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Kristin Cavallari is the wife of Miami Dolphins quarterback, Jay Cutler. Cavallari, who was first introduced to the world on MTV’s Laguna Beach, was born on January 5, 1987, in Denver, Colorado. After her parents divorced, Cavallari moved to Illinois with her mom, Nicole Cavallari, before moving to Laguna Beach, California, to live with her dad, Dennis.
After high school, Cavallari left reality television behind. She enrolled at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, to further her education.
Cavallari and Cutler previously lived together in Chicago when Cutler played for the Bears (2009-2016). Earlier this month, the two finalized the sale of their Lake Forest mansion, which they listed on the market after moving to Nashville shortly after Cutler was cut from the Bears. Cutler has since signed with the Dolphins, but the couple has not invested in a full-time residence in southern Florida just yet. Cavallari will often fly in for games, but she raises the couple’s three children in Tennessee — for now.
Here is what you need to know:
1. Cavallari Began Dating Cutler in 2010 & Married Him in 2013
Cavallari has dated a couple of guys over the years, from Stephen Colletti in 2001 to Brody Jenner in 2005. However, she knew that Cutler was the one, shortly after meeting him — but getting a date with the reality star wasn’t exactly easy for the pro footballer.
During an interview with “A Drink With,” Cavallari revealed that Cutler wanted to take her out and that he had his people call her people to set it up. At the time, Cavallari said she didn’t know who Cutler was — and admitted that she didn’t want a boyfriend that lived in Chicago. It was about a year later when she attended a football game with her mom and ended up meeting her now-husband. Her first impression?
“I thought he was really cute,” she told the outlet.
The two started dating and eventually got engaged. But things weren’t always rosy. The couple actually broke off their engagement in July 2011, two years before tying the knot.
“At that moment, something wasn’t right. A few things needed to change, and I knew the only way Jay would see how serious I was, was if I ended the relationship,” Cavallari wrote in her memoir, Balancing in Heels: My Journey to Health, Happiness, and Making It All Work.
Cavallari and Cutler were able to work out their issues and they got back together — and got engaged for a second time. The two exchanged vows at Woodmont Christian Church and partied the night away with family and friends at Houston Station in Nashville, Tennessee, in June 2013. You can see some of their wedding photos here.
Over the years, things haven’t always been easy for Cavallari and Cutler. In 2016, she admitted that the two had gone to couple’s therapy together.
“Honestly, I think communication and it’s so much easier said than done. I know that Jay and I have to make a conscious effort. You have to put in work for a relationship. You can’t just get complacent and lazy. You have to still value and appreciate the other person. I think that when you don’t that’s probably when you start to get in trouble. And, I mean, we have our issues. Our relationship isn’t perfect. But we love each other and we work on it and we make a conscious choice to work on the relationship and I think that that’s what you just have to do,” Cavallari told Us Weekly earlier this year.
“God, I’ll be the first to admit it — especially with three little kids! It’s hard. You have to make time for each other and try to get out of routine here and there. It’s much easier said than done. It really is difficult sometimes. We have a lot of great tools that we learned from therapy and I think that was the most beneficial part. Just learning how to communicate and walking away with some great tools, which we’ll always be able to use,” Cavallari added.
2. Cavallari Is a Mother of 3
Cavallari and Cutler welcomed their first child, son Camden, on August 8, 2012, a year before they got married. The couple welcomed their second son, Jaxon Wyatt Cutler, on May 7, 2014. A few months later, Cavallari found out that she was pregnant again. She and Cutler welcomed their daughter, Saylor James Cutler, on November 23, 2015.
The couple’s two boys are starting to really get into football.
“The boys get so into it, they’re so excited. They have the pants, the jersey and the helmets. They have their whole outfit, and it’s a lot of fun,” Cavallari told People Magazine back in August.
In that interview, Cavallari talked about about moving her family of five from Chicago to Nashville and how the transition has been for the kids.
“There’s been a lot of adjustments for [the kids] starting a new school, moving and Daddy being gone. I’m just trying really hard to make everything as smooth of a transition as possible for them right now,” Cavallari told People. Cavallari doesn’t have any plans to move her family to Miami, despite her husband’s new team.
