Sophia Hutchins, longtime friend and manager to Caitlyn Jenner, has died in a tragic ATV crash in Malibu, California. She was 29.
According to TMZ, Hutchins was driving near Jenner’s $3.5 million Malibu condo on Wednesday morning when her ATV collided with the bumper of a moving vehicle. The impact reportedly sent both Hutchins and the vehicle down a 350-foot ravine. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene. No one else was injured.
It’s unclear where Jenner, 75, was at the time of the fatal crash.
Hutchins and Jenner met in 2015 through their hairstylists, during the time Caitlyn publicly came out as transgender and began her transition. Hutchins, also a transgender woman, appeared in multiple episodes of Jenner’s reality show on E!, I Am Cait.
In 2017, Hutchins moved in with Jenner and eventually became her manager. Their relationship grew increasingly close, and Hutchins was frequently seen accompanying Jenner to Kardashian-Jenner family events.
Though rumors often swirled about them being romantically involved, both consistently denied it.
“It was never romantic. Never sexual. It was very much friends but I understand why people perceived it that way. We never addressed it and that was part of the problem,” Hutchins said in 2018. “It’s more parental. I date guys. And Caitlyn’s like, I gotta sign off on him. It’s very parental, very protective. We’re family. It’s an interesting family situation. All of my family is.”
“We met through our hairstylists. He was doing my hair one day and was like, ‘I’m going to a photoshoot after this, something with Caitlyn and MAC. And Caitlyn would like to meet you,’” she added, reflecting on the beginning of their friendship despite a 46-year age gap.
In 2021, she again addressed speculation around their relationship, saying:
“There’s no hanky panky,” Hutchins told People. “I feel like I’ve been saying that for the past five years.”
Over time, Hutchins grew even more connected to the Kardashian-Jenner circle. In 2020, she appeared in a campaign for Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS shapewear line.
“I’m on good terms with all the family, but I’m closest with Kris [Jenner], Kim, Kylie and Kendall [Jenner],” she told outlets in 2019.
Born on April 1, 1996, in Bellevue, Washington, Hutchins graduated from Pepperdine University in 2019 with a degree in economics and finance. During her junior year, she resigned as president of the Class of 2018 to focus on completing her gender transition—a decision she said was inspired by Jenner’s public coming-out story on 20/20.
She later founded the sunscreen brand Lumasol SPF, serving as its CEO. Beyond that, she also held leadership roles at the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation, which supports the LGBTQ+ community.
Sophia Hutchins leaves behind a legacy of authenticity, advocacy, and a bond with Jenner that was both personal and professional—one rooted in respect, loyalty, and chosen family.
