Kristin Cavallari, 37, and Mark Estes, 24, breakup fueled by age gap and his desire to ‘start a family’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes' recent breakup might have surprised some fans, but insiders say it was more about being on "different pages" when it came to their future than any dramatic fallout.

Cavallari, 37 — best known for her role in 'The Hills' — revealed over the weekend that her relationship with 24-year-old influencer Mark Estes had come to an end. But sources close to the pair shared with Us Weekly that the breakup wasn’t fueled by scandal or fights.

Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes had different views about the future

As their relationship became more serious, Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes found themselves having deeper conversations about their future. This is when issues began to arise.

“As they started to get more serious in their relationship, issues started to surface,” the source said. “They kept having conversations about the future but weren’t aligned.”

From the start, Estes had been clear about what he wanted from their relationship. He was eager to "settle down and start a family" — making it clear that this was something he had wanted from "the start".

While Cavallari wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of adding to her family, it wasn’t something she was rushing into either. As a mother of three—Camden, 11, Jaxon, 9, and Saylor, 8—whom she shares with her ex-husband Jay Cutler, she felt content with her life as it was.

“Kristin was open to the idea of expanding her brood,” the source noted, “but she felt very content with her life and family as they are.”

The biggest question for Cavallari was whether she wanted to have another baby at all.

“Having another baby was something Kristin wasn’t sure she was on the same page about,” the insider shared. This growing uncertainty about future family plans started to take a toll on their relationship.

Age gap factor in Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes' relationship

Another factor that reportedly contributed to the split was the age difference between Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes.

With a 13-year gap between them, it became clear at some point that they were in different stages of life.

“The age gap started to become a ‘big factor,’” the insider explained, noting that Cavallari enjoyed her independence but Estes was ready for a more settled life.

“Them being in different stages of life was the dealbreaker,” the source added.

Despite the breakup, sources close to the couple noted that the split was amicable. There’s no lingering tension or bad feelings between them.

“Kristin really liked Mark and enjoyed their time together, and there’s no animosity between them,” the insider shared.

“They genuinely had a lot of fun, but it ran its course. She is excited to focus on herself, her businesses, and her kids right now.”

Kristin Cavallari confirms breakup with Mark Estes

Kristin Cavallari confirmed her newly single status during an appearance on Alex Cooper’s Unwell tour live show in Austin, Texas.

During their conversation, the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast host referred to Cavallari as “newly single” — albeit Cavallari didn’t go into any details about what caused the split during the live show.

Interestingly, just a few weeks before the breakup, Estes had appeared on Cavallari’s own podcast 'Let’s Be Honest' where they had a candid discussion about their future. During the episode, Estes admitted that his “end goal” was to get “married” and “have [his] own kid at the end of the day.”

“But I think we decided to just keep on keeping on,” Estes said at the time.

“I don’t think we need to make any serious decisions … right now.” Unfortunately, it seems the two realized that their paths were diverging shortly after that episode aired.

Cavallari and Estes had been dating since February, and it was a whirlwind romance by all accounts. Cavallari was often vocal about how much she enjoyed their relationship, even gushing about their “really hot” romantic life.

But, as with any relationship, fun and chemistry aren’t always enough when the bigger picture doesn’t line up.

Before dating Estes, Cavallari had been linked to a few other high-profile names including 'Bachelorette' alum Tyler Cameron, country singer Chase Rice, and comedian Jeff Dye, Page Six reported.