Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari spent 13 years together. However, long before their divorce made headlines, Cavallari was quietly building something of her own. And as her business grew, it also gave her something less tangible, but far more important: the confidence to leave her marriage to Cutler.

“I will tell you that what ultimately gave me the confidence to leave my marriage was the success of Uncommon James,” said Cavallari on Aspire with Emma Grede. “That gave me the confidence to be like, ‘Yeah, I don’t know what I’m doing.’ And which is interesting because if I didn’t have Uncommon James, I could’ve taken half of his money, right? But because I had this company, there was a really large asset on our balance sheet. I didn’t get anything, which I’m so happy about now. But I don’t get any money from my ex-husband. I had to give him half the value of Uncommon James in cash and properties and everything else.”

Uncommon James is a lifestyle and fashion brand founded and creatively directed by Kristin Cavallari. Launched in 2017, the Nashville-headquartered company transitioned from a boutique jewelry brand into a multi-million dollar lifestyle empire entirely funded and owned by Cavallari.

Uncommon James specializes in minimalistic, everyday aesthetics across multiple lifestyle categories, like jewelry, home goods & fragrance, including clean-burning candles and essential chic decor like bar accessories and tea towels. Then there is Uncommon Beauty, a clean skincare line launched in 2021 that emphasizes a low-maintenance routine.

The Cavallari-pioneered brand has a physical footprint in major U.S. cities, with a 3,500-square-foot storefront and corporate headquarters located in Nashville. Additionally, the brand also operates outlets in Chicago, Dallas, and Charleston. Through these locations, the company reportedly generates at least $20 million in revenue, giving Cavallari the confidence to make her life decisions.

Former Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari started dating in 2010. After nearly eight months of dating, Cutler proposed in Mexico. However, the couple ended their engagement three months later in July 2011. Cavallari later revealed she broke off the engagement to send a wake-up call about the issues in their relationship. In November 2011, the pair reconciled and put the engagement back on track.

A few months later, in August 2012, Cutler and Cavallari welcomed their first child, a son named Camden Jack. And then in June 2013, they officially tied the knot in Nashville, Tennessee. Between 2014 and 2015, they welcomed two more children: Jaxon Wyatt (November 2014) and Saylor James (November 2015). However, in the following years, things turned tumultuous for Cutler and Cavallari.

In April 2020, the pair released a joint Instagram statement announcing their decision to divorce, citing that they had “grown apart.” However, the legal filings quickly turned contentious, with cross-claims of “marital misconduct” and disputes over “irreconcilable differences. Following two years of legal stalemates, their divorce was legally finalized in June 2022.

Cavallari also added that she received no spousal support from Cutler, though the settlement details remain disputed. However, Jay Cutler refuted these claims last year during the Outsider podcast, calling them “completely false.”