Bruce Jenner has confirmed he started a gender transition process in the mid-1980s but stopped after he met and fell in love with Kris Kardashian , who became his third wife . The 65-year-old told Diane Sawyer he embarked on hormone therapy and electrolysis , and had plastic surgery to make his features look more feminine , shortly after winning the Olympic gold . However , he says , he stopped out of 'fear ' of publicity and shame , and kept his secret to himself until he could n't bear it any longer . Scroll down for video . Early signs ? Bruce Jenner has revealed he started having hormone therapy and plastic surgery in the mid to late 1980s to make himself look more feminine . He 's shown here in September 1987 . Before the changes : Bruce , seen here on set , still had his athletic physique and heavy set masculine features when he appeared in the 1980 film Ca n't Stop The Music . These were noticeably gone by the end of the decade . Bruce said he was exploring the idea of gender reassignment surgery with doctors in Denmark but had a change of heart after meeting Kris , the ex-wife of famed LA attorney Robert Kardashian . On Friday night , he publicly addressed about his personal journey and his transition to living as a woman in a two-hour ABC special tonight with Diane Sawyer . As the romance between Bruce and Kris blossomed in late 1990 and early 1991 , the former star athlete halted hormone therapy and underwent breast reduction surgery . The couple married months after meeting on April 21 , 1991 , and went on to have two children together - Kendall , now 19 , and Kylie , 17 , - before divorcing in December last year . Change of heart : Bruce halted his gender transition after meeting Kris Kardashian in late 1990 . He stopped hormone injections and even underwent breast reduction surgery before the couple married . He 's seen here with Kris in February 1993 . Family man : Bruce and Kris tied the knot in April 1991 just months after meeting . Seen here in 2000 with their daughters Kendall and Kylie , the couple were married for 22 years . Bruce found fame again with a whole new generation thanks to the reality series about their blended family Keeping Up With The Kardashians . A source quoted by Entertainment Tonight says that Bruce was greatly influenced by the life story of transgender tennis player Renee Richards . Richards , born a boy Richard Raskind in 1934 , underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1975 . In 1976 , she launched a legal challenge after the US Tennis Association denied her permission to compete as a woman in the U.S. Open because she had not been born a woman and in 1977 the New York Supreme Court ruled in her favor in a landmark decision for transsexual rights . It 's believed that her autobiography Second Serve , published in 1983 , had a significant influence on Bruce . In 1986 , the book was made into a TV movie starring Vanessa Redgrave who received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance . Inspiration : Transgender tennis player Renee Richards won the right to complete as a woman in the 1977 U.S. Open after winning a landmark legal battle . Richards was born a boy in 1934 . Textbook transition : It 's suggested that Bruce was greatly influenced by Richards ' life story as outlined in her 1983 autobiography Second Serve . The Kardashian-Jenner patriarch and reality TV star addressed his gender journey during the two-hour prime time special airing tonight on ABC . He says : ' I wan na know how this story ends , you know ? How does my story end ? ' In a message of support , TV 's Dr. Phil told ET on Thursday that he 's happy for the Olympian . 'This is his body and his life , and he needs to do what he wants to do , ' said Dr. Phil . 'It drains your spirit if you ca n't be yourself . He is freeing himself . ' The interview was conducted before Jenner was involved in an auto accident in which another motorist was killed . Nervous : Bruce Jenner is seen greeting Diane Sawyer at his home in the latest promo video released Thursday ahead of the airing of his sit-down interview in which he is expected to address his gender transition . Resolute : The former decathlete tells the journalist that it is 'going to be an emotional rollercoaster but somehow I 'm gon na get through it ' Looking to the future : The clip released Thursday concluded with Bruce asking , 'how does my story end ? ' Tight lid : ABC has only released snippets with non-specific quotes from Bruce , paving the way for his story to air in full tonight . Moral support : The 65-year-old father-of-six appears alongside his four oldest children Burt , 36 , Casey , 34 , Brandon , 33 , and Brody , 31 ; the latest clip reused this previously aired footage from another promo . Not appearing in the interview : Kim , 34 , Khloe , 30 , and Kourtney Kardashian , 36 , as well as Kendall , 19 , and Kylie Jenner , 17 , are not scheduled to talk during the interview .
Bruce started hormone therapy and had plastic surgery to look more feminine in the late 1980s . He was inspired by the story of transgender tennis player Renee Richards who was born a man and in 1976 won the right to compete as a woman . Olympic decathlete reveals he halted the gender transition process after meeting Kris Kardashian in late 1990 . Comment: