Michael Cavallari in a photo released after he went missing; Kristen Cavallari arrives at the Melodies For Minds Fundraising event on February 06, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.Photo:Courtesy Grand County, Utah, Sheriff’s Office ; Jason Davis/Getty
Courtesy Grand County, Utah, Sheriff’s Office ; Jason Davis/Getty
Kristin Cavallarilost her brother, Michael Cavallari, when he was just 30 years old.
TheLaguna Beachalum’s brother wasfound dead on Dec. 10, 2015, nearly two weeks after he was reported missing. In the years since, Kristin has reflected on her relationship with Michael, who struggled with substance abuse issues, and oftencommemorates him on the anniversariesof his death.
“Home from a busy morning and thinking of my brother,” she wrote onInstagramthree years after he died. “Today is the 3 year anniversary of his passing and I think this year is one of the hardest- as it’s real now. He’s not coming back and the shock is finally gone. Today and every single day, Mikey, we miss you.”
Kristin and Michael were born to Judith Eifrig and Dennis Cavallari in January 1987 and June 1985, respectively. Though she was close to her brother growing up, Kristin said on a February 2018 episode ofHollywood Mediumwith Tyler Henry that sheknew that her brother struggled with mental illness.
“Mike dealt with, we think, bipolar disorder,” she said on the show. “He would go into these manias and think that everything’s great, everything’s fine and then he would just crash and would be depressed.”
Eight years after his death, Kristin is still keeping her younger brother’s memory alive. From their close relationship growing up to how she continues to honor him, here’s everything to know about Kristin Cavallari’s brother Michael.
Michael and Kristin were separated when their parents divorced
Kristin Cavallari and her brother Michael Cavallari in a throwback photo on Instagram.Kristin Cavallari Instagram
Kristin Cavallari Instagram
Michael even appeared in an episode ofLaguna Beachin season 1 when Kristin asked him if she could ask her dad for a new car, to which he replied, “Keep dreaming.”
Michael and Kristin were close growing up
During a March 2020 episode of season 3 ofVery Cavallari, Kristin shared that she and Michael had atight bond as they grew up togetherin Colorado and Laguna Beach.
“Mike and I were always really close growing up. I have great memories of us as kids,” she said. “He had a very, very sweet soul. He was really goofy and funny, kind of the life of the party in high school. Everyone really loved him. I miss him.”
Michael struggled with mental illness and substance abuse before his death
Kristin Cavallari and her brother Michael Cavallari in a throwback black-and-white photo on Instagram.Kristin Cavallari Instagram
Prior to his death, Michael was “dealing with some demons,” as Kristin explained during her appearance onHollywood Medium.
The reality star said her family speculated that he had bipolar disorder, explaining that he was in a “constant up and down, up and down. And then you throw drugs and alcohol into the mix and it would just enhance everything.”
“There was some sort of paranoia,” Kuehn said. “I’m guessing from what happened he thought someone was chasing him.”
Michael also had numerous confrontations with the law, having been arrested for a DUI in November 2014. He was sentenced to three years of probation, $390 in fines, one day in jail, three months of a first-offender alcohol program and victim impact counseling. In the days before he went missing, he was arrested again after an Orange County woman alleged he was standing outside her apartment with a shotgun following an argument. He posted bail for violating his parole on Nov. 23, 2015.
A friend told PEOPLE that they speculated that’s what Michael could have been running from when he started his drive four days later.
“He was probably sick of getting arrested and thought, ‘I gotta get out of here,’ ” they said, adding that they believed he was headed to Chicago to be with his mom and sister.
His car was found abandoned on a Utah highway in November 2015
While the police searched for Michael, Kristin posted a throwback photo of the two as children onInstagram, thanking her fans for their support in the caption.
“I appreciate all the concern, thoughts, and prayers that have been extended to me and my family,” she wrote. “We remain hopeful and I will share any news that we receive. I have such gratitude for all those that have shared their support.”
Years later, Kristin reflected on her brother’s death in a March 2024 episode of herLet’s Be Honestpodcast, sharing more details of what happened when Michael crashed his car.
“So my brother had a lot of issues with drugs and alcohol and he was coming off of a bender and he was driving from southern California to Chicago," she said. “This was the week of Thanksgiving in 2015. And he hadn’t slept and he was driving through Utah, pulled over, crashed his car and because he was so out of it, he — the airbag went off, he got out of his car, left the car running, left his cell phone in the car.”
She added that they speculated he then got out and walked “really far” and got lost, unable to find his way back.
His body was found nearly two weeks after he disappeared
Days after Kristin shared her post thanking fans, her brother’s body was found in the Salt Wash area, three miles from where he abandoned his car.
The following February, an autopsy showed that Kristin’s brother had died from hypothermia after being exposed to cold temperatures, which thesheriff had previously speculated.
Kristin often honors her brother
Kristin Cavallari and her brother Michael Cavallari in a throwback photo.Kristin Cavallari Instagram
On the second anniversary of Michael’s death, Kristin wrote atouching tributeon Instagram with a black-and-white photo of the two of them as toddlers.
“We lost him completely unexpectedly and it’s been a rough road for me and my family. I’ve had some incredible signs from him though- which give me a lot of peace- including one today 🕯. We love and miss you everyday Mikey,” she wrote in the caption.
Nearly five years after his death, Kristin honored him again during an episode of season 3 ofVery Cavallari. During a trip to Italy, she left a gold coin and a photo of him at the altars of the church where her great-grandparents were married.
“I decided to go back to the church to honor my brother because this is an experience that I really wish I was able to share with him,” she said. “If he can’t be with me in the flesh, I just think it’s a nice thing to do to honor him in spirit.”
Kristin has opened up about dealing with grief after his death
Kristin Cavallari at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards on September 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.Tammie Arroyo/Variety/Getty
Tammie Arroyo/Variety/Getty
In the March 2024 episode ofLet’s Be Honest, Kristin opened up about how she was dealing with her grief eight years after Michael died.
“Grief is a wild thingand I actually feel like it is like a drug,” she said. “It’s almost like you’re in a bit of a haze and it’s a roller coaster, it comes in waves, you finally think you’re okay and it’s like BAM! It hits you again.”
She added that coping with her own grief took time and letting herself feel all the emotions associated with it. Now, she said, seeing “signs” from Michael — specifically gold coins — gives her and her parents comfort.
“I find so much peace in that because it just makes me feel like he’s okay, I know that I’ll see him again and that makes me really happy and it just gives me a lot of peace," she said on her podcast.
She continued, “I think my brother dying and me, like, really diving into the spirituality side of things has made me really comfortable with death and really comfortable with life and really comfortable with hard times because I just really think that we will all see each other again when we die. I really do.”
source: people.com
