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Sophia Hutchins, the longtime friend and manager of Caitlyn Jenner, has died at the age of 29 following a horrific ATV accident near Jenner's Malibu home. Authorities confirmed that the crash occurred on Wednesday, July 2, when Hutchins' all-terrain vehicle struck the rear bumper of a moving car on a road close to Jenner's residence. The collision caused the ATV to veer off the road and plunge approximately 350 feet into a ravine. First responders pronounced Hutchins dead at the scene.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the two people in the car were not injured. It remains unclear whether Jenner, 75, was at home or witnessed the crash at the time. Jenner has not yet made any public statements regarding Hutchins' death.
Hutchins and Jenner first met in 2015 shortly after Jenner publicly announced her gender transition. Hutchins, who is also transgender, credited Jenner's coming-out interview as her inspiration to begin her own transition journey. In a university research article Hutchins once said, "Jenner made it so much more real for me, like normal and successful people do this and people are OK when they do it."
While attending Pepperdine University, Hutchins stepped down from her role as Class President to pursue her transition. She graduated with a degree in economics and finance, later founding the sunscreen company Lumasol and a consulting firm. In 2017, Hutchins moved into Jenner's $3.5 million Malibu mansion and assumed the role of Jenner's manager, replacing Kris Jenner following her divorce from Caitlyn in 2015.
Despite public speculation, the two maintained that their relationship was strictly platonic. In an interview with The New York Times, Hutchins stated, "We were never romantically involved."
Hutchins was last seen publicly with Jenner at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April 2024.
