• e-mail

Bruce Jenner is 'ecstatically happy' to have divorced his 'controlling monster' wife Kris as he can finally be himself again, according to his doting mother.

Bruce's 88-year-old mother Esther Jenner has opened up for the first time about her son's marriage to Kris Jenner and revealed her true feelings over his new effeminate look.

In an exclusive first ever sit down chat with MailOnline, Esther told how:

Scroll down for video... 

Shooting from the hip: Bruce Jenner's 88-year-old mother Esther has spoken exclusively to MailOnline about her son, from his new effeminate look to his 'controlling monster' soon-to-be ex-wife Kris 

• She's doesn't like his effeminate appearance but will always love him
• She hates Bruce's 'ridiculous and ugly' long hair
• She said 'hallelujah' when he told her he was divorcing
• Kris was so controlling of money Bruce couldn't buy a toy helicopter without getting permission first
• She can hear the happiness in his voice since the split
• Kris can 'insult you with a smile on her face'
• Kris been very disrespectful to her and would bad mouth Bruce's other children while praising her own
• Kris never cooked, changed diapers and would 'swan off' on vacation leaving Bruce to look after Kendall and Kylie
• She hopes Kris will drop the name Jenner because she doesn't want her carrying family name anymore
• She is baffled by the popularity of Kardashian show, and says it has 'no good morals'
• Her appearance on the show last year was a 'set-up' and she felt 'violated'
• She loves her grandchildren and is very proud of them but says Kim and Kourtney never had any interest in talking to her

Spruced Bruce: The former decathlete recently under went a 'tracheal shave' to reduce the size of his Adam's Apple has been honing a more effeminate look with a ponytail, even wearing what appeared to be Spanx  

Glossy finish: Just a few weeks ago he was seen with a hot pink manicure as he lit up a cigarette 

Bad blood: Esther seen putting on a face as she chatted to Kris Jenner during an appearance on Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Relaxing in her rural Idaho home cradling a highball whiskey cocktail, Esther Jenner finally feels able to reveal her true opinion of her Olympic hero son's third wife Kris, after their divorce was finalized just over a month ago.

And having tactfully bitten her tongue during their 23-year marriage Esther quickly reveals she will be pulling no punches as she discusses the fearsome matriarch of the most famous family in the world.

Just before she opens her mouth to discuss her former daughter-in-law, she mischievously puts in this disclaimer, saying: 'I have to be truthful. One thing I'm not, I'm not a phony, and I get in a lot of trouble sometimes for saying it like it is.'

Asked if Kris is a controlling monster like she is often branded, Esther says: 'That's accurate. I don't know why she is. I don't think she treated anybody very well.

Flashback: Esther showed MailOnline old family videos; Bruce is seen here aged six ice skating

Beaming boy: In another video still, Bruce is seen at the age of eight while playing baseball

Family portrait: Bruce, seen second from right, with his siblings, from left; Burt, Lisa and Pam

'She could insult you with a big smile on her face, I know. What do you do with a person like that? You're going to avoid them if possible. She was backstabbing as far as my grandchildren were concerned, and that is something I can't stand.

'She's domineering - it's do it her way, or there's no way. I had very little to do with Kris. I stayed away from her as much as I could.'

Esther however doesn't want this to be a negative interview and she beams when talking about how her son Bruce has experienced a new lease of life since the split.

She said: 'He is ecstatically happy right now. When I talk to him I can hear it in his voice and he's spending a lot more time with his kids.

'I don't think he's a bit lonely. He seems like he's himself again.

Celebration: Esther at her 85th birthday party with her granddaughter Kylie Jenner

Grandma knows best: In another family snap she chats away to Kylie's elder sister Kendall

'Since he has got his freedom he has his own checkbook and doesn't have to ask Kris for money which he's had to do, he couldn't even buy one of his little helicopters without asking her for money. He's not shy about telling you that she controlled the money.

'Bruce sounds so much happier now, when I talk to him he sounds like himself.

'I'm delighted.'

Describing her reaction when Bruce told her they were divorcing, she said: 'Hallelujah. It was necessary.

'The last time I was down there Bruce was taking me back to Oxnard to get the plane, we were in a little park in Malibu and reporters were all over him asking him questions… he didn't even admit to me that he already had the house rented in Malibu, and at that time he'd already made the break.

'I have a feeling it was him (that made the break,) the way things were going.

