— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) June 1, 2015
The cover photo was shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, who photographed Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s first joint cover for last April’s Vogue magazine. Jenner’s tweet containing the Internet-breaking photo was retweeted over 65,000 times in its first hour, and the account amassed more than 270,000 Twitter followers in the first hour of existence. Kardashian family members have already expressed their joy over the Vanity Fair cover on their Instagram pages.
In her interview with contributing Vanity Fair editor and author of Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger, Jenner says the few days for the photo shoot felt better than winning the gold medal for the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics. She reasons that the man who won the gold, Bruce, was living a lie and the transition has been freeing. “Caitlyn doesn’t have any secrets,” Jenner says. “As soon as the Vanity Fair cover comes out, I’m free.”
The interview also goes into depth about Jenner’s transition to becoming a woman. Jenner tells Vanity Fair he suffered an anxiety attack after questioning the 10-hour “facial-feminization surgery” he underwent on March 15. Jenner recounts a less traumatic struggle she has had with the transition. “A guy came in the other day and I was fully dressed,” Jenner says. “I said, ‘Hi, Bruce here,’ and I went, Oh f*ck, it ain’t Bruce, I was screwing up doing it.” The interview also reveals that Jenner’s first wife, Chrystie Scott, knew of Jenner’s identity and she told their oldest children – Burt and Cassandra – 20 years ago.
The Vanity Fair article will hit newsstands on June 9. Check out a behind-the-scenes video of Jenner’s Vanity Fair photo shoot.
