Why Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler Announced Split Now After Having 'Problems for a Long Time'

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler share sons Camden, 7, and Jaxon, 5, and daughter Saylor, 4

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Culter surprised fans when they announced their plans to split on Sunday after a decade together. But a source tells PEOPLE that the timing — as people around the world shelter at home amid the coronavirus pandemic – was purposeful.

"The reason they announced it now is because it’s a quiet time for them to work through all of this and try to move forward," the source explains.

Prior to announcing their split, Cavallari, 33, and Cutler, 36, returned home after a three-week trip to the Bahamas, which was supposed to be a spring break vacation with their children, as well as her hairstylist Justin Anderson and his fiancé Austin "Scoot" Rhodes. According to the source, they were already planning to split before leaving for the vacation.

"On their recent trip, they already knew they were splitting up," the source says. "Kristin and Jay had been having problems for a long time. They hadn’t spent much time together in recent months."

Kristin Cavallari/Instagram

In her statement on Sunday, Cavallari said she and former NFL quarterback decided to call it quits after "growing apart."

"With great sadness, after 10 years together we have come to a loving conclusion to get a divorce," Cavallari wrote. "We have nothing but love and respect for one another and are deeply grateful for the years shared, memories made, and the children we are so proud of. This is just the situation of two people growing apart. We ask everyone to respect our privacy as we navigate this difficult time within our family."

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler. Mark Humphrey/AP/Shutterstock

And the source says their busy schedules and differing priorities contributed to the split.

"Kristin and Jay are a lot different. She has so much on her plate, with her brands and with the show, and Jay is not as interested in all of that," the source says. "She's so passionate about her work and they couldn’t relate to each other. So it pulled them apart."

Cavallari and Cutler share sons Camden, 7, and Jaxon, 5, and daughter Saylor, 4.

Updated by

Aili Nahas

Aili Nahas

Aili Nahas is the West Coast Deputy News Editor at PEOPLE. She is also the TV deputy in Los Angeles as well as the Weddings Editor. Aili has spent nearly two decades in the entertainment industry and 12 years at PEOPLE.

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