DWTS Alum Cut ‘Narcissist’ Dad Out of Her Life: ‘Best Thing I’ve Ever Done’

Heavy The celebrity ended a toxic relationship.

Kristin Cavallari opened up about the toxic relationship she has with her father, Dennis, and why she decided to cut him out of her life.

In December 2023, “The Hills” star, who competed in “Dancing With the Stars in 2011, opened up on her “Let’s be Honest” podcast to reveal why she is estranged from her dad.

“I cut my dad out of my life about two years ago, which has honestly been the best thing I’ve ever done, really, truly it has,” Cavallari told guest, Dr. Sherrie Campbell. “It changes when you have kids. I was always like, ‘I can take it. I can take the abuse, I have my whole life.’ But it’s when you start messing now with my kids– I’m not doing it.”

Cavallari has three children, Camden, 11, Jaxon, 9, and Saylor, 8, with her ex-husband, Jay Cutler, whom she divorced in 2022.

Kristin Cavallari Said Her Dad “Crossed a Line’ With Her Children

Cavallari told Campbell she had “ two major narcissistic relationships”  her life: “The romantic one I was in and then my dad,” she said. “I just finally stopped talking in both of those relationships. There was no point. You go around and around and they never see your side because there’s no empathy.”

Addressing her toxic relationship with her dad, Cavallari said, “For years, I was like, ‘I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to be around it,’ but I felt so guilty about it.  And then something happened with my kids and it crossed a line. And I was like, ‘You know what, I’m done.’ And he blamed me for it, threw everything back in my face. And I was like, ‘What am I doing? Life’s too short.'”

Cavallaro previously told Business Insider that cutting her dad out of her life has been “the most freeing thing” she’s ever done. She told the outlet she used hypnotherapy and shadow work psychotherapy to come to terms with trauma she suffered in her past relationships.

“I was so sad deep down,” Cavallari  said of her former self. “I was really longing for a connection with someone.”

On her podcast, Cavallari admitted she didn’t realize her dad was a narcissist until she was an adult. “All I knew growing up was that I didn’t want to be around him,” she added. “ He always made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. But then the flipside of that is sometimes he would put me on this pedestal and talk me up. Now, as an adult looking back, I’m like, ‘Oh, it was when it benefited you and made you look good.’”

Kristin Cavallari Shared a Sweet Message to Her Father in 2020

In the early 2000s, Cavallari’s father made six appearances on her first  MTV reality show, “Laguna Beach.” He also made a cameo on the spinoff  “The Hills,” per IMDb.  More recently, he did not turn up on her E!! reality show “Very Cavallari.”

In 2020, the Uncommon James founder shared two throwback photos on Instagram to wish her dad a Happy Father’s Day.  She also thanked him for being a mentor to her. “Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I’m lucky to have you,” she wrote at teh time. “Thanks for teaching me that I can do whatever I want in this life. You create your own destiny 🙌🏻 love you.”

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