Caitlyn Jenner thanked Diane Sawyer in his acceptance speech as the recipient of the Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPY Awards on July 15, Wednesday. The transgender patriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner clan referred to the veteran journalist as a friend.
"I'd like to thank personally, my buddy Diane Sawyer," Jenner said during the annual awards show, which honors top athletes and moments of the year. Speaking to Sawyer, who was in the crowd, the former Olympian said, "You can only tell your story the first time once and you did it so authentically and so gracefully. I'm so proud to have you as a friend."
In April, Jenner revealed that she was in the process of transitioning to a woman in a televised interview with Sawyer on ABC. In his Ashe Courage Award acceptance speech, the former Olympian said, "This transition has been harder on me than anything I can imagine."
Hosted by Joel McHale, the 2015 ESPY Awards was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and was aired on ABC instead of ESPN. After Jenner's 10-minute speech, a standing ovation was given to Kim Kardashian's stepfather by the biggest sports stars in the world.
On June 29, Caitlyn sparked frenzy when she and Sawyer had dinner with a group of transgender models, actresses and activists in New York, The Wrap reported.
Also in June, a rumor claimed that ESPN agreed to give Jenner the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in exchange for her exclusive interview with Sawyer, Page Six has learned. An insider pointed out that ESPN is part of the ABC family and Jenner was given the award after her interview with Sawyer.
An ESPN spokesperson Josh Krulewitz played down the rumor saying it was false as the Arthur Ashe Award and Jenner's interview with Sawyer interview have nothing to do with each other.