Why Kristin Cavallari Says She Cut Her "Narcissist" Dad Out of Her Life

The Hills alum Kristin Cavallari said she severed ties with her dad after "something happened with my kids and it crossed the line."

By Lindsay Weinberg Dec 20, 2023 12:43 PMTags
Watch: Kristin Cavallari Cut Her Dad Off: "I'm F**king done"

Kristin Cavallari is cutting down her inner circle. 

The Hills star shared that she no longer has a relationship with her dad Dennis Cavallari, who she accused of being a "narcissist."

"I cut my dad out of my life about two years ago," Cavallari, 36, said on a recent episode of Let's Be Honest, "which has honestly been the best thing I've ever done."

She confessed that she didn't want to be around him growing up because "he always made me feel like I wasn't good enough."

"But then the flip side of that is, sometimes he would put me on this pedestal and talk me up," Cavallari continued. "Now, as an adult looking back, 'Oh, it was when it benefitted you and made you look good.'"

The Uncommon James founder said she later decided to sever ties with her father after "something happened" with her kids Saylor, 8, Camden, 11, and Jaxon, 9, who she shares with ex Jay Cutler.

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Looking Back at Kristin Cavallari's Star-Studded Dating History

"How I got my dad out of my life was something happened with my kids and it crossed the line," she shared. "And I was like, 'You know what? I'm f--king done.'"

And according to the reality star, he didn't take it well.

Emma McIntyre /AMA2020/Getty Images for dcp

"He blamed me for it, like threw everything back in my face," she said. "When you start now messing with my kids, I'm not doing it."

E! News has reached out to Dennis Cavallari for comment but hasn't heard back.

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Cavallari previously shared that she and her father had "grown apart a little bit" after the death of her brother Michael Cavallari in 2015, who passed away due to hypothermia following a car accident.

"My dad and my brother were close, and, because of that, I think our relationship is very surface," she explained on Very Cavallari in 2020. "It puts a little bit of a void between us."

At the time, she tried to build a family tree and retrace her roots, noting, "I don't know, maybe it just gives us something to bond over and he'll open up a bit more." 

To read more about other celebrities' family dynamics, take a look at these stars and their godparents:  

Stephen Curry & Ayesha Curry

The NBA star and his wife are godparents to Lindsay Lohan and husband Bader Shammas' son Luai, as they revealed with a basketball jersey the athlete gifted them at a Golden State Warriors game in February 2024.

Tyler Perry

The filmmaker recalled the surprising moment when he was crowned godfather to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet Diana.

"They were pretty serious on the phone," he recalled in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan. "I go, 'OK, what's going on?' They said, 'Well, we'd like for you to be Lili's godfather.' I go, 'Whoa.' I take a minute to take that in. And I thought, 'I'd be honored. I'd be absolutely honored.'"

Taylor Swift

The singer announced in 2015 that Jaime King had dubbed her godmother of her son Leo Thames. The Grammy winner posted a photo of her first meeting with her godchild on Instagram, writing, "Meeting my boy."

Jessica Alba

Swift isn't the only celeb that King tapped to be a godparent to her children, having revealed in a 2013 Instagram post that Jessica Alba was her eldest son James' godmother.

"Thank you Jess for your unending love and light," King wrote. "We are so grateful for you." Plus, King shared That '70s Show star Topher Grace is James' godfather.

Khloé Kardashian

Kim Kardashian named her little sis as North West's godmother during her baptism in Israel in 2015. Three years later, Khloé Kardashian returned the favor when she named the SKIMS founder as her daughter True Thompson's potential legal guardian, leading to tension with their older sister Kourtney Kardashian.

"So I can't make anything official until the baby is born…but I am going to probably have Kim as the legal guardian if, god forbid, something happens," the Good American mogul explained in a 2018 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. "I don't know my parenting style until I have a baby, but from what I envision my parenting style to be, I do think it'll be more like Kim. A little more stricter."

Kim's reaction to the title? "It is my honor," she said. "And I will take such good care of your kids."

Dolly Parton

The renowned country singer-songwriter known for her big voice and big hair was named godmother to "Wrecking Ball" artist Miley Cyrus after forming a close bond with her father Billy Ray Cyrus when they worked together in the early 1990s. 

"We just kind of jelled, 'cause we're both country kids. We had a lot of fun just talking about that," Parton said on SiriusXM's Just Jenny in 2019. "And then when Miley came along, I said, 'She's got to be my fairy goddaughter.'" Parton would later make an appearance on Hannah Montana as the titular character's fairy godmother.

Jennifer Aniston

The one where Courteney Cox asked Jennifer Aniston a very special question.

Cox and her ex-husband David Arquette tapped her Friends co-star and real-life bestie as their daughter Coco Cox Arquette's godmother.

After Cox posted a video of her and Coco singing a cover of Demi Lovato's "Anyone" in 2020, Aniston commented, "Aww, just like her godmother taught her."

Joan Collins

The English actress and author is godmother to supermodel Cara Delevingne.

