The former Laguna Beach star and the former NFL star, who have been married for seven years, announced they were separating in April.
The duo, who had starred in the reality show Very Cavallari, are parents to three children – sons Camden, eight, and Jaxon, six, and daughter Saylor, four.
Cavallari told US magazine People that they had been struggling as a couple for years, and they made a conscious effort to keep their troubles hidden.
She said: “I always thought it was interesting when people would refer to us as ‘couple goals’, I was like, ‘If you guys only knew’.”
She added: “We definitely kept a lot of stuff private. Producers saw stuff, but they didn’t put it in the show — which is good, because I don’t want my kids to ever [see that].”
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Discussing the decision to announce their split, she said: “It didn’t happen overnight. We tried really, really hard for years and years. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”
She added: “I still care so much about him and talk to him almost every day. We have three kids together. He’s going to be in my life forever.”
Addressing what went wrong, she said: “Every relationship has their stuff. I met Jay when I was 23. I was a baby. Jay and I had so much love for each other, but we grew up.
“When you work at something for so many years and nothing’s changing, I think you have to just make a decision. We all want to be happy.”
Cavallari said she is “relieved” the reality show is over, and added: “I just knew I was going to have to talk about everything, and I didn’t want to. Thinking about filming was giving me anxiety.
“My kids are the most important thing to me. What’s best for them? Probably not doing a reality show, having to talk about divorcing their dad.”
She added: “I want to be strong for them, and I want to be the best mom that I can be for them.
“Of course three kids by yourself is a lot, I’m not going to lie. But now that our time is split, I just appreciate it so much more. Every moment that I have with them I just want to love on them and be with them.
“I’m proud for making this decision. It wore at me every single day for years. I feel like my whole world is opening up now because of it, and I’m just feeling the best I’ve felt in a really long time. I’m really excited about the future all around.”
