Kristin Cavallari Cries Over Son Camden, 12, Being Tackled in Football Game: ‘He Went Flying’

Kristin Cavallari is opening up about the unexpected emotional reaction she had to her son Camden getting tackled hard in his football game.

"This was not my intention, by the way, to cry. I thought I'd give everyone a life update. I thought I had worked through all of this," Cavallari, 37, began on the Tuesday, September 17, episode of her " Let's Be Honest " podcast. "My oldest, Camden, has been playing football for middle school — tackle football. It's been so emotional. I actually cried before Camden's first game. I was like this, I was holding back tears. I was like, 'I just don't want you to get hurt.'"

Recalling that Camden, 12, told her that he's "not going to get hurt" because he's "got all these pads, so even if I get hit, I'm gonna be okay," the Laguna Beach alum went on to tell listeners that she thought it was "so sweet" that Camden was "trying so hard to reassure" her that she had nothing to worry about.

She continued, "And then the third game, he got hit and he went flying. And he fell hard. And I just knew as a mom how scared he was after that first hit. And that's what f---- me up more. Thinking of him being scared out there, it just wrecks me. That was honestly one of the hardest things I've had to sit through."

Kristin Cavallari Through the Years: From ‘Laguna Beach’ to Mother of 3

While the Uncommon James founder said she thinks "football and all these sports are really good for these boys in so many ways," she admitted through tears, "I just don't know how to do it. I don't know how to do it."

Followers were quick to offer words of support in the comments section of her post, with many sharing their own experiences as parents with children in sports.

"The most relatable fear as a mom — letting them go while still protecting them," wrote one social media user.

Another added, "My son, who is an athlete, stresses me every day to play football because his main sport right now is baseball. He’s a sports kid, and if he could, he’d play every sport out there! But football scares me for him and gives me so much anxiety. Thank you for sharing this video! I really feel your fear."

This isn't the first time Cavallari opened up about Camden playing football. While speaking exclusively to Us Weekly ahead of his first game in August, the Hills alum shared similar comments about being nervous before the matchup.

"I was a wreck the night before. I was crying to him, and I didn’t want to. I think with kids, I want to show emotion, obviously, but I also don’t want him to have to worry about me,” she said. “I was shedding tears, but I was trying to hold them back.”

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler’s Ups and Downs Through the Years

Along with Camden, Cavallari shares son Jaxon, 10, and daughter Saylor, 8, with ex-husband and former NFL player Jay Cutler .

Cutler, 41, and Cavallari met in 2010, wed in 2013 and announced their split in 2020. They finalized their divorce in 2022. She has since moved on with TikTok star Mark Estes .

While answering fan questions on a November 2023 episode "Let's Be Honest," Cavallari revealed that despite the ups and downs of her and Cutler's relationship, she doesn't regret getting married at a young age.

"As cliché as it is, I really think everything I’ve gone through has made me who I am,” Cavallari said. “And I mean, getting married, obviously it got me my three kids, but it got me to Franklin, Tennessee. It ultimately led me to launch Uncommon James because I was living in Chicago and really needed something to do. And I’m so thankful for that. That’s what I’m the most proud of professionally.”