'I hope she changes her name back to Kardashian I don't want her to carry the name.'

Esther can only speculate what caused the divorce – the former Olympic gold medalist has been married three times and has never explained his break ups to her, she said: 'Why? Bruce never told me why he and Chrystie got a divorce, he never told me why him and Linda got a divorce, he has never told me why he and Kris got a divorce and I'm not going to push him.

Say cheese: Esther with her children, from left, Lisa, Pam and Bruce

Esther and her boys: Striking a pose with her grandsons Brandon, left, and Brody

'But he was so controlled, she was such a controller. I think he had it up to here. For all I know, Kris had a boyfriend… [like] when she was married to [Robert] Kardashian, she could have had somebody hanging around who knows, I don't know. I can't say she did because I don't stay that close to her.'

Remarkably Esther has a copy of Kris's autobiography 'And All Things Kardashian' on her bookshelf, which she has read and was promptly appalled by.

She said: 'How could anybody write a book like that? All about how great her sex was with the guy who was in her life when she got a divorce (from Robert Kardashian).'

Esther's resentment of Kris began soon after Bruce married her in Bel-Air in April 1991.

She remembers visiting them in LA after Kendall and Kylie were born and being horrified by Kris's mothering methods.

She said: 'Kris never cooked that I know of, she was always running out to eat with her girlfriends and she left Bruce to take care of the two babies and he did.

'The only one I ever saw change the diapers was Bruce, I never saw Kris do it. He's the one that got them in the bath and in their pyjamas at night, he's the one that took them back and forth to school when they were going to their private school, Kris didn't.

'I don't know why, she would take off on vacations go to Cabo San Lucas with the girls. Kris hasn't bothered to bring up Kendall and Kylie, but Bruce has brought them up, thank God.'

Esther's also found the Kardashian matriarch had a disparaging attitude towards Bruce's children (he has four children from his first two marriages) - her grandchildren.

She said: 'Kris has been so disrespectful, she would sit down and bad mouth my grandchildren that I love dearly from Bruce's first two marriages and then in the next breath [say] how wonderful, wonderful, wonderful her girls were.

Tragic loss of Bruce's 'spitting image' younger brother Burt 

Esther also spoke for the first time about the emotional turmoil the family experienced with the tragic loss of Bruce's younger brother Burt.

Burt Jenner died in a car accident aged 18 – just three months after Bruce had come home from the 1976 Montreal Olympics with the decathlon gold medal.

In tears, Esther said: 'I lost Burt at 10 a clock in the morning he just went down to get gas, he saw the gas (was low) the night before.

Spitting image: Bruce's brother Burt died in a car accident aged 18

'Oh what a boy. Honor student, he had a heart of gold. We had house full of friends when Burt was growing up. He was 18 almost 19. He was ready to go into college, it happened three months to the day after Bruce won his gold medal and it took everyone from high to the lowest you can imagine.

'I was numb for about three years after he was killed. Bruce has talked about him quite a bit to his boys.'

Esther can see Burt in Bruce's children, and the former Olympian named his first son after his brother.

She said: 'Burt was such a good boy, he was a different personality from Bruce. They were very different but they looked a lot alike. When I look back at pictures I say is that Bruce or is that Burt?

'And you know who is a spitting image of Burt? Bruce's son Brandon, but Burt's namesake is Bruce's first son.'

'This was before Kendall and Kylie were ever born. Bruce would be sitting right there like he didn't hear a word she said and it was up to him to call her on it and he didn't. I didn't want to make things difficult for him so I just tried to ignore her comments.

'I don't know why Bruce didn't speak up, oh boy that's the $64m question. Maybe because of the controlling, she tries to control everything.'

Esther speaks to Bruce twice a week by phone but she is at a loss when it comes to his radical change in appearance.

Bruce's much-scrutinized new look includes longer hair, a 'tracheal shave' to reduce the size of his Adam's Apple and photographs of him appearing to wear Spanx.

Asked about his effeminate transformation, Esther laughs: 'I love him, no matter what. There's such raunchy publicity all the time. I don't know. I've brought this up to him on the phone when we've talked and he says "mum you can't believe this stuff", he said you can't pay any attention to this stuff and I said "well I want to tell you one thing Bruce, I don't care if what they're putting out is true or false, it's not going to change my love for you", and it's true that's exactly how I feel, but I don't like it.'