Jamie Lee Curtis

The Oscar winner, once dubbed the "scream queen" due to her starring roles in the Halloween film franchise, is godmother to siblings Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal

B.J. Novak

Who says you can't stay friends with your ex? While their romantic relationship ended, The Office costars and writers remained so close that Mindy Kaling named B.J. Novak the godfather to her kids, Katherine Kaling and Spencer Kaling. While she has never publicly identified the father of her children, some fans have wondered if it's Novak. As for how they feel about the speculation?

"It doesn't bother me," the A Wrinkle in Time star told Marie Claire in August 2022. "He's the godparent to both my kids—and they have such a great relationship—and so far [the rumors haven't] affected my happiness at all, it hasn't affected my kids or B.J…If that's what is going to be titillating to people, I'll take it."

Macaulay Culkin

After becoming close friends with Michael Jackson as a child star, the Home Alone actor was named the godfather of Paris Jackson, the late pop legend's only daughter.

"I am close with Paris," Culkin said on Marc Maron's WTF podcast in 2018. "I'm going to warn you now I am very protective of her, so just look out. I am a very open book when it comes to things but like with her, she is beloved by me."

Nick Jonas

He proved he's a sucker for his niece Valentina Jonas, revealing on Snapchat in 2017 that his older brother Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle Jonas asked him to be her godfather.

The "Jealous" singer posted a photo of himself and his sister-in-law Katie Deleasa holding Valentina on her "Dedication Day," where they were officially named her godparents.

Vin Diesel

After Paul Walker's tragic death in 2013, his Fast & Furious co-tar Vin Diesel was first and foremost there for his then 15-year-old goddaughter Meadow Walker. Their bond held fast, and the action star was there to walk Meadow down the aisle at her wedding to Louis Thornton-Allan in October 2021. 

"I could say that I am so proud of the person you are becoming," Diesel wrote in a 2019 Instagram post for Meadow's 21st birthday. "But the truth is I have always been proud of you."

Tim McGraw

From costars to close friends. After starring in two films together—Friday Night Lights and Country Strong—Garrett Hedlund selected Tim McGraw to be the godfather to his son Rhodes Robert, who he shares with his ex-girlfriend Emma Roberts.

"He's somebody that I admire and respect, not only as an amazing father and an amazing husband, amazing musician and amazing actor," Hedlund told Kelly Clarkson in 2021. "I've known him for a long time."

After first working together in 2006 when they played father and son, Hedlund explained, "I got to first experience him as a father...and we've remained such close friends. He's the best."

Victor Garber

From Spy Daddy to godfather! Jennifer Garner tapped her Alias costar Victor Garber for the important role when she and then-husband Ben Affleck welcomed daughter Violet Affleck in 2005.

Bryan Cranston

Aaron Paul was the one who knocked when he asked his Breaking Bad costar Bryan Cranston to be the godfather of his two children with wife Lauren Paul.

Cranston said that being a godparent to his friend's kids is "truly answering a call."

"It is truly allowing me to go through the experience of what it feels like to be a grandfather," he shared with British GQ. "My jaws hurt from [smiling]."

Of choosing Cranston, Paul told Jimmy Fallon, "I love the man to death. He's one of my best friends in the world, and it was just a no-brainer."

Jake Gyllenhaal

The award-winning actor is godfather to Matilda Williams, the daughter of his Brokeback Mountain costars Michelle Williams and the late Heath Ledger. Matilda counts her mom's Dawson's Creek costar-turned-BFF Busy Philipps as her other godparent.

Meryl Streep

"I mean, she's Meryl Streep."

That was the response Billie Lourd, daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, gave Andy Cohen when he asked what the best part of having the Oscar winner as her godmother was during a 2019 episode of Watch What Happens Live.

Sting & Trudie Styler

The British rock star and his wife are the godparents to Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son Rocco Ritchie.

Rupert Everett

Madonna's adopted son, David Banda, has the My Best Friend's Wedding actor as a godfather, forever and ever.

Zach Braff

The Garden State actor was given the title from his Scrubs costar and real-life best friend Donald Faison, who has two kids, Rocco Faison and Wilder Faison with wife CaCee Cobb

"Thank you to @caceecobb for growing this for @donald_aison and I," Braff joked in Aril 2015 after Wilder's birth. #GodfatherII."

Kathie Lee Gifford

A longtime friend of Kris Jenner, the former Today host is godmother to Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner.

Cameron Diaz

Angels forever! Barrymore picked her Charlie's Angels costar and best friend Cameron Diaz to be the godmother to her younger daughter, Frankie Barrymore Kopelman.

Steven Spielberg

The famed director gave his goddaughters their big breaks, casting Barrymore in E.T. and Gwyneth Paltrow in Hook.

Sophia Loren

The Italian screen legend is godmother to scion-of-screen-legends Barrymore.

Bono

The U2 frontman is godfather to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's twins Knox and Vivienne.

Johnny Depp

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor is godfather to Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter's son Billy Ray Burton.