Over the last 10 years, reality star turned jewelry designer and cookbook author Kristin Cavallari and retired football star Jay Cutler built a family together. From getting married in 2013 to have a third child in 2015, Cavallari and Cutler seemed to have it all.
However, shortly after the conclusion of the third season of their reality television show, Very Cavallari, on E!, the couple announced that they have decided to separate and divorce, ending their 10-year relationship and seven-year marriage. Aside from their statement which revealed that they “have nothing but love and respect for one another and are deeply grateful for the years shared, memories made, and the children we are so proud of,” neither Cavallari nor Culter have said much else.
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Kristin Cavallari Breaks Silence on Divorce
That is until now. In September, Cavallari sat down with People and opened up about their decision to divorce. It was something the mom of three called the “hardest decision I’ve ever made.”
“I always thought it was interesting when people would refer to us as ‘couple goals,'” the 33-year-old told People. “I was like, ‘If you guys only knew.'” What their fans and supporters didn’t know is that the estranged couple had been having marital problems for years, but made an effort to hide those issues from the public.
It was during the filming of season three that things between Cavallari and Cutler hit a breaking point. “Ee definitely kept a lot of stuff private. Producers saw stuff, but they didn’t put it in the show — which is good, because I don’t want my kids to ever [see that].”
This is all to say that while the end of their marriage may have seemed out of the blue to those on the outside, it wasn’t. “We tried really, really hard for years and years. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”
Thankfully, have a few weeks of finding their way, Cavallari says she and her ex-husband have found a co-parenting routine that works for them. “I still care so much about him and talk to him almost every day,” she told People. “We have three kids together. He’s going to be in my life forever.”
“Every relationship has their stuff. I met Jay when I was 23. I was a baby. Jay and I had so much love for each other, but we grew up. When you work at something for so many years and nothing’s changing, I think you have to just make a decision. We all want to be happy.”
In the end, Cavallari says her focus is on her kids, which most likely means not doing a reality show anymore. And with what feels like the weight of the world off of her shoulder, the mom says she feels like she can finally breathe again now that her only concerns are her child and her budding brand, Uncommon James.
“That’s not to say I don’t have really hard days, but for the past however many years, I’ve been putting everybody else first. I’m going to focus on me for a minute, look inward, and figure out what I ultimately want out of life.” And by doing well by herself, that also means she’ll be at her strongest for her kids.
“Of course three kids by yourself is a lot, I’m not going to lie. But now that our time is split, I just appreciate it so much more. Every moment that I have with them I just want to love on them and be with them.”
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And despite all the difficult decisions and changes that have been made recently, Kristin Cavallari says she is still very hopeful about the future.