Kelly Dodd slams cancellation culture, says she’s treated ‘like an outcast’ in Hollywood
Kelly Dodd says she still pays a price for speaking her mind.
The former “Real Housewives of Orange County” star, who calls herself a social liberal but likes to save money, is heard talking about the cancellation of culture, political division and backsliding that has followed her for years, saying she feels alone in refusing to go along with it.
“I feel like if you don’t believe the same way they believe, they don’t like you … I feel like I’m an outcast,” Dodd said on Jamie Kennedy’s podcast.
“I feel like I’m being discriminated against politically.”
The reality television host, who was fired from “Real Housewives” in 2021 after making controversial comments about the COVID-19 pandemic and accused of mocking the Black Lives Matter movement, suggested that ideological differences have become more divisive in America, saying that those with opposing views are often treated differently.
“It’s like rules for me but not for you,” Dodd said.
Although he criticizes what he sees as growing intolerance from the left, Dodd is adamant that he respects the rights of people who disagree with him.
“If you’re a Democrat and you believe in all these things, I don’t hate you,” he said. “I respect your opinion. I don’t hate you because you’re leaning — you like principles … That’s your right as an American to feel that way. I don’t hate you politically for that.
But they hate anyone who doesn’t think like them. So, it’s just hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is real, and I don’t understand that.”
Dodd also talked about his time living abroad and how the things he saw while in China seem to be similar to the things he sees in the US today.
“I was always a Democrat, all my life, then I moved to China, I realized that you are not allowed to speak freely,” he said. “On Facebook, they were just watching your every move. And I feel like that’s where we’re going. We’re going to go into a communist state, I’m telling you right now.”
Dodd went on to draw comparisons with the developments he believes are taking place in the United States.
“That is what is happening now in our country. Our civil liberties have been taken away without even knowing it is happening,” he said.
“I think when you move to a communist country, you realize that those policies are made in real time, and it’s really scary,” he said.
“I’ve changed my mind about the policy … Those policies don’t work.”
His latest comments come years after he found himself at the center of controversy over posts on social media that sparked widespread criticism online.
In May 2022, the “Real Housewives of Orange County” alum received backlash after sharing a message on X comparing discussions about school security following the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting to security measures implemented after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The post said, “After 9-11 we didn’t block the planes. We protected the shelters. We protected the schools.”
The document quickly drew criticism from social media users, with some saying that increased school security was not a substitute for changes in gun laws.
After the retreat, Dodd clarified his position in a subsequent post.
“I NEVER said we shouldn’t have STRONG gun laws,” he wrote at the time. “I believe we have to do a better job of keeping WEAPONS out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.
“Right now, even though these people have guns and can still buy them, we need to PROTECT OUR CHILDREN BETTER.”
