Born in Denver, Colorado, she attended Laguna Beach High School as a teenager after spending junior high and freshman year living in Barrington, Illinois.
In 2004, Cavallari came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, which documented the lives of her and her friends.
After moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in 2005, Cavallari appeared in several television series as minor characters.
Cavallari is married to former American football player Jay Cutler.