KELLY Dodd is spilling secrets from her time spent on The Real Housewives of Orange County, claiming that she was fined by Bravo for her controversial choice of headwear.
The former RHOC star, who was fired from the show in June, says her personal and differing opinions not only cost her money, but eventually her job.
Speaking on the Behind The Velvet Rope podcast, Kelly, 46, told host David Yontef her decision to wear a novelty hat that read “Drunk Wives Matter” during her bridal shower in 2020, which took place as the country was engulfed in the Black Lives Matter debate, cost her dearly.
“I got fined for wearing a drunk wives matter hat and I didn’t even buy it. I didn’t even, it was given to me at my- and I didn’t wear it on the show,” she said.
The reality star further explained the pricey punishment: “I got fined $16,000 and they wouldn’t tell me why, but I know it was one of those reasons, was that wearing that hat was one of the things…
“It was general behavior of, of why I got charged $16,000 though.
“They wouldn’t give me specifics, but I know I caused them a lot of grief because they did promote BLM so much.”
At the time, fans of the show flocked to Kelly’s Instagram post to share their fury.
One fan wrote: “It’s really sad to see you in that hat, so insensitive.”
Another shared a similar sentiment, adding: “That hat is very insensitive but okay,” as one disgruntled follower wrote: “Kelly your hat is not funny.”
Just a few days later, Kelly released a statement addressing the controversy: “Over the weekend at my bridal shower I got lots of gifts and briefly displayed them.
“One was a hat with a play on words since I’m about to be a wife, I’m on a Housewives TV show and might be drunk once in a while.”
She continued: “It was not intended to offend or make any kind of statement.
“Of course I support Black lives and racial equality!”
LET GO
This past June, fans learned Kelly was not invited back to the show after five years as one of its stars.
Also on the latest Behind The Velvet Rope podcast, Kelly said her conservative beliefs and actions led to her departure, while some of her co-stars who have been faced with legal troubles remain.
“People that have been involved in the law that have committed real crimes, allegedly, they can be on there, but somebody who has an opinion and who doesn’t fit their narrative can’t.”
But Kelly says ultimately, the timing may have been right to move on.
“It was a good gig. I had a five-year run. I worked a few months a year for really good money,” she shared on the episode.
“However, there was a lot of negativity towards that, you know, being on that show.
“And to be quite honest, my daughter didn’t want to do it anymore. She was like, ‘I’m not getting paid, I don’t want to do it,’ And I was like, ‘okay.’
“And it was that the climate that’s going on right now. I’m glad I wasn’t on this season.”
Kelly, 46, shares daughter Jolie Dodd, 15, – who made brief appearances on the show – with her ex, Michael.
MORE CONTROVESRY
Kelly would continue to court controversy even after her days on the show were behind her, when she and her husband Rick Leventhal were slammed for their choices of Halloween costumes this year.
The former Fox News correspondent, 61, dressed up as a gun-toting Alec Baldwin in a cowboy outfit on the set of Rust.
The controversial costume came just days after the actor accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the film’s set.
Meanwhile, Kelly, who previously announced she that she is 30 percent Native American, dressed in a stereotypical “Indian costume.”
Rick shared a photo of the couple in costume on Instagram, with the caption: “Kelly celebrated her Native American heritage & I celebrated the great American film actor Alec Baldwin.”
A month earlier, she was slammed for posting pics of “huge high school boys” as she shared photos from her 15-year-old daughter Jolie’s homecoming.
Alongside the slides, the RHOC alum wrote: “@joliedodd homecoming!! These boys are huge they didn’t look like this when I was in HS in 1993!! And I’m not Mary Kay Letourneau!! #homecoming.”
BEEF WITH ANDY
Back in September, Kelly slammed Bravo boss Andy Cohen, 53, for telling her she is on the “wrong side of history” for making controversial comments about Covid-19.
During an episode of her podcast, Kelly reflected on the Housewives executive producer’s reaction to previous her behavior during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Andy Cohen came after me. Because we had our wedding on 10/10 then filmed the reunion?” Kelly asked as she began the conversation from the September 15 episode of their show.
The Bravo alum continued: “He was like, ‘How dare you go travel and have a wedding in a pandemic? How could you?’
“I was told I’m on the ‘wrong side of history’ for wanting kids in schools, trying to sell two of your homes in New York and Florida and here I am… three times as many cases now.
“But I was told I’m on the wrong side of history.”
