When you have children, the dating rules change dramatically. And when you’re a single reality star with three kids under 12, it changes even more.
Since her divorce from former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, “Dancing With the Stars” alum Kristin Cavallari has been linked to a few different people. The most serious was with influencer Mark Estes, who was 13 years younger than the 38-year-old. She’s been single since they split in September 2024.
But Cavallari is ready to jump back into the dating arena. Only this time, she — and her children — have a few rules to follow.
Kristin Cavallari Has Sworn Off Younger Men and Celebrities
“I actually haven’t dated at all this year,” she told Us Weekly. “It’s going to take someone so incredibly special to take up that little bit of free time that I have. I think a lot of times dating was like passing time. Instead of just being alone or sitting with myself, it was really easy to flirt or text someone, even though deep down I knew they were not my future husband. What I’ve realized is that it’s all noise.”
While the “Laguna Beach” star has tried dating apps like Raya in the past, she insists that’s not in the cards this time. “I’ve sworn off dating apps and am manifesting meeting someone in real life,” she said.
And, while it may seem like it’d be easy for someone like Cavallari to meet someone, she says that this time, she’s holding out for Mr. Right. “The past couple of men I have liked weren’t good matches long term for me,” she claimed. “I just refuse to settle even in the slightest so I’m waiting for my ‘perfect’.”
Cavallari Reveals That She’d Like to Get Married Again
When she and Estes broke up, she acknowledged to People that “It’s not because of love lost or something bad happened.” She claimed he was “the best boyfriend I ever had,” but they weren’t compatible long-term.
“I look back when I was 24 and how much life has happened between then, those are crucial years, those are formative years, they’re when you find yourself and he needs to be able to do that,” she said. Which also meant the addition of another rule that met her kids’ approval: “no one younger and no one without kids,” she said.
She also decided that celebrities are out. “I just want to meet a normal guy!” she insisted.
To recap, Cavallari is seeking someone who is 38 or older, has children, is willing to meet in person, and isn’t a celebrity. Anything else? “I would love to get married again when the time is right,” she admitted. “I’m a completely different person than I was in my twenties, so the entire thing will be different.”
…And someone who isn’t afraid of a long-term commitment.
