Relationships

Caroline Stanbury Says Staying Together for Your Kids Is a Myth

July 20, 2025

Caroline Stanbury has never shied away from the public eye. The English socialite is known for starring in Ladies of London and Real Housewives of Dubai. After Stanbury’s public divorce from Cem Habib, she married her now husband, Sergio Carrallo, on December 18, 2021, in Mauritius. Then, she made headlines for the 19-year age gap with her Spanish heartthrob husband.

But Stanbury doesn’t let the public criticism get her down. If anything, she’s living proof that women can pivot after divorce and start over. She even had a podcast about it called Divorced Not Dead, now rebranded as Uncut and Uncensored.

Stanbury joins Aurora Culpo, host of Barely Filtered, to talk about life after divorce and how staying together for the kids is one big old myth—that so many women fall prey to. Stanbury also explains why the idea of a “fun baby” is purely a lie and shares advice on blended families and women starting over in their personal and professional lives. The good news is—there’s no limit on when you can bounce back.

Divorce is a gift

Next time you talk to a friend who is going through a divorce, Stanbury says to congratulate them. That is the correct response. “So many people see divorce as a negative,” she explains. “Actually, it’s such a relief.”

Divorce is never a knee-jerk reaction. “No woman I know just wakes up and says, ‘This is the day. Today, I am getting a divorce,’” Stanbury laughs. “You have been thinking about it for a long time, so by the time you cross that bridge, you are so f***ing ready.”

Staying together for the kids is a myth

Stanbury has three children with her ex-husband: a 19-year-old daughter, Yasmine, and 15-year-old twin sons, Zack and Aaron. When she got divorced, her daughter was 12 years old, and her twins were 9 years old.

Stanbury is adamant about never staying together for the kids. “Kids can smell bullsh*t,” she insists. “You can’t lie to your children and fake a happy family.”

Women need to remember that their kids will eventually leave. Stanbury says that is exactly what you want them to do—to mature, grow, and go out on their own. “Don’t stay in the wrong relationship and stunt your own growth for your children,” she says. “It’s not going to change anything.”

Also, there is never a “right time” to tell your kids. Stanbury says so many women that she knows held off on telling their kids for years, waiting for the “right time.” “Please tell me when is the right time to let your children know that you are getting a divorce?” she asks. “Nobody wants divorce, but if you just rip the Band-Aid off, you’ll normalize it.”

Children speed up the inevitable

According to Stanbury, children are the number one killer of relationships, in the best possible way. While she doesn’t regret having children, Stanbury believes most people have an idealistic view of children. “I love my kids, and I wouldn’t change it for anything, but if you don’t have a strong relationship, children are not bringing you together, but pushing you apart,” she explains.

Stanbury also wants to dismiss the idea of a “fun baby,” which her husband came up with. However, the truth is that having children doesn’t necessarily bring a couple closer together or help them bond. It’s the exact opposite. Kids are a catalyst—they speed up the inevitable. “I have never met a fun baby,” Stanbury says. “They just speed up the inevitable.”

Advice for starting over after divorce

Stanbury is the queen of reinvention. As a divorcée, she has learned to be comfortable with change and to accept different aspects of herself. “What is funny is when I look back at my family album, I don’t remember the girl I was because I was so different,” Stanbury says about her 19-year marriage. “I was a completely different human, and now, I live this really carefree life.”

From a reality star to a housewife to a businesswoman, Stanbury has learned to master the art of pivoting. “I am not one-dimensional,” she adds. “I’ve lived many lives.”

Today, Stanbury is booked and busy. She invests in properties, hosts her podcast, and owns a health and wellness brand called Bust The Label. Soon, Stanbury is launching a homewear line, and she and Carallo have recently broken ground on a luxury hotel they’re opening in Bali. “No woman knows what she is doing in business,” she explains. “It is literally winging it, but for me, it fulfills me every single day. It was never enough to just do one thing, but I need all of it to be whole.”

Stanbury adds that the concept of work-life balance is a myth. “We work all the time, but our lives happen within that,” she says. “Show me a woman who says she has work-life balance, and I’ll show you a liar.”