Bruce turned 65 last week and was photographed wearing pink nail varnish, asked what she thought, Esther again chuckles: 'I never heard of that, I never heard that, so I don't know what to think.'

She does have a frank opinion on his long mane of hair though, she laughs: 'I hate his hair, I tell him it's ugly. That it's ridiculous.

'I told him on the phone the other day, we were talking about it and I said "you know Bruce, you just turned 65 and you're wearing you're hair like you're a teenage rebel". He laughed, just cracked up, he doesn't pay any attention to me. He's always been single-minded and independent.'

She added Bruce has become immune to the negative press he has received: 'He just shrugs it off, tries not to think about it. As long as he can get out there on the golf course every day or so, as long as he can drive race cars.'

Asked if Bruce has ever been self-conscious about his appearance, she could only recall him worrying about his nose as youngster.

She said: 'He never liked his nose, but there's nothing wrong with his nose. He said it was like a Bob Hope ski jump nose.

'He was good looking but he never acted like he knew it.'

Esther made a cameo appearance herself on the Kardashian show last year - an experience she regrets.

In the episode she and Kris appear to put their bad blood behind them, but Esther felt duped when she saw it air on the television three months later.

She said: 'Bruce asked me at the time if I came down would I mind if they aired us having dinner with the grandkids. I gave it some thought, it took me a couple of minutes because I had no desire to go on that show, but I finally said to Bruce if you want me to, tell them to have at it, I don't care. But I didn't like it when I saw it.'

Esther claims she had 'no idea' she was being filmed during scenes in a car and in the kitchen and thought the camera was only rolling during the dinner.

She said: 'Well this was a set up.

'I had no idea, I told Bruce on the phone after I saw it. I said I feel violated, you never told me, he said "mum you came across smelling like a rose, you came across great, Kris didn't look so good". I said that's not the point Bruce, it's like lying to somebody.'

She added with trademark candour: 'Why it's such a popular show I'll never know. There is no good morals, none.' 

Beloved: This is photograph shows Bruce's mother Esther with her late husband Frank Avery, not Bruce's father, which was her third marriage. She recalled Frank as 'the love of my life'

Heyday: Esther as an 18-year-old girl; comparisons have been drawn between Esther and Kylie Jenner, age for age

Esther thinks her icy relationship with Kris has caused her to see a lot less of her son and grandchildren Kylie and Kendall over the years – something she regrets.

The retired insurance agent was married to Bruce's now deceased father Bill for 40 years, she spent 18 years with her second husband Sam (also now deceased) and had six happy years with her late husband Frank before he died in 2012.

In that time she lived in northern and southern California and Florida before she ended up in Idaho because she and Sam studied a map, discovered they had never been to the American Northwest and fancied trying it out.

She currently lives in an unfashionable town called Lewiston, nestled between a river and the scorched brown foothills of Idaho's large farming plains. The town's dilapidated Main Street backs onto a pulp and paperboard factory which pumps thick grey smoke into the sky, giving off a faint smell of boiled cabbage. It couldn't feel further from the immaculate lawns and expensive cars that line the gilded streets of Kris's home in upmarket LA suburb Hidden Hills.

You can see why Kris Kardashian has never been here and always refused to visit.

Does she think Kris was another reason she grew apart from her son? She says: 'I think she tried, but I don't think it ever worked. I'm sure I saw less of Bruce, it's been difficult for him but I've tried not to make any issues of it.'

Opening yup: Esther spoke to MailOnline from her rural Idaho home

She also admits it was her choice to live far from them all: 'It's sad for me I didn't live close to them. When they first got married I lived in northern California, I was not next door. Bruce I think he's only been up to Idaho twice, three times maybe, I've been down there more than he's been (to Idaho) but I've lots of people I want to see down there.'

The last time Bruce came to Idaho to see her was three years ago for her 85th birthday when he brought all her grandchildren and they went out to celebrate at a local restaurant.

Esther again beams with pride as she speaks about Kendall and Kylie.

She said: 'Kylie's 17, she's going through a little teenage stage trying to assert her independence but that'll pass. Kendall is a different personality than Kylie. Kendall is kind of a reserved, quieter personality while Kylie is effervescent and bubbly. And Kendall is going about her career very calmly, and has started a heck of a career in modelling, she's doing really well.'

Esther prepared a book about their family tree for them to learn about their heritage when they visited. She says among their ancestors is Edward Jenner the English doctor who invented the small pox vaccine.

