The Untold Truth Of Kristin Cavallari

The following article mentions substance abuse. 

Kristin Cavallari has definitely come a long way from her start as a teen reality TV star to the full-blown mogul she is today. The Denver native rose to fame back in 2004 on the popular MTV reality series, "Laguna Beach," before taking over its spinoff, "The Hills" from its original star Lauren Conrad in 2009. Cavallari even did her own reality series, "Very Cavallari" on E! years later in 2018, which depicted her life as a wife and businesswoman.

Yet Cavallari is more than just a former reality star since she also did some acting earlier in her career, with movies like 2009's "Wild Cherry." She's dabbled in hosting over the years too, often on "E!'s Live from the Red Carpet." Cavallari is even a published author, thanks to her memoir "Balancing in Heels," as well as two cookbooks, "True Roots" and "True Comfort." These days though, Cavallari is focusing on her business Uncommon James, as well as co-hosting the "Laguna Beach" rewatch podcast, "Back to the Beach" with her high school boyfriend Stephen Colletti. When it comes to this stage in her career, she told Forbes, "I feel like I'm finally at a good place where I have a really good work/life balance."

In terms of her life, Cavallari has been very open about her relationships and motherhood, as well as her headline-making split from NFL star Jay Cutler. Yet there's still a lot that fans don't know about Cavallari, so with that said, let's break down her untold truth.

It's safe to say that Kristin Cavallari is one of reality TV's most famous mean girls, thanks to her portrayal on "Laguna Beach" and then "The Hills." Yet the "True Roots" author said it was actually the producers of "Laguna Beach" who put her in that role in the first place. She explained to Insider, "I think they obviously saw from me from the get-go that I was someone who did speak my mind." She continued, "I have a strong presence and I think that's way easier to manipulate and edit into this villain role."

While it worked for the show, it initially hurt the then-high schooler. "No one ever told me like, 'Hey! By the way, you're the villain — so just want to prepare yourself,'" she recalled on "Very Cavallari." She added, "I was so young ... So, to all of a sudden have people saying what a b***h I was, that was really hard actually." However, she later decided to lean into it for "The Hills." She even told Buzzfeed, "MTV actually asked me if I was okay with them saying 'the b***h is back' ... I was having fun so I was game for it."

However, Cavallari did reveal that her confidence and meanness had all stemmed from her actually being self-conscious, which she now regrets. She dished on "The School of Greatness" podcast, "I was the one always trying to tear other people down or talking s**t or whatever it was, and that's an insecurity."

Kristin Cavallari suffered a heartbreaking loss in 2015 when her older brother, Michael Cavallari, died unexpectedly at age 30 under mysterious circumstances. "He was a very unhappy person and he struggled with some substance abuse," Kristin recalled on "Larry King Live," adding, "He hadn't slept the weekend before Thanksgiving and he decided to just get in his car and come and visit my mom and I in Chicago." Police eventually discovered Michael's abandoned car crashed in a desert area of Utah, before finding his body three miles from the wreck a few days later. "I think he was a little discombobulated, and he started walking and he got lost and couldn't find his way out," Kristin said.

Police eventually determined that Michael had died of hypothermia. A devastated Kristin took to Instagram to express her grief, writing, "My heart is in a million pieces ... I'm at a loss for words." Perhaps because she didn't get closure, Kristin appeared on "Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry" in 2018 to try to connect with Michael. She explained, via People, "He was dealing with some demons ... I don't think he wanted to be found."

While Kristin may never know what really happened, she shared online that she had found some peace, writing, "It's been a rough road for me and my family. I've had some incredible signs from him though." She also paid tribute to Michael on a trip to Italy on "Very Cavallari," revealing, "I just wish I could hug him one more time."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Kristin Cavallari's marriage to Jay Cutler was apparently not as perfect as it seemed. In fact, following their 2020 divorce, the Uncommon James founder shared that their relationship was actually rather "toxic." She explained on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, "I was in an unhealthy relationship ... I didn't want my kids thinking that was normal." It appears they had gotten off to a rocky start too, with Cavallari recalling their initial split before their 2013 wedding. "I called off the engagement [for] the same reason I got a divorce," she said, adding, "you can't ignore red flags, people don't change."

