Kristin Cavallari is setting the record straight about her recent breakup with Mark Estes.
The 37-year-old mother of three, who started dating Estes in February, took to her Let’s Be Honest podcast on Oct. 1 to emphasize that there was no wrongdoing by either party in the relationship.
In fact, she describes Estes as the “best boyfriend” she ever had, despite their 13-year age gap raising a lot of eyebrows on social media. And while it was time to say goodbye, that doesn’t mean it was easy.
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“It’s hard because I broke up with Mark because I just know long-term it’s not right,” she told listeners on Tuesday. “It’s not because of love lost or something bad happened. No one cheated. No one was mean. No one did anything.”
While she called the relationship “mature” and “healthy,” she also admitted that his age got in the way.
(Warning: the below video contains language some may find offensive.)
“I started to feel the age a little bit just with life experience. I look back when I was 24 and how much life has happened for me in between,” she said. “Those are crucial years. Those are formative years. This is when you find yourself. He needs to be able to do that.”
She described breakups like these as the “hardest,” arguing that it’s “almost easier if the guy does something that makes you hate him.” But that wasn’t the case with her and Estes.
Cavallari thinks Estes will thank him one day
While she had nothing but good things to say about Estes and their seven-month relationship, Cavallari believes he will one day see what she sees, and will “thank her” for ending the relationship when she did.
“That’s just hindsight you don’t have at 24. Everything is so [focused on] right now when you’re 24,” she said, clarifying that she never ignored the fact that he was younger and was always well aware of his age.
She went on to describe Mark as a “sweet” and “supportive” man who has “always been there” for her, but feels like “he needs to experience life” while he still can.
“It was such a good, happy relationship. I will forever look back at Mark and I with such fond memories and pure happiness,” she continued.
But while their relationship has come to an end, Cavallari says she would “really love” to have Mark in her life “in some capacity” because she still cares about him and he has a good relationship with her kids.
Cavallari doesn’t plan on dating anyone in the near future
As she turns the page to a new chapter in her life, Cavallari says she’s “really happy and really content” with her life being centered around her children and work.
But dating? That doesn’t seem to be in her plans, at least for now.
“[It’s] so not even on my radar right now. I have no interest in getting back into the dating world right now,” she said during her podcast. “I don’t know how much time I have for dating.”
When she does decide to give dating another go, she knows what kind of man she’ll be looking for.
“If Mark were 45 and had two of his own older kids, he would be perfect. I mean that,” she exclaimed. “He is such a good guy, but to me it just means I’m one step closer to ultimately finding The One.”
(Warning: the below video contains language some may find offensive.)
You can view the entire podcast episode below:
With that said, the Laguna Beach alum, who shares three kids with former NFL quarterback, Jay Cutler, feels as if the work she has done since finalizing her divorce in 2022 has finally started to pay off.
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I just think timing was off,” she added. “My life right now is just full. The time that I do have I don’t necessarily want it going to a man right now. That’s that.”