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Why does Bruce Jenner want his Adam's apple removed? 3 theories

Bruce Jenner has been contemplating plastic surgery. That in itself isn't news, since the Kardashian patriarch has already had a nose job and two face lifts. But this time, it's something a little more unusual: he's thinking about getting his Adam's apple flattened. And that's led to one of the more jaw-dropping celebrity rumors in recent memory: that Bruce Jenner wants to become a woman. Is it tr
Why Does Bruce Jenner Want His Adam's Apple Removed?
Why Does Bruce Jenner Want His Adam's Apple Removed?Mike McGregor/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald / Today

Bruce Jenner has been contemplating plastic surgery. That in itself isn't news, since the Kardashian patriarch has already had a nose job and two face lifts. But this time, it's something a little more unusual: he's thinking about getting his Adam's apple flattened. And that's led to one of the more jaw-dropping celebrity rumors in recent memory: that Bruce Jenner wants to become a woman. Is it true?

Let's back up a little and explain how this all started. In September, Jenner revealed that he'd had a basil cell carcinoma (skin cancer) removed from his nose. Recently, Jenner began consulting his plastic surgeon about getting another nose job, allegedly to remove scar tissue from the surgery. But he also had a consultation about a procedure called a Laryngeal Shave, which is frequently a first step for men who are undergoing gender reassignment.

Jenner told TMZ that he was indeed considering the Laryngeal Shave, but only for cosmetic reasons. "I just never liked my trachea," he told the website. But now, he has reportedly cancelled or postponed the surgery because he's upset at the media reaction.

So there are few things that might be going on here. Let's break down the possibilities.

Possibility No. 1: Bruce Jenner really does want to become a woman.
If that's the case, then good on you, Bruce Jenner! Embrace your true self! We've already heard the claims, courtesy of Robert Kardashian's widow, that Bruce is a cross-dresser. If that's true, it doesn't necessarily mean that he wants to be a woman; many cross-dressers are straight. But if he does decide that he's more comfortable in a female body, then that's a valid choice, and we recommend that he hire Orange Is the New Black actress Laverne Cox to be his life coach. 

Possibility No. 2: Kris Jenner started this rumor to ruin Bruce.
That's what Bruce Jenner's first wife believes is happening. "This is a plan by Kris to destroy his life. She’s not a pleasant woman. She’s out to get him," Chrystie Scott told the Daily Mail. We certainly wouldn't put it past Kris Jenner, who has no qualms about manipulating the media to make herself and her daughters look good. If she wanted to humiliate her estranged husband, rumor-mongering is a weapon at her disposal. 

Possibility No. 3: Bruce just doesn't like his trachea, you guys. 
This is kind of a weird body part to fixate on, but people who have tons of plastic surgery often suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, which causes them to find endless "flaws" in their appearance. Maybe this is what's happening to Bruce? Or maybe his desire to get some work done is a symptom of depression from the divorce. The first time he made changes to his face in 1984, he was going through his second divorce, and says he did it because he "was just going through a bad time." This seems like it's probably a bad time, too.

Donna Kaufman is a freelance writer and iVillage contributor. Find her on Twitter and Google+.

A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.