14 DAY TRIAL // This summer, starting July 26, Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) will introduce viewers into her world by taking them on her gender transition journey, which she made public in April in an interview with Diane Sawyer for ABC. Since then, she’s also graced the cover of Vanity Fair, in what is her first photospread as a woman.
Shortly after the VF issue came out, rumors began to make the rounds that Caitlyn was much more bankable than Bruce ever was, especially in recent years - about 6 times more so. A new report is now saying that she stands to make a fortune off the E! docuseries I Am Cait.
Caitlyn becomes E!’s highest paid reality star
The Kardashians, to whom Jenner is inevitably associated because of the now-defunct marriage to matriarch / manager Kris Jenner, may be the highest paid reality stars of the moment, but Caitlyn is coming up strong. She’s gunning for Kim’s crown, no less.
According to a report in RealityTea, Caitlyn’s deal with E! for the docuseries is a record for the network, as she will get the highest paycheck ever offered for a solo project. The Kardashians (and Kim in particular) make a lot of money, but their strength is in their numbers: if Kim were to go for her solo spinoff show, she would probably be paid very little in comparison to what she’s making right now.
Caitlyn, on the other hand, is interesting on her own. So, for the upcoming docuseries, E! bosses agreed to pay her $6.4 million (€5.6 million) for just a few episodes. Naturally, if ratings are solid, Caitlyn will probably be offered an extension, which means she’ll make even more money.
E! was reticent at first
Even though reactions to Jenner’s Sawyer interview made it clear that interest in her story was incredibly high, E! bosses weren’t sure the docuseries would be worth all that trouble. When Caitlyn’s publicist pushed for a higher paycheck, they pushed back, according to sources familiar with the situation.
There was even a moment when it looked as if Jenner had to find another network to call home, apparently.
“Caitlyn’s agent was relentless in getting her the huge payday,” one such spy reveals. “At one point, talks… had broken down because nobody wanted to pay her more than $2 million. Caitlyn’s agent then began informal talks with other networks, and E! quickly came back to the table, ready to pay $6 million [€5.3 million].”
For the record, Bruce Jenner would get an estimated $35,000 (€30,926) for one episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and only a little more for an appearance on the motivational speaking circuit. It’s not bad for a former athlete, but it’s peanuts compared to the possibilities ahead of Caitlyn.
Here’s the first official trailer for I Am Cait.