Kim Kardashian: As Long as Bruce Jenner Is Happy, I'm Happy

During his interview with Diane Sawyer on Friday, Bruce Jenner said that — thanks to some wise words from Kanye West — Kim Kardashian has been the "most accepting" member of his family. On Monday, the 34-year-old sat down with Matt Lauer on the Today show to share her thoughts and lend some concrete support to the man she calls Dad.

"I'm really happy for him that he is living his life the way he wants to live it," she began. "And that he has found inner peace and just pure happiness. That's what life is about."

But that doesn't mean it has been easy for everyone involved. "I love having so many siblings and such a supportive mom because, you know, each family member might be dealing with this in a different way," Kim explained before adding, "But we have each other to go through this experience with. And I'm really grateful for that." (Indeed, Bruce did mention that of all of his 10 children, Khloé was the one who perhaps had the hardest time with his decision, though she seems to now be at peace with it as well.

Kim credits Bruce's communication abilities with helping the Kardashian-Jenner brood understand his intentions. "Bruce has always been really, really good at explaining everything to us. And these have been newer feelings — not newer feelings for him, but for us to digest," she noted. "He's done a really good job at walking us through it."

See Bruce talk about telling his family:

 

"Until that transition is done, we've learned that you do refer to him as 'him,'" Kim reiterated. (Bruce clearly told Diane Sawyer that he wanted people to still use male pronouns when referring to him, and the E! press release announcing its upcoming docu-series about Jenner's life as a woman echoed that point with direct instructions to use "he" and "him" in all stories related to the show.)

For her part, North's mom gave some thought to what it would be like to feel that you were living a lie. "I don't know what life would be like if you always felt like you weren't yourself," Kim said. "As long as he is happy, and he wants to live his life, however he wants to live it, that just makes me happy. And I support him 100 percent."

Burt Jenner, Brody Jenner, Casey Jenner, and Brandon Jenner (ABC)
Burt Jenner, Brody Jenner, Casey Jenner, and Brandon Jenner (ABC)

She is not the only one who has the former Olympian's back. On Monday, Bruce's four oldest children appeared on Good Morning America to speak out on their father's behalf, and their support came with some acknowledgment that their father had, in the past, let them down.

"Us missing a time of our lives [when Bruce wasn't around for them] is still probably the hardest thing for us to deal with," Brandon revealed.

Related: Laverne Cox and More Celebs Embrace Bruce Jenner's Bravery

Casey, Bruce's daughter with Christie Scott, echoed her half-brother's sentiments. "We have a very complex relationship. He has disappeared out of our lives, especially out of my life," she lamented.

In another interesting twist to this tale, Burt Jenner, Bruce's oldest son, took to Twitter on Saturday to express his own frustrations — but his aren't with his father; they're with some of his father's recent supporters. Specifically, Burt called out those whose support of his father he doesn't believe to be genuine.

"Having a hard time not putting a few people on blast who were not supporters before hand, but want to act like they were all along," he shared. Despite these bumps in the road though, Bruce's children made it clear they are ready to put the past behind them. (The tweet has since been deleted.)

Related: Kris Humphries Faces Twitter Backlash During Bruce Jenner Interview

"We're trying not to look back. We're just looking forward," Brandon explained. "In seeing him come out to me and explain his true self, I was more proud right then to carry the last name Jenner and to be a part of the family than ever before."

Casey was quick to add that she's "looking forward to this next chapter" and hopes "this journey leads to the place that he wants it to."

Bruce Jenner and Chrystie Scott in July 1976 (AP Photo/Veder)
Bruce Jenner and Chrystie Scott in July 1976 (AP Photo/Veder)

Casey's mother Christie, who was Bruce's first wife and also the first person he ever told about his feelings about his struggle with gender identity, was also on-hand to offer some insight. Discussing what it was like to go through this emotional journey so far, Christie summed it up in one word: "pain."

"He was tearful at times and it broke my heart," she recalled. "You know, I reached over and tried to give him a little comfort. It broke my heart for him." She holds no ill will toward him for anything that transpired as a result of his struggles, however.

"I'm sure there are plenty of people that don't have the courage to come out at all—ever," she lamented. "And they live private, dark, tortured lives and that's tragic, that's just tragic. The fact that he did share that with me that year, I felt like it was a gift that he… trusted me with something so intimate. I felt like I was in charge of something that I had to hold private and dear and quiet." She couldn't help but get emotional as she continued on. "It involves a tremendous amount of trust on both parts."

This private matter has now become public in every sense of the word, but Kim believes Bruce can handle whatever lies ahead. "I think he is ready for the challenge ... and ready to help other people's lives that might be going through the same things that he's going through," she said. "And that's something that he's really proud of and something that he is really ready to take on. And I'm really proud of him for that."

Mrs. West also added some context to Bruce's journey, which, she reminded Lauer, didn't happen overnight. "I think that he has waited almost 55 years to make this decision, whether he's kept it to himself or not; he's lived with it," she said. "And I think that when you are finally ready to be your true self then you're prepared for anything."