Brody Jenner is returning to reality TV. On Sept. 13, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Brody and new wife Kaitlynn Carter had just reached a deal with MTV that will see them both joining the network's upcoming "The Hills" reboot.
It marks a major return to the spotlight for Brody after years of laying relatively low — and now Page Six is explaining why it took so long to get him back on board for the new show dubbed "The Hills: New Beginnings," which MTV announced during August's MTV Video Music Awards.
Brody's signing, Page Six writes, "was contingent upon how much of his personal life he wanted to reveal." According to an insider, "Brody had a very private life. He hasn't really been out there. He wanted to make a deal that works for him after deciding what he wanted to have on TV."
That deal, the insider tells Page Six, now means "The Hills" is going to be "a lot more about Brody Jenner."
Brody wasn't sure what to do at first. "He wasn't sure if he wanted to be in the public eye on the heels of his dad [Caitlyn Jenner's 2015]'s transition," the insider explained of the 35-year-old star's absence from TV, adding, "Caitlyn wasn't there for him growing up and he wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it again. Family is important to him. He's very much a mama's boy." (Brody's mother is actress-songwriter Linda Thompson.)
Brody — who married longtime love Kaitlynn in June on the island of Sumba off the coast of Indonesia — starred on the "The Hills" spin-off "Bromance" in 2008 and 2009. The first iteration of "The Hills" concluded in 2010. After that, he only occasionally appeared on his half-sisters' and former stepsisters' E! show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," for a few years in storylines involving his dad. Meanwhile, Brody continued to work as a DJ.
Though it made headlines when half-sisters Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner didn't attend his summer wedding — neither did parent Caitlyn — Page Six's insider says Brody actually remains close with his famous siblings.
Brody shared an Instagram post late on Sept. 13 confirming his involvement in the upcoming MTV reboot. "Don't call it a comeback. THE HILLS: New Beginnings coming soon to @mtv," he captioned it.
THR reports that the reboot will following most of the original cast, their significant others and their kids. Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Audrina Patridge, Jason Wahler, Frankie Delgado, Justin Bobby Brescia, Stephanie Pratt and Whitney Port are all expected to appear, though old star Lauren Conrad and her eventual replacement, Kristin Cavallari, are not.