Brody Jenner’s Dad, Caitlyn Jenner, Won’t Appear On ‘The Hills: New Beginnings’ For This Reason

The Hills: New Beginning features several cast members with famous parents, but don’t expect to see them all make cameos. While the premiere of the MTV revival documented newcomer Brandon Thomas Lee’s adorable housewarming visit from his superstar mom, Pamela Anderson, his pal Hills veteran Brody Jenner probably won’t have a similar visit from his famous dad, Caitlyn Jenner.

The premiere episode of The Hills: New Beginnings featured Brody talking about his transgender dad and pointing out that the former Olympian took the name Caitlyn during his transition despite the fact that Brody had been dating now-wife Kaitlynn Carter for more than four years.

But Hills viewers won’t see Caitlyn Jenner’s explanation for the name choice—at least not this season, anyway. In an interview with Variety, MTV’s head of development, Lily Neumeyer, explained that despite her reality TV past on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Caitlyn Jenner won’t be shooting scenes for The Hills this season.

“No,” Neumeyer responded when asked if the father of Brody Jenner will appear on the MTV reality show.

“It’s a big throughline for Brody because it’s his own life, but the show is about Brody, so it’s about what Brody wants to tell us about his story, so we follow what he wants to follow. We try to be respectful and allow him to tell it in the way that he wants to tell it. But, of course, if there is a Season 2, then that story continues.”

It’s no secret that Brody Jenner and his Olympic legend dad have had a tumultuous relationship. While reality TV fans know Caitlyn best as the bio dad to Kendall and Kylie Jenner and stepfather to the Kardashian kids, Jenner has long acknowledged that she was an absentee dad to her four oldest children Cassandra, Burt, Brandon, and Brody.

According to People, in a Keeping Up With the Kardashians cameo in 2013, Brody opened up about his strained relationship with his father, who was still known as Bruce Jenner at the time.

“I think Bruce is an incredible human being and I think that Bruce is a great father, he just wasn’t a great father to me,” Brody said.

The Hills star said that his parents had a “messy divorce” and that he grew up with stepfather David Foster, his mom Linda Thompson’s second husband. Brody said Bruce was “never around” and that he resented how many birthdays he missed when he was a kid. Caitlyn also missed Brody’s wedding to Kaitlynn Carter last year.

Still, Brody Jenner has been supportive of his dad’s transition, telling ABC in 2017 that he gets along with Caitlyn much more than he did with Bruce because Caitlyn is now living life as her true self.

“It’s like getting to know somebody – your dad – all over again, in a better way.”

While Brody Jenner is not ready to share his relationship with Caitlyn with MTV’s cameras just yet, his longtime friend and Hills: New Beginnings castmate Frankie Delgado hopes he changes his mind at some point. Delgado told Hollywood Life that while he is no longer personally in touch with Brody’s dad, he would love to see their relationship dynamic play out on TV.

“I don’t know Brody’s dad will make it on the show. But, I hope so! I want to see that dynamic to be shown on TV. … I don’t have a relationship with [Caitlyn] anymore. It got lost in translation.”

Delgado also said that whatever is “real” will be shown on The Hills.

“If the relationship with Brody is there, it’s going to be there,” he said.

The Hills: New Beginnings airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on MTV.