going to go enjoy life. I have nothing left to hide. I am kind of a free person, a free soul."

No More Lies: In the same clip, she adds that she's more at ease since publically living as a woman, saying, "Bruce always had to tell a lie. He was always living that lie. Every day he always had a secret, from morning till night."

Family Sticks Together: During and after Caitlyn's Diane Sawyer interview in late April, her children spoke openly in support of her decision. "I have high hopes that Cailyn is a better person than Bruce," Burt Jenner told Vanity Fair. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter Cassandra Jenner revealed that she's now closer to her parent, saying, "We talked more than we ever have." Kim Kardashian has also voiced in the past how her siblings have processed the news, telling the Today, "We all really support him. I think there still is an adjustment. There's family therapy and we're really close. Is it a hard adjustment? Yes."

To the Nines: From the wardrobe, to the hair, nails and makeup, Caitlyn dished that Vanity Fair cover "spared nothing" for her stunning cover. "The pictures came out over-the-top great," she shared. "You have to look very feminine, you have to be able to, what I call my presentation is extremely important because it puts people at ease." But getting all dolled up is relatively new for the Olympian, who admitted that she had never had a professional do her makeup until very recent during the teaser to I Am Cait.

Everybody Hurts: Sure, there have been countless emotional hurdles, but Caitlyn admits undergoing physical changes throughout the years have been increasingly difficult as well. "Pain is kind of, for me, part of the pain of being me," she told Vanity Fair when asked about the grueling two-year process of having her beard permanently removed. And after her recent 10-hour facial-feminization surgery, Caitlyn initially had second thoughts about what she had done. After seeking advice from a counselor from the L.A. Gender Center, she came to terms with the fact that her feelings were most likely a reaction of her pain medication and were "human and temporary."

Putting a Label on Her: "It's one of the hardest things in life—choosing your own name," Caitlyn shared when explaining how she decided her moniker. But through a little Miss America pageant inspiration, and a coincidence with her assistant, the name (spelled with a C, and not a K) seemed like the perfect fit.

But this is just the latest glimpse inside Caitlyn Jenner's world. Viewers will undoubtedly see more during the premiere of the eight-part, one-hour documentary series I Am Cait, which premieres on Sunday, July 26, at 9 p.m.

Learn more about what it means to be transgender at https://glaad.org/transgender

If you are transgender and need help or advice, contact the Trevor Project https://t.co/guMjyYIfng