While fans were initially shocked by their divorce announcement, Cavallari told People it was a long time coming. "We tried really, really hard for years and years. It was the hardest decision I've ever made." Yet she knew it was for the best since she added, "I feel like my whole world is opening up now because of it."

Even two years after their split, Cavallari still called it "the best thing that I've ever done," on "The School of Greatness" podcast. She dished, "Being in a relationship where I was really unhappy, that wasn't going to work for me." Despite her openness about their break up, Cavallari still makes it a point to not bash Cutler in the press because he's the father of her kids. She's also grateful for their time together, revealing on "Call Her Daddy," "I don't regret anything at all."

Kristin Cavallari ended up returning to reality TV in 2018 with her own show on E! called "Very Cavallari." It was apparently an opportunity for her to finally show her authentic self, which she believed is much different than how she'd been portrayed on "The Hills" years earlier. She explained to Newsweek, "This is the first show that I've done that I can really get behind and say, 'This is 100 percent me.'"

Cavallari also felt the show was the perfect opportunity to promote her growing brand, Uncommon James. She revealed on E! News' "Pop of the Morning," "I wasn't even really supposed to be on it. I looked at it more like, 'Vanderpump Rules' ... I wanted it for Uncommon James. I wanted to bring exposure to my company." However, it appears that the show ended up impacting her personal life, like her friendship with her former BFF Kelly Henderson. Cavallari dished on "Very Cavallari," "The whole time her whole thing has been, 'I don't care about the show, I only care about your friendship.' She drank the Kool-Aid, big time."

The show also highlighted problems that Cavallari was having in her marriage to Jay Cutler. She even once said on camera, "From the outside, things are so perfect ... But actually, they're not. And that sucks." She eventually decided to end the series, sharing on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," "I wasn't gonna expose my divorce on camera and have my kids see that one day."

Kristin Cavallari obviously has a super fit physique but she apparently didn't get that from dieting. The former reality star told Cooking Light that she actually loves food but makes it a point to make healthy choices. She explained, "In my early 20s, all I did was look at calories ... Now the only thing I look at is the ingredient list." She continued, "I decided to eat real food with as little processing as possible." Cavallari usually cooks her own meals as well, telling Us Weekly, "That's the only way to truly know what's in your food." However, that doesn't mean she won't let herself splurge here-and-there either. "When I go out to eat or go on vacation, I eat whatever I want," she said.

Cavallari is also really into fitness, doing workouts one day a week on her own and three days with her trainer. "He has me actually lifting really heavy weight, the heaviest weight I've ever lifted in my entire life. I feel the best I ever have," she told Us Weekly.

The "Balancing in Heels" author even reflected on how far she's come on her fitness journey in a 2022 Instagram post, writing, "I'm really proud of the progress I've made," adding, "I work out really hard and am dedicated to a healthy lifestyle." She shared her body changes with Us Weekly too, saying, "I didn't realize it at the time, how thin I was. So I'm happy that I've put on weight."

It seems Kristin Cavallari is legit thriving these days after coming out the other side from her painful divorce. She even revealed on "The School of Greatness" podcast, "It's been the best thing that I've ever done, and that has really jumpstarted my journey on self-love and figuring out who I am now." However, Cavallari had to do a lot of healing to get there. She later shared in her Instagram Stories in 2022, per ET, "I've honestly needed the past two years to work through some heavy stuff."

It appears to have all paid off though since Cavallari revealed, "I'm the happiest I've ever been ... I'm no longer afraid of getting hurt." She's even open to finding love again, adding, "I'm actually excited to see who I can be in a new relationship because I feel like I've done so much work the last few years." While Cavallari went to tell fans on Instagram that she thinks she'll even get married again one day, she apparently believes it's more important to find happiness within. She explained, "No one can make you happy or fill a void. That's an inside job."

That's seemingly been a job well done too, with Cavallari gushing in a 2021 Instagram post, "I feel like I'm back to my old self and it feels really d**n good." Yet, it's safe to say that Cavallari's old self is so much more than the mean girl we thought we knew from TV.