She said: 'Kylie was so funny. I made up a book with pictures and there was one of me around 20 maybe 19. Kylie was reading through and Bruce walks over and says 'who do you think that looks like Kylie?' and she says "dad that looks like me, I look like my grandma". And she does look a lot like I did then.'

Esther is less impressed with her step-grandchildren, particularly Kim and Kourtney Kardashian who she has never got along with.

She said: 'Oh my God, the ways the girls display themselves … and it's all surgical work they've had done, what are they trying to prove?

'Kris hasn't brought them up with any morals, you know, go out and go sleep with anybody… that sort of thing, you wouldn't tell your own children to do that.

'When Bruce and Kris got married I think Kourtney was maybe a freshman, Kim was probably junior high, Khloe was quite a bit younger and had the best personality, the other two weren't even interested in having a conversation with me, they were in a world of their own.'

Speaking about Kris's plastic surgery, Esther quipped: 'Of course Kris got the biggest ones she could put in a long time ago. She told Pam (Bruce's sister) that when she went to have the implants done she told the doctor make them the biggest you can put in. That was before she ever married Bruce.'

She thinks their divorce was probably amicable and admits loyal Bruce has 'never said anything to me disrespectful about the children or Kris', adding: 'I'm sure that the financial part is probably very heavily weighted Kris's side and Bruce doesn't give a darn, he's got enough and he can make more. He's still sought after for conventions, they still want him for his motivational speaking.'

Happy memories: Bruce with his first son Burt at his first birthday party; he was named after Bruce's late brother Burt, who died aged 18 in a car accident

Esther also revealed Bruce recently applied to get his pilot license reactivated and she hopes it will mean she will start to see more of him and the grandchildren.

During the interview Esther put on a DVD of old home movies that Bruce's sister Pam recently made for her. In it Bruce is seen ice skating with the family back when he was just six, winning trophies for water-skiing aged 16, as well as footage from the Olympic stadium in 1976 where she, his father Bill and younger brother Burt proudly watched Bruce win gold.

Later clips show Bruce coming home from the hospital with his first son Burt and touching footage of Bruce proudly showing Burt walking across the floor from his arms to Esther's at his first birthday party.

Recalling Bruce as a boy, she said: 'I was 23 when Bruce was born, I'm 88 now. Bruce as a little boy was a cheerful, happy child.

'My mother had a word for him because was full of energy. I never heard this expression in my life, she said "Esther, Bruce is like a fart in a mitten". I said "mum what do you mean, what are you talking about?" And she said "he's uncontainable".

The three sisters: Esther also gave her views on Bruce's step children, from left, Kourtney, Khloe and Kim... and isn't their biggest fan

'It was a great description of him, I have to say that, and I think just recently I told Bruce this and he had never heard this before and he cracked up.'

Finally Esther articulated what makes her so proud of her son, she said: 'He's down to earth. He was brought up without a lot of affluence. His father and I were both hard working people. I'm kind of a no nonsense mum.

'I think he's morally a very good person. I think he's done a great job with his children they're very important to him, he's enjoying them more now then I think he ever has. I know they love him dearly. That's what life is all about, the love that we can share.

'I know he loves me even if I do not see him much. We talk a couple of times a week, he tells me what's going on bad and good.

The day before his birthday he called, he said "hey ma this is the birthday boy". I said "it's not your birthday till tomorrow," and he said "I got your birthday card today" and I was ribbing him about hitting 65.

'I always will love him, that can't stop.'

Bruce's gold medal win 

Bruce wins the gold medal in the decathlon event at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada

Bruce has always had a winning mentality since he excelled in athletics at school.

Esther recalled how Bruce was anxious to get a proper job after the Olympics because athletics was yet to become a full-time profession and he sold insurance part-time to make ends meet while he trained up in San Jose, California.

Esther said: 'Before the games he said to us 'I want the gold medal but win or lose this would be my last track meet. I gotta get down to business and start making a living'.

'He left his pole vault there in Montreal, he says sometimes he wished he hadn't he would like to have kept it but he walked off without it.'

Describing watching her son win gold at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, Esther said: 'When I saw him make that opening height in the pole vault I knew it was in the bag, nothing could have gone wrong after that.

'Sometimes I wish he never won. He would have probably wound up being a college coach, track and field and had a very calm life. But that probably wouldn't be his answer. His life sure did, take a drastic turn (after winning gold).'