Kristin Cavallari isn’t mincing words. The 38-year-old reality TV star and fashion entrepreneur has said goodbye — permanently — to her father, Dennis Cavallari. And she’s not looking back.
In a blunt and emotionally raw interview with People, Cavallari said the decision to cut her dad out of her life has been liberating. She called it “the best decision” she’s ever made, even if some might find that shocking.
A relationship long on strain and short on comfort
This didn’t happen overnight. Far from it. According to Cavallari, the tension had been building for decades.
“I was an adult, let’s say I was 35,” she said. “It was 35 years of buildup to that point.” It wasn’t just one bad argument or a falling out over family drama. It was years — decades — of discomfort, frustration, and ultimately, disappointment.
The boundary that broke the bond
While Cavallari didn’t go into detail, she did share the final tipping point: her father crossed a line with her children. That was it. She was done.
“When you start now messing with my kids — I’m not doing it,” she said on her Let’s Be Honest podcast. “I can take the abuse. I have my whole life. But I’m not going to let my kids go through that.”
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Cavallari shares three kids with her ex-husband, former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler:
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Camden, 12
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Jaxon, 11
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Saylor, 9
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She emphasized that what happened wasn’t just hurtful — it was irreparable. Her father didn’t apologize, and instead, she says, he gaslighted her.
“He’s a narcissist”: Cavallari finds her voice
Back in December 2023, Cavallari had already hinted at the fracture during an episode of her podcast. She called her father a “narcissist,” a term that came with years of baggage.
In her words, she didn’t even realize how unhealthy the relationship was until adulthood. “I actually didn’t even realize that my dad was a narcissist until I was an adult,” she told psychologist Dr. Sherrie Campbell.
It’s a common theme in families that deal with emotional manipulation. You get used to the patterns. You adapt. Until, finally, something snaps.
Public perception vs. private pain
To the public, Kristin Cavallari was the confident, fashionable teen queen of Laguna Beach. Later, she became a businesswoman, podcast host, and mom-of-three. But off-camera, things were messier.
There’s a strange stigma around estrangement, especially when it involves a parent. People expect unconditional ties, no matter the pain. Cavallari is pushing back on that expectation.
She’s not trying to sugarcoat anything. “Such a weight has been lifted from me,” she said in the People interview. She added that it was a long time coming — something she’d wanted to do “for a long time.”
Family ties are not always forever
Her story isn’t rare — it’s just rarely said out loud. Studies from Cornell University suggest roughly 27% of Americans are estranged from at least one immediate family member. And in many cases, the cut is clean and permanent.
According to a 2021 study by sociologist Karl Pillemer:
| Type of Estrangement | Percentage of Cases |
|---|---|
| Parent-child | 43% |
| Siblings | 25% |
| Extended family | 32% |
What’s clear is that many people live through fractured families. Few speak about it as openly as Cavallari.
No more hiding, no more guilt
The part that resonates most isn’t the celebrity of it all — it’s how plainly she speaks. She doesn’t romanticize family loyalty. And she doesn’t seem conflicted.
It’s not about bitterness. It’s about protecting peace. She’s setting boundaries not just for herself, but for her kids.
She said it plainly: “If people are only bringing you hurt and sadness and anger, what is the point?”
Cavallari continues focusing on what matters
Since her 2020 divorce from Cutler, Cavallari has focused on raising her kids and building her Uncommon James lifestyle brand. Her social media is full of kids, cooking, fashion, and quiet moments — not drama.
That’s probably intentional.
She’s been vocal about therapy, healing, and protecting her inner circle. And she’s doing it all under the spotlight, while critics and trolls dissect every move.
Still, she stays firm. “Such a weight has been lifted from me,” she repeated. You could practically hear the relief in her voice.
