Kristin Cavallari opened up about cutting her father, Dennis, out of her life after he allegedly “crossed the line” with her children.
In Tuesday's episode of her Let's be honest podcast, the reality star, 36, revealed she made the tough decision “about two years ago” and hasn't looked back.
“(It's) honestly the best thing I've ever done,” she said during a conversation with Dr. Sherrie Campbell on Tuesday's episode of her Let's Be Honest podcast.
She continued, “I actually didn't even realize my father was a narcissist until I was an adult.”
Estranged: Kristin Cavallari opened up about cutting her father, Dennis, out of her life after he allegedly 'crossed the line' with her children
Reflecting on her childhood, the Uncommon James founder recalled never wanting to be with her father because he would make her feel like she “wasn't good enough.”
“But the downside of that is sometimes he would put me on a pedestal and talk me up,” she recalled. “Now that I look back as an adult, I think, 'Oh, that was when it benefited you and made you look good.'
Ultimately, Cavallari revealed that after “something happened to” her children Camden, 11, Jaxon, 9, and Saylor, 8, whom she shares with ex-husband Jay Cutler, she cut ties with Dennis.
“The way I got my dad out of my life was something happened to my kids and it crossed a line,” she said. “And I thought, 'You know what? I’m fucking ready.”
After the incident, the mother of three said her father “blamed” her and threw “everything back” in her face.
“I always thought, 'I can handle it… I can handle the abuse.' I have my whole life. But it's like if you start messing with my kids now, I won't do it,” Cavallari told listeners.
In 2020, during an episode of Very Cavallari, Kristin reached out to her father Dennis after becoming distant following the death of her brother Michael in 2015.
On Tuesday's episode of her Let's Be Honest podcast, the reality star, 36, revealed she made the tough decision “about two years ago” and hasn't looked back; seen in 2012
“(It's) honestly the best thing I've ever done,” she said during a conversation with Dr. Sherrie Campbell on Tuesday's episode of her Let's Be Honest podcast
She continued, “I actually didn't even realize my father was a narcissist until I was an adult.”
“Over the years, my dad and I have kind of grown apart,” Kristin admitted in a confessional.
“I am interested in exploring the Cavallari name and developing relationships with my extended family. Besides, I just want my children to really understand where they come from,” she added at the time.
During the episode, Dennis, who lives in Denver, met Kristin and her then-husband while they were in Los Angeles to discuss Cavallari's family tree.
“Since I started getting interested in tracing my family roots, I reached out to my dad because I really wanted to find out what he knows about the Cavallari name,” Kristin explained in a confessional.
'And I know he has a lot of photos, obviously he knows a lot more about my great-grandparents than I do. You know, my grandparents who came over from Italy,” she added.
Ultimately, Cavallari revealed that after “something happened to” her children Camden, 11, Jaxon, 9, and Saylor, 8, whom she shares with ex-husband Jay Cutler, she cut ties with Dennis; in the photo in 2016
Dennis showed family photos, including his grandfather Frank Cavallari who came to the United States in 1903.
Michael died at the age of 30 from hypothermia in December 2015 in Utah following a car accident weeks earlier.
In the second season of her show, Kristin discussed her brother's mental health issues before his death and how he crashed his car and got lost before dying of hypothermia.
'My father and my brother were very close, and that's why I think our relationship is very superficial. It creates a little void between us,” she said in a confessional.
“So I'm hoping that with this family tree and tracing the roots… I don't know, maybe it'll just give us something to bond over and he'll open up a little more,” Kristin said.