Kristin Cavallari has set the record straight on romance rumors with Austen Kroll following their Mallorca vacation together.
The “Let’s Be Honest” podcast host, 39, devoted a portion of Tuesday’s episode to shutting down speculation that she and the “Southern Charm” alum, 39, had hooked up during the trip. “Let’s f–king talk about it,” she said on the podcast. “Every f–king DM I’ve had for the last two weeks has been about Austen Kroll coming [on the trip].”
Cavallari was unequivocal about the nature of their relationship. “There was zero hooking up. We weren’t even flirting or anything. He’s like a buddy,” she claimed. She went on to praise Kroll’s character, dubbing him “so respectful and so cool,” as well as a “big teddy bear” with “the biggest heart.”
Her close friend Justin Anderson, who joined the trip, chimed in to support her account. He told listeners there was “none of that weird tension” — despite admitting he had initially been “nervous” Kroll would get drunk and hit on Cavallari.
Cavallari continued, “I’ve always had male friends. … I’ve always enjoyed men probably because I’m basically a dude.”
She “without a doubt think[s] men and women can be friends,” explaining, “I think Austen and I are a good example of that. I don’t think Austen likes me or has a crush on me,” She added, “We’re able to actually just be friends, and I think that’s why it was such a beautiful thing. And it was never awkward.”
Cavallari did not hold back on her physical appreciation for Kroll, co-signing Anderson’s opinion that Kroll “has aura, man.” She gushed, “I think he’s hot. In person, he’s hot. … He’s six foot five, you guys. He makes all of us feel little.”
In the viral moment that first sparked speculation years ago, the “Laguna Beach” alum was spotted hanging in Nashville with Kroll and his co-star Craig Conover, 37, in December 2020. She clapped back via Instagram Stories at the time, captaining a selfie: “I didn’t realize I wasn’t allowed to have FRIENDS that are guys,” Kroll shared a similar sentiment on “Watch What Happens Live” that same month, explaining, “Honestly, she slid into Craig’s DMs and was like, ‘I’m coming into town.’ So we all went to dinner and we all just kind of hit it off.”
The following July, Cavallari railed against “gossip bulls–t” claiming she was in a “love triangle” with Kroll and Conover. “I’ve never dated either one of them, I can guarantee that I’m not gonna date either one of them, and it’s possible for a grown woman to be friends with a grown man, and for that to be it,” her social media statement read.