Kristin Cavallari Opens Up About Cutting Ties With Her Father: “He Traumatized My Kids”

Kristin Cavallari has built a career on letting fans into her life, from reality TV fame to motherhood—but her latest revelation may be her most personal yet.

The 38-year-old entrepreneur and former reality star opened up on the Boyfriend Material podcast this week, sharing that she has been estranged from her father for roughly three years following what she described as a deeply painful and personal boundary being crossed. According to Cavallari, the final rupture came after an incident involving one of her children that she says left lasting trauma.

“He crossed the line with one of my boys, and that’s a dealbreaker for me,” she said. “Especially when he had zero accountability, no apology. Like, he traumatized my kids, and I have no room for that in my life. And so, that was it.”

Cavallari, who shares three children—Camden, Jaxon, and Saylor—with ex-husband and former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, did not elaborate on the exact nature of the incident. However, she made clear that her decision to sever ties was made to protect her children’s well-being and her own peace of mind.

“I always had a rough relationship with my dad,” she added. “To be honest with you, as a mom, if I had a kid, and I really f—– up with my kid, and they wanted to cut me out of their life, I would do everything imaginable to not let that happen.”

That kind of remorse never came from her father, she says. “My dad, in a lot of ways, was like, ‘OK.’” Cavallari described her father as a “major narcissist” who has never shown any real accountability. “There’s no accountability,” she added, claiming he even tries to place the blame for what happened on her.

The emotional weight of the estrangement is something Cavallari has publicly processed over the past few years. She first discussed the topic on her own podcast in 2023 and later shared with People magazine that cutting her father out of her life was “the best decision I’ve ever made.”

“Such a weight has been lifted from me,” she told the outlet. “There’s not one day where I miss him.”

Cavallari says it took her over three decades to reach that breaking point, revealing that she was around 35 years old when she finally decided to end contact. “It was 35 years of buildup to that point,” she said. “It was something that I had been wanting to do for a long time.”

The emotional fallout from that family relationship even shaped her marriage, she acknowledged. Speaking on the Dumb Blonde podcast hosted by Bunnie XO, Cavallari said she unknowingly replicated old patterns when she married Cutler in 2013.

“I was repeating a pattern with my dad,” she confessed. “I hadn’t done the work on my relationship with my dad. That’s what you do. I ended up marrying my dad.”

Cavallari and Cutler’s high-profile marriage ended in 2020 after a decade together. At the time, the couple issued a joint statement, calling it a “loving conclusion” and emphasizing mutual respect. “We 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,” Cavallari wrote on Instagram.

Since their split, Cavallari says she’s focused on self-reflection and personal growth. “When we got a divorce, for the last five years, quite honestly, I’ve really taken the time to get my s— together so that I don’t then make the same mistake,” she said.

The mother of three has become increasingly vocal about mental health, generational trauma, and the importance of setting boundaries—all themes she says have guided her recent decisions, both as a parent and as an individual.

Though she didn’t disclose what exactly transpired between her father and her children, Cavallari’s message was clear: protecting her kids is non-negotiable, and anyone—family or not—who causes them harm no longer has a place in her life.

Her candid comments are sparking conversations about how adult children navigate complicated family relationships, especially when those ties begin to affect the next generation. For Cavallari, the choice may have been painful, but she stands by it.

“There’s not a single part of me that questions it,” she said. “That’s how I know I made the right decision.”

As Cavallari continues to raise her children and build her brand in the wellness and fashion spaces, it’s clear she’s doing so with one principle front and center: healing begins with breaking the cycle.