Clint Eastwood's Caitlyn Jenner joke too bad for TV

Clint Eastwood at the 2015 Spike TV Guy's Choice Awards and former Olympian, Caitlyn Jenner. Photo / AP

Clint Eastwood made a joke about Caitlyn Jenner at the Spike Guys' Choice Awards.

The 85-year-old filmmaker poked fun at the former Olympian - who was known as Bruce Jenner before her gender transition - while introducing Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to the stage at Saturday's ceremony at California's Sony Pictures Studio, but the gag reportedly fell flat.

Clint compared the wrestler-turned-actor to former athletes who have become actors, "like Jim Brown and Caitlyn Somebody..."

However, the network confirmed the joke will be axed when the ceremony is broadcast on June 18.

David Schwarz, Spike TV senior vice president of communications, told USA Today: "We will remove the reference in the version that will air."

Meanwhile, Audrina Patridge, a friend of Caitlyn's son Brody Jenner, says her pal has had "mostly positive" reactions to the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star's transition.

She told People magazine: "Brody loves his dad ... the public is one thing, but you don't listen to them, you live your life, who cares, people are going to judge and rip you to pieces regardless.

"It's very, very positive, but you do get the mean ones.

"Overall it's been more positive than negative. There are a lot of people who will relate to it, which is great."

- Bang! Showbiz