Kelly Dodd of The Real Housewives of Orange County had been fascinating to watch on the show as she ticked off her co-stars. However, fans didn’t expect to feel attacked by one of the stars of the Bravo series. That is how many felt when Dodd played down the pandemic and seemingly mocked COVID as families grieved the loss of their loved ones at home. Almost a year later, Dodd’s future on the franchise could be in jeopardy and she’s bracing for the worse.
Times are changing
Although Dodd has always made controversial statements, none had produced the huge backlash her COVID-19 statements generated. Dodd was seen as the future of RHOC as Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge exited the reality series after more than 12 years. Season 16 didn’t have any of the OGs holding an orange anymore and it would’ve been Dodd’s chance to shine.
However, as the mysterious virus hit U.S. soil, uncertainty began to set it. Production for RHOC was halted soon after they began filming as everyone tried to grapple with coronavirus.
Dodd is a heavy social media user and is never afraid to speak her mind just like on the reality series. Replying to criticism for traveling while the country was on lockdown, she played down the seriousness of the virus and said COVID-19 was “God’s way of thinning the herd.”
When Dodd appeared on Watch What Happens Live, Dodd said she regretted making that statement as it was deemed insensitive by fans.
“Of course I regret saying that,” Dodd said of her “thinning the herd” comment. “It was a stupid thing for me to say, it was insensitive and I apologize if I hurt or offended anybody. That wasn’t really my intention… I got really freaked out about it. In hindsight, it was the stupidest thing I’ve ever said.”
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Kelly Dodd continues to be controversial
More recently, California lifted a statewide order and allowed restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining. Dodd, who leans conservative and has criticized the Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, celebrated going out and documenting the gathering of her friends.
As Dodd broadcasted on Instagram Live, a man is heard saying no one in the restaurants had masks and they were all “super spreaders.” The entrepreneur echoed those words and cheered on being “super spreaders.” Keep in mind that in less than a year the U.S. death toll for people affected by the coronavirus horribly approached 500,000.
Soon after the video went viral, Positive Beverage announced they were cutting ties with Dodd. Although the latter claims she still owns 5% of the company, they stated they denounced Dodd over her “controversial views.”
“Our core values of wellness, community, diversity, and inclusion should be reflected by our brand and anyone associated with it,” Head of Brand, Zack Muchnick, said in a statement. “It has become clear over the past few months that Kelly’s controversial views and opinions have distracted from our primary objectives, so effective today, we are no longer affiliated with Kelly Dodd-Leventhal.”
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Kelly Dodd expects to be fired
The consequences of Dodd’s words and her lack of sensitivity to Americans that are experiencing losses in their family, have made Dodd lose out on business opportunities. After Positive Beverage sent a message by firing her, many fans are expecting Bravo to follow suit. Now, a source close to Dodd is revealing that the reality TV personality is also expecting to be cut from RHOC.
“Although she would love to stay on the show, she has come to terms with it,” an insider told E! News. “She knows it’s coming.”
The source also said that Dodd feels the network is favoring other cast members like Braunwyn Windham-Burke. As of now, Bravo has not made any official announcements about the future of the franchise. However, Andy Cohen, who is an executive producer on the show, hinted that a reboot could be happening.