Kristin Cavallari Praised Staying Friendly With Exes Ahead of Split News

Kristin Cavallari , Mark Estes

Days before Us Weekly confirmed that Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes ended their seven-month relationship, she teased the “benefit” of staying friendly with past partners.

Cavallari, 37, invited one of her exes, personal trainer Jason Walsh, onto the Tuesday, September 24, episode of her “Let’s Be Honest” podcast. She titled the episode “The Benefit of Staying Friends With Your Exes (And Getting Enough Protein)” and referred to Walsh as her “good friend.”

“I think it’s because we were always honest with each other,” Cavallari explained on the podcast. “There was always mutual respect and we never let it get weird after either.”

The Hills alum further noted that Walsh, 48, “was the first person [she] dated” after her divorce from Jay Cutler. (Cavallari and Cutler, 41, split in 2020 and share three children.)

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Walsh, for his part, chalked up the pair’s enduring friendship — Nashville-based Cavallari also still works out with the fitness trainer when she is in Los Angeles — to mutual “admiration.”

“You know my story, where I came from, what my motives are in life [and] what I want to accomplish. It’s pretty simple stuff,” he said. “I look back at my humble beginnings and staying true to myself. I want to stay genuine and authentic. I don’t want to be a hypocrite. I just think that there’s a lot of admiration and respect for one another.”

Walsh added, “I consider you one of my really close and best friends because I trust you implicitly. I love seeing you go through your maturation as a woman and being able to do things.”

According to Walsh, Cavallari is “about the happiest [he’s] ever seen” her.

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“It makes me really f—ing happy,” Walsh gushed.

Cavallari feels the same about Walsh, noting that’s “what is so beautiful” about their dynamic.

“We just want the best for each other and I know no matter what, even if we didn’t talk for two months and I got myself into a situation, I could always call you,” she said. “And you would always be there.”

After Cavallari’s relationship with Walsh fizzled out, she moved on with Estes, 24. The pair debuted their relationship via Instagram in February.

“He makes me happy ,” Cavallari captioned a selfie of the pair.

Cavallari and Estes, a member of the TikTok-famous Montana Boyz, were together for seven months and often clapped back at their age gap. Us ultimately confirmed on Friday, September 27, that the pair split.