Kristin Cavallari Was Never The Same After Her Divorce (She Was Better)

At first glance, "Laguna Beach" alum Kristin Cavallari and now-retired NFL quarterback Jay Cutler seemed like a serendipitous match. Cavallari was born in Denver, where Cutler began his NFL career as quarterback of the Broncos. Cutler later took his talents to Chicago, which is where Cavallari lived with her mother following her parents' divorce (well, technically in the suburb of Barrington). In fact, it was in 2013, smack in the middle of Cutler's time playing QB for the Chicago Bears, that he and Cavallari tied the knot. But it wasn't meant to last. Cavallari filed for divorce in 2020, and though the proceedings stalled the following year, their split was ultimately finalized in 2022. While divorce can certainly be difficult, change isn't always bad, and in Cavallari's case, she's clearly better off.

Speaking to Us Weekly in June 2025, Cavallari cited divorcing Cutler and cutting ties with her father as being two difficult but necessary steps toward finding greater stability in her life. Reflecting on what helped her move on and grow, Cavallari stated she took the time to realize what wasn't working in her life: "I needed to figure out what needed to change in order to set up the second half of my life to be really peaceful." She added, "My whole life was never peaceful. Even in my childhood, it was always chaotic and I really value peace and stillness and quiet now, and I've worked really hard to get there." Given what we know about Cavallari's split from Cutler and its aftermath, it's not hard to see why she's in a much better place these days.

Though she rarely goes into specifics, Kristin Cavallari has made no secret of the fact that her marriage to Jay Cutler was far from healthy near the end. After all, when she initially filed for divorce in April 2020, she listed "inappropriate marital conduct" on Cutler's part as one of the reasons. 

Later, during an October 2024 edition of her podcast "Let's Be Honest," Cavallari remarked, "My heart broke in my marriage. Even though I'm the one that walked away, it was not what I wanted." However, during the same podcast, Cavallari admitted that her relationship with Cutler was in a much better place following their split. She echoed this in the aforementioned Us Weekly interview in 2025, stating that they had settled into a co-parenting dynamic without spending too much time on the subject. "The kids come first, always," Cavallari said.

Of course, Cutler has faced his own share of personal difficulties, such as the impact his football career had on his health. And while he has taken steps to stay healthy, it's clear he does still have a lot of work to do on himself. In late September 2025, Cutler reported to jail to serve a four-day sentence after being convicted of an October 2024 DUI. According to TMZ, he ended up being released after serving just two nights in jail. Cavallari had acknowledged her ex-husband's arrest in her aforementioned podcast episode. "I do, of course, wish Jay nothing but the best and I do hope that he gets the help that he needs," she said at the time, though also noted that she would not be commenting on the matter any further.