Sophia Hutchins, Caitlyn Jenner’s longtime friend and manager, has reportedly died following an ATV accident. She was 29.
According to a TMZ report published on Thursday, July 3, Hutchins died following a fatal incident that occurred near Jenner’s home and was pronounced dead on Wednesday morning in Malibu, California.
The outlet reported that Hutchins had been riding an ATV near Jenner’s home when it struck the bumper of a moving car. The impact reportedly forced the ATV and Hutchins 350 feet into a ravine. Hutchins was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Two people in the car that collided with Hutchins were unharmed, according to TMZ. It is unclear whether Jenner was present when the incident occurred.
Us Weekly has reached out to Jenner for comment.
Jenner and Hutchins first met in 2015 in a pivotal year for the former Olympian: it marked the year that Caitlyn and Kris Jenner’s divorce was finalized and Caitlyn publicly announced her transition to living as a woman.
Hutchins, who was a transgender woman, appeared on several episodes of E! docuseries I Am Cait and also managed Jenner’s business affairs and engagements. The pair also often walked red carpets together.
Due to their close bond, rumors swirled that the pair’s relationship was romantic in nature, but Hutchins told The New York Times in December 2019 that they were “never romantically involved.”
Hutchins added that speculation began to swirl “because we weren’t addressing [the rumours]”.
For her part, Jenner spoke highly of Hutchins in a statement made to The New York Times at the time, telling the outlet Hutchins “has been my best friend, family and confidant. She is one of the top minds in her field. Her value in my life is undeniable. The sky is the limit with her entrepreneurial spirit.”
In an interview with U.K. talk show host Piers Morgan the same year, Hutchins further touched on their close bond.
“At the end of the day, Caitlyn and I are family,” she said. “We’re great together in business and we have a great partnership, on the personal side as family, and on the business side, me managing her career and us supporting each other in whatever business ventures we’re involved in together.”
Hutchins also spoke about her friendship with Jenner in 2018 during an appearance on “The Hidden Truth Show” podcast, again denying it was “romantic.”
‘We’re partners in everything we do,” she said. “We’re inseparable, we’re business partners, we live together, we share a dog, we share family, we share a life together.”
Read the full article here
