REAL Housewives Of Orange County’s fired Kelly Dodd and her husband, Rick Leventhal, now seem “happier” despite the duo now being booted from TV.
The decision to drop Kelly from the popular show did not surprise many fans, as she has stirred up drama with her controversial views and comments.
Rick, 61, recently told Page Six: “I’ve been with a terrific network for 24 years and am so proud of the work I did and so thankful for the support from colleagues and viewers.
“I’m living my best life in California with Kelly now and have never been happier.”
Rick and Kelly, 45, were spotted on a public outing, as the pair both smiled as they were photographed while on a walk at Newport Beach.
The now former Fox News correspondent also revealed his wife is “really excited” to see where she goes from here.
He said: “Kelly had a terrific five years with ‘RHOC’ and developed a remarkably loyal fan base who’ve shown her incredible love and support, especially this week.
“She is grateful to Bravo for all the opportunities and we’re both enjoying our newfound freedom. She and I are really excited about this change in our lives, giving us the time and room to be more creative on our own and make our dreams come true together.”
Earlier this week a Bravo spokesperson confirmed that Kelly, as well as Braunwyn Windham-Burke, will not be returning for the next season of RHOC following their controversial behavior.
Fans also learned former star Heather Dubrow is making a return.
Kelly has ruffled plenty of feathers in the last couple of months – she previously sparked outrage when she made a toast to “super spreaders” while partying in a crowded restaurant with Rick and friends.
In the clips, there were people cheering “no masks” at the party, along with cries of “screw Covid.”
Kelly would later defend their actions, saying: “I’m getting a lot of hate because we’re at a restaurant we’re allowed to be at. We’re allowed to be at a restaurant!”
Drink company Positive Beverage didn’t accept Kelly’s version of events, however, and gave her the axe for her “controversial views and opinions.”
Back in April 2020, Kelly also claimed people who died from Covid would have “died anyway” with or without the virus – and compared it to getting the flu.
Her controversial comments continued months later, when she faced backlash for wearing a novelty hat that read “Drunk Wives Matter” – a play on the Black Lives Matter movement – to a bridal shower.
An insider exclusively told The Celeb Report: “Kelly’s comments about Covid, Black Lives Matter and other political and social issues was ultimately the reason she was let go.
“She’s very upset, of course. She feels she was treated unfairly but is excited for her next projects, her career is just taking off.”
However, the source added Kelly “ultimately wishes the show well and wants to move forward with her life.”
Not soon after getting the boot, Kelly ripped fired star Braunwyn, as she shared a text message exchange between the two.
Kelly told the mother of seven: “This is your fault, we’d still be in the show if you didn’t make things so dark and ugly and brought all that political ‘woke’ BS. Your lies about me, calling me a racist and a homophobe were horribly destructive and your phony storylines didn’t help either.”
Braunwyn, 43, clapped back by saying: “Well, I’m still sober and still gay, like I said, if you ever want to talk, I’m here.”
