K.J. Dillard has revealed that his relationship with his girlfriend and Summer House co-star Dara Levitