Bruce Jenner and Kris Jenner's divorce reportedly divided up the family, and now that Bruce is planning to share his transgender story with the public, things are even worse.

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"The whole family went through a rough patch. It's naturally a difficult thing to process and work through," a Kardashian insider told People in its March 30 issue.

"The divorce caused a divide, but Bruce's decision to share his transition has caused an even greater divide," added a Keeping Up with the Kardashians production source.

Bruce's stepchildren Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian were "the last ones let in on it all," according to a Kardashian insider, and their dynamic with Bruce had already been strained after his split from their mother Kris.

"There were weeks when they didn't hear from Bruce, and they all kind of felt [that Bruce] ditched them. They were just hysterical when it all really came out."

Kris and Bruce's daughters together Kendall Jenner, 19, and Kylie Jenner, 17, are also "having a hard time with the transition," said the Kardashian insider. "They're very supportive but it's just not an easy situation."

Everyone had reportedly been in denial for a while, thinking Bruce was "trying to feel young" again or having some type of mid-life crisis.

In the tenth-season premiere of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Bruce lamented to Kourtney Kardashian, "I feel so separated. The Kardashians over here, the Jenners over here. Little me in the middle. Sometimes it's a little bit tough."

Bruce's children from his two previous marriages -- Cassandra, 34, Burt 36, Brandon, 33, and Brody 31 -- reportedly just started to mend their relationship after their distant father split from Kris.

"It was extremely hard for them to let him back in their lives after barely having contact with him after he married Kris," a source close to Bruce, who spent time with him recently, told People.

"They can't believe they finally got their relationship on track, and now they have this crazy extra layer to deal with. But they are very supportive."

As for Kris, 59, she "just couldn't emotionally handle it all when he finally came out with it. Regardless of whatever signs there were, it's a really hard pill to swallow," explained the source close to Bruce.

"She truly went through a mourning period. And they don't really talk now. Bruce feels like Kris is used to getting her own way, and going ahead with his transition was not probably part of her plans.

The 1976 Olympic gold medalist has apparently been making the transformation at his own pace slowly overtime.

"He has learned a lot just over the past year about what transgender means," added the source close to Bruce.

"Trans people can identify as female and still be a jock, and do all the things that are generally thought of as more masculine. It seemed reassuring to him that he could correct his gender to what it's supposed to be but not have to give up or change everything else about his life."

When rumors circulated Bruce was dating one of Kris' best friends after they broke up, he was reportedly just confiding in her because they had a special bond. "She would buy him the feminine things he wanted," said the Kardashian insider.

His decision to share his story took "psychological strength and he acts more fragile now," the KUWTK production source told People. 

Bruce's desire to dress like a woman reportedly started in his teen years. He'd have friends secretly buy him clothes to wear but he was still attracted to women.

"His marriages were no shams," said the source close to Bruce.

While his ex-wifes Chrystie Crownover and Linda Thompson were both supportive of Bruce's true feelings when he shared them and they told him to be happy, Bruce still held back.

Bruce would "start second guessing himself over whether it was something he really wanted," wondering whether "it was more of a transvestite thing" -- dressing in women's clothing -- "or a transgender thing," said the source close to Bruce.

When Bruce married Kris, he liked how she was in charge and control of everything. It didn't really allow him to express or explore his true identity because he had to fit into a mold. But about three years ago, Bruce realized he had had "enough."

The source close to Bruce explained he had "enough of trying to fool himself and others, enough of letting other people dictate how he was going to live."

And today, he seems happier and is convinced all of his children love him deeply and always will.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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