Kristin Cavallari Explains Mark Estes Split, Custody Changes On Let's Be Honest

Reality TV OG Kristin Cavallari recently disclosed that her relationship with TikTok star Mark Estes had ended.

We reported on the split that Kristin described as "so fresh," after the former Laguna Beach star dropped by Alex Cooper's Unwell Tour in Austin on Friday.

Alex Cooper hosts the blockbuster podcast known as Call Her Daddy, and during the appearance, the two podcasters discussed Kristin's breakup:

"During the live appearance, Alex asked Kristin what it was going to be like to approach being single, to which Kristin responded, 'I mean, that's a good question. It's so fresh, you guys.'

"'Literally,' Alex added. 'It's not even online yet.'"

Of course, it was definitely "online" after that, but Kristin was ready to talk a bit more about the split on today's episode of her podcast, Let's Be Honest.

Kristin Cavallari's Complete Relationship History

The reality star turned businesswoman's relationship with a much younger man turned heads.

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Kristin Called Mark The 'Best Boyfriend' She's Ever Had

She Talked About Their Split And Changes To Her Custody Arrangements

When Kristin told Alex about the breakup, it sounded as if she was still processing it.

Kristin uploaded the latest episode of her podcast Let's Be Honest today, simply titled "The Break Up."

With more time to reflect, she went in-depth about their happy relationship and the surprising reason it ended:

Fans likely expected a bit more from Kristin on the split, but her newly-single status wasn't the only big change she talked about.

One of the reasons Kristin and Mark's relationship drew so much attention was their unusually broad age gap — Kristin is 37, while Mark is 24.

Unsurprisingly, Kristin cited their respective ages as one of the reasons they parted ways, but her explanations for ending things were far more nuanced and altruistic.

Eleven minutes into the episode, Kristin alluded to a "hard conversation for [her]," reiterating that she and Mark had broken up.

Breakups are marked by deep acrimony more often than not, particularly celebrity breakups (just ask Kody Brown).

But Kristin explained that nothing about the end of their relationship was acrimonious, and nothing untoward triggered it:

I just know long term it's not right, and it's not because of love lost or [that] something bad happened. No one cheated.

In fact, Kristin called Mark "the best boyfriend [she's] ever had," and she explained that their peaceful breakup was almost harder than a difficult one:

"It's almost easier if the guy, you know, does something that makes you hate him."

What it came down to, she said, was her feeling that Mark was too young — but again, not for the reasons you might think.

Kristin emphasized that her concerns were not at all about compatibility, nor his maturity.

Rather, it sounded as if she felt his settling down in a relationship would rob him of "crucial" experiences in life — in other words, she broke up with him to ensure he experienced his twenties fully:

"I just know long-term he needs to experience life, you know, he's young. I mean, he is, and I started to feel the age a little bit just with life experience.

"I look back [at] when I was 24 and how much life has happened for me in between then and, I mean, those are crucial years. Those are formative years. This is when you find yourself, and he needs to be able to do that, you know?"

She spoke at length about their split, said she thought Mark would "thank" her someday, and emphasized that she had zero interest in dating in the near future.

Kristin touched on her child custody arrangements with ex-husband Jay Cutler when she discussed dating, mentioning a change to their custody agreement as a factor:

"I have no interest in getting back into the dating world right now. I also don't know how much time I have for dating.

"When I was dating last fall, I was still doing split custody with my ex, and I had every other week off from my kids, and that's changed."

Ultimately, Kristen appeared to be sad – but not conflicted – about the breakup, and said she planned to focus on her house and her kids for the time being.