Kristin Cavallari’s divorce follows a difficult decade for reality star

News of reality star Kristin Cavallari’s divorce comes after a string of devastating personal events, including the mysterious disappearance of her brother.

Kristin Cavallari’s divorce from Jay Cutler after 10 years together caps off a difficult decade for the reality star.

The 33-year-old businesswoman and actress announced she was separating from her retired NFL quarterback husband after seven years of marriage. The pair have three children together.

“With great sadness after 10 years together we have come to a loving conclusion to get a divorce,” their joint statement read.

“We have nothing but love and respect for one another and are deeply grateful for the years shared, memories made, and the children we are so proud of. This is just the situation of two people growing apart.”

The star of her own reality show Very Cavallari, which is available to stream on Foxtel Now, has experienced a difficult few years including the disappearance and death of her brother, Michael, controversies over her anti-vaccination stance and now a – no doubt expensive – divorce.

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler have announced via Instagram that they will be divorcing. Picture: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Cavallari shot to fame in 2004 as a high school junior on the uber popular reality series Laguna Beach, which also starred Lauren Conrad.

The duo’s rivalry over a love triangle with fellow cast member, Stephen Colletti, formed a central plot line on the show about privileged teens in the coastal town as they navigated love, heartbreak and betrayal.

Cavallari was painted as the “mean girl” of the series, with Conrad the main star of the show.

A spin-off in 2006, The Hills, followed Conrad on her move to follow her dreams in Hollywood, with Cavallari joining the cast in 2009 and taking over as the narrator after Conrad’s departure.

While she had already become a well-known figure on Laguna Beach, The Hills was one of the most talked about shows on TV during its six year run, making its cast some of the biggest names in tinsel town.

Her brief romance with fellow star Brody Jenner, the son of Caitlyn Jenner, also made headlines and made Cavallari regular tabloid fodder.

The OG’s.

After The Hills was cancelled in 2010, Cavallari went from strength to strength, appearing on Dancing with the Stars, and had guest roles in series’ Veronica Mars and CSI: NY.

And in 2012, Cavallari presented her first Oscars with the E! team, of which she is still part of.

Kristin at this year’s Oscars. Picture: Robyn Beck/AFP

After having her first child, son Camden, that same year, and marrying her husband Cutler in 2013, Cavallari copped widespread criticism when she came out as an anti-vaxxer and promoted the debunked theory that vaccines are linked to autism in children.

“We didn’t vaccinate. I read too many books about autism and there’s studies. Now, one in 88 boys is autistic and that’s a scary statistic,” she said at the time.

Following outcry from the public, Bravo's Andy Cohen asked her to address the controversy on his show Watch What Happens Live.

"Here's the thing, at the end of the day, I'm just a mum, I'm trying to make the best decision for my kid,” she said.

"There are very scary statistics out there regarding what is in vaccines and what they cause. Asthma, allergies, ear infections, all kinds of things.

“We feel like we are making the best decision for our kids.”

Jay and Kristin in 2011. Picture: Charley Gallay/Getty Images

A year later, things took a tragic turn for the star when her brother Michael went missing.

Detectives began searching for him on November 27, 2015 after his Honda Civic was found abandoned.

At the time of the search, Cavallari uploaded an Instagram picture of herself and her brother as children with a now tragic message which read: “We remain hopeful … I have such gratitude for all those that have shared their support.”

His body was found at the bottom of a rocky slope in Utah two weeks later, however his cause of death has since been ruled as accidental. A coroner ruled in 2016 he died of hypothermia.

“My heart is in a million pieces,” Cavallari said at the time in a post. “Mikey, I could always count on you to make me laugh. You had such a good heart and will be forever missed.

“I'm at a loss for words but I know u are in a better place and finally at peace. I love u so much RIP.”

Michael Cavallari was found dead in December 2015. Picture: Grand County Sheriff's Office

In the subsequent years Cavallari focused on her growing jewellery and lifestyle brand, Uncommon James, and will also make a guest appearance on The Hills reboot, The Hills: New Beginnings, when it begins filming after the coronavirus pandemic settles down.

She was interviewed about her upcoming guest stint on the reality series in March, and in hindsight insinuated some troubles with Cutler when she asked if he’d also be making an appearance.

"Oh, my God. Wouldn't that be funny? No, he's not," Cavallari told ET.

"He would never. He wouldn't do it. I can barely get him to do Very Cavallari.”

Adding, “He's the best. I think secretly he has fun doing it. He would never admit it. I can tell. He's really good at it. He's coming into his own."

Cavallari, and Cutler have requested privacy as they “navigate this difficult time within our family”.