A devastating tragedy has rocked the inner circle of Caitlyn Jenner, as her longtime friend, manager, and former housemate Sophia Hutchins has died in a horrific ATV accident near Caitlyn’s Malibu home.
Plunging into a ravine
Sophia, 29, was reportedly riding an all-terrain vehicle on a road close to Jenner’s property when the vehicle collided with a car on Wednesday, July 2.
According to TMZ, the impact sent her ATV plunging 350 feet down into a ravine. Emergency crews responded swiftly to the scene, but despite their rapid arrival and efforts to save her, Sophia Hutchins was tragically pronounced dead on-site.
No other injuries were reported in the crash. According to officials, the two people in the car involved were unharmed.
Jenner has not yet made a public statement, and it remains unclear whether she was at home at the time of the accident.
Sophia had been a steady and protective force in Caitlyn’s life for nearly a decade. She took over as Caitlyn’s manager in 2017 after the Olympian’s high-profile split from Kris Jenner and appeared on the reality series I Am Cait.
Also transgender woman
Sophia, also a transgender woman, had recently started her transition when she first met Caitlyn. She earned her degree in economics and finance from Pepperdine University, graduating in 2018.
In 2017, she moved in and lived with Caitlyn at her Malibu residence for several years, sparking speculation that the two were romantically involved — rumors Sophia repeatedly denied.
In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, Sophia explained her decision to step into the role of manager during a vulnerable time in Caitlyn’s life.
“I saw nobody was managing her, and there were all these people taking massive advantage,” Sophia said. “And I was saying: ‘Caitlyn, if I don’t step in here and start managing you, you’re going to go broke.’”
She also described their bond in deeply personal terms.
“Caitlyn is a parent to me. I have said that a million times. It is a parental, familial relationship.”
Endless speculations
Despite endless speculation about their closeness, Sophia made it clear where she stood.
“Love the whole LGBT community but so tired of rumors that I am romantically with Caitlyn,” she wrote on social media. “I am only ever with men and only ever have been. Stop the rumors! It’s been years.”
Sophia was well known among the extended Kardashian-Jenner family and had maintained positive relationships with Caitlyn’s daughters Kendall and Kylie, as well as her ex-wife Kris Jenner. She even appeared in a campaign for Kim Kardashian’s clothing brand SKIMS.
The last time Sophia was publicly seen with Caitlyn was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April 2024 — a glamorous event that now marks the end of a long and loyal friendship.
As tributes begin to pour in, fans and friends alike are mourning the loss of a woman who not only shaped Caitlyn Jenner’s public life, but stood by her in the most private, personal ways imaginable.
Sophia Hutchins wasn’t just Caitlyn’s manager — she was her rock.