“Really, it’s not that bad. We’re going to see him a lot, and the five months will go by quickly. Thanksgiving, Christmas and all that good stuff, we’ll be out there with him,” Cavallari explained.
Cavallari attends as many football games as she can, but often travels without her brood. On Monday, Cavallari posted a photo of herself hugging her daughter goodbye as she prepared to head to the airport. Fans suspected that she’d be flying to Charlotte to watch her husband take on the Carolina Panthers.
3. Cavallari Has a Jewelry Line, a Shoe Line, a Memoir & a Cookbook
After leaving reality television, Cavallari decided to break into the lifestyle sphere. She partnered with Chinese Laundry in 2013 to design a full line of boots, heels, loafers, sandals, and more. Her line ranges in price from $100 to $250, and can be found at Nordstrom and Zappos.
Since then, Cavallari has started her own jewelry line called Uncommon James. The line is described as “timeless, effortless, and refined.”
“Founded and creatively directed by Kristin Cavallari, Uncommon James will bring timeless, effortless, and refined jewelry to women on-the-go. The line features designs inspired with a sophisticated and polished look to be worn day to night. Uncommon James is crafted to easily mix and match with jewelry already in your own closet, or layered and stacked to create a unique look allowing women to express their own individuality. Every piece is chosen for the modern woman for easy-wear and a classic touch that can carry over to every occasion. Each piece in the Uncommon James collection ranges from $38-$72,” reads the “About” section of the Uncommon James website.
Cavallari is also a New York Times best selling author. Aside from penning a memoir, she has released a couple of cookbooks. Her most recent cookbook is called True Roots.
“In her first book, Kristin Cavallari shared her personal journey along with her tips on everything from style to relationships. And now, with True Roots, Cavallari shows you that improving the way you eat doesn’t have to be difficult―a clean and toxin-free diet can and should be fun, easy, and enjoyable. She learned the hard way that dieting leads nowhere good, and that a clean lifestyle is the ticket to feeling and being healthy.”
If you follow Cavallari on social media, you’ve probably seen her cooking up a storm in her kitchen. Although she doesn’t share her recipes (you have to buy her cookbook for that), she loves to feed her family and often includes her kids in the prep work.
4. Cavallari Was on MTV’s ‘Laguna Beach’ & ‘The Hills’
Cavallari was part of MTV’s Laguna Beach, a show about eight teenagers living in Laguna Beach “nearing the end of high school and beginning the next chapter of their lives.” The world watched as she tried to figure out life as an adult, dating guys, losing friends, and eventually becoming the mirror opposite of Lauren Conrad.
Shortly after Laguna Beach ended (and the kids all graduated from high school), MTV started up another reality series, following some of the same group as they went to college and onto the real world. The Hills premiered in 2006. Cavallari wasn’t on the show full-time, however, as The Hills focused on Conrad’s life. She appeared in 24 episodes from 2007 through 2010.
Cavallari was ranked No. 8 on Reality TV Magazine’s List of The Greatest Female Reality Stars of 2005, according to her IMDb page.
5. Cavallari’s Older Brother Michael Went Missing in 2015 & Was Found Dead
In 2015, Cavallari lost her only biological sibling. Her older brother, Michael Cavallari, went missing in Utah, his car was found abandoned on Interstate 70, in November. A few weeks later, Michael’s body was found. Following an autopsy, the medical examiner confirmed that his “death was accidental, and caused by hypothermia from exposure to cold temperatures.”
“Michael Cavallari’s body was found three miles from where his car was wrecked in the high desert of Grand County, Utah. There were no signs of major trauma and no suicide note. Cops did not find any evidence of drugs or alcohol either,” officials told E! News.
According to TMZ, Michael had been suffering from paranoia before his death.
“We want to thank everyone for their love, support and prayers during this very difficult time. We have just been informed by the authorities my brother’s body has been found. This is a very painful time and we are still processing it all. We kindly ask everyone please respect our privacy during our time of grieving,” Kristin Cavallari said in the statement at the time.
The Cavallari family had been having a bit of a tough time in the years before Michael’s death. Cavallari’s dad lost his beautiful mansion in Laguna Beach. According to TMZ, Dennis Cavallari “fell behind on mortgage payments” on the 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom home. The home was sold for $6.1 million during a public auction.