Kristin Cavallari breaks her silence on splitting from Jay Cutler

Kristin Cavallari has broken her silence about leaving her husband of seven years, former football star Jay Cutler, in April.

The jewelry designer told People on Wednesday the breakup was a long time coming and unavoidable.

‘It didn’t happen overnight,’ said the 33-year-old blonde beauty. ‘We tried really, really hard for years and years. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made.’

Together the are co-parenting sons Camden, eight, and Jaxon, six, and daughter Saylor, four.

And Kristin and Jay are in close contact. 

‘I still care so much about him and talk to him almost every day,’ she added. ‘We have three kids together. He’s going to be in my life forever.’ 

As for what caused them to part, Cavallari said there were issues they could not get over. 

‘Every relationship has their stuff. I met Jay when I was 23. I was a baby. Jay and I had so much love for each other, but we grew up,’ she stated. ‘When you work at something for so many years and nothing’s changing, I think you have to just make a decision. We all want to be happy.’

The reality TV show Very Cavallari put a lot of attention on their marriage.

Now she has ended the show because she did not want it to cover her personal life.

‘I just knew I was going to have to talk about everything, and I didn’t want to. Thinking about filming was giving me anxiety,’ said the star.

‘My kids are the most important thing to me. What’s best for them?’ she shared. ‘Probably not doing a reality show, having to talk about divorcing their dad.’

And she noted the public’s perception of their marriage was off.    

‘I always thought it was interesting when people would refer to us as “couple goals,”‘ said the author of the new cookbook, True Comfort (which comes out September 29).

‘I was like, “If you guys only knew,”‘ said the Uncommon James owner.

And they ‘definitely kept a lot of stuff private,’ during filming.

‘Producers saw stuff, but they didn’t put it in the show — which is good, because I don’t want my kids to ever [see that],’ she noted.

In August she told Us Weekly she is focusing on herself, kids and business Uncommon James and is learning ‘how to cut toxicity’ out of her life. 

‘This is the first time in a very long time that I fell like I can take a breath,’ she said. ‘I’m enjoying things slowed down and having more time to focus on what really matters in life.’ 

She spoke to the outlet about her collaboration with DIFF Eyewear and brand Uncommon James, which was released on Thursday. 

Her brand, which started out in jewelry and has recently released apparel, has been a focus for the star. 

‘I want to take this extra time I have right now to better myself and be the best mom I can be,’ the former star of The Hill said. ‘And continue to grow Uncommon James.’

She has put herself on an early routine to put herself first. 

‘I wake up at 5 a.m. Monday through Friday to have that quiet time in the morning to get ready for the madness and to also work out,’ she said. 

Adding that: ‘Working out keeps me sane. That’s the only real self-care I need besides a good bath and a face mask from time to time, which I’m able to do when my kids are in bed.’ 

‘To feel my best, I have to make sure I’m making myself a priority,’ Cavallari continued. ‘sAnd for me that means working out, eating healthy and having balance in my life. Getting rid of the things that don’t bring me joy.’

Keeping positive despite her circumstances, she said: ‘I hate negativity. I will run the other way from it, but I’ve had to learn how to cut toxicity out of my life as I’ve gotten older.’ 

Though, she is also trying to live in the moment and give herself a break from worrying too much about the future.  

‘I’m not thinking about what I want to be doing next year or the year after that. I’ve driven myself crazy with that mentality the past few years,’ she said. ‘Right now, I just want to be present and enjoy this journey.’

She also said that her tight ‘inner circle of friends’ are essential to her life. 

Adding: ‘My mom is my best friend and always knows what to say. I’m also lucky to have some incredibly strong friendships who I can always count on to make me feel better.’   

Since announcing her split from the ex-NFLer, 37, the couple has had ups and downs, struggling to finally come to a custody agreement for their kids. 

They dated for 10 months before he proposed to her in April 2011; they called off their engagement in July but reunited by December of that same year.

They tied the knot on June 8, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee. 

The former Hills star filed documents in June, accusing Jay of withholding money from her, according to TMZ.

She found a home late last year that she wanted to purchase but stopped after they decided to try one more time in their marriage; after that didn’t work, and that ‘divorce was inevitable,’ they became talking about their separation in March, though she did purchase it earlier this summer. 

She claimed Jay previously ‘never objected’ for her to get her own place.

The star also accused him of trying to intimate her into accepting an ‘unfavorable’ custody arrangement for their three kids, as well as him refusing to leave their home. 

She said she signed paperwork on the $5.5 million Franklin, Tennessee home in June, not thinking there would be an issue financially after the athletes ‘lack of objection in November’ to the real estate acquisition, US Weekly reported, citing court docs.