Kim Kardashian West is speaking out for the first time since her stepfather, Bruce Jenner, revealed he is transitioning to life as a woman.
“I’m really happy for him that he is living his life the way he wants to live it,” she told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in an exclusive interview on Monday. “And that he has found inner peace and just pure happiness. That’s what life is about.”
During Jenner’s interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer Friday, he said that Kim had been the “most accepting” of his transition.
“I don’t know what life would be like if you always felt like you weren’t yourself,” Kardashian 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.”
In a preview that aired on TODAY Sunday, Kim revealed that her family is using therapy to support Bruce during the transition. Like most experiences, her family is working through this together.
“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,” she told Matt. “But we have each other to go through this experience with. And I’m really grateful for that.”
The reality TV star said Jenner has helped her to understand the transition.
“Bruce has always been really, really good at explaining everything to us,” she said. “And these have been newer feelings — not newer feelings for him, but for us to digest… He’s done a really good job at walking us through it.”
Kardashian addressed Jenner’s preference regarding gender pronouns and how, while many transgender women prefer to be referred to as “she” and “her,” Jenner advised ABC that in the context of Friday’s interview, he should still be referred to by the pronouns “he” and “him.”
“Until that transition is done, we’ve learned that you do refer to him as ‘him,’” Kim said.
As for the attention that Jenner’s transition has garnered, Kardashian said that he’s prepared for it.
“I think that he has waited almost 65 years to make this decision, whether it’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.”
Ultimately, Kardashian said that Jenner is ready, not only for his own transition, but to share his story with the world.
“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.”
This story originally appeared on TODAY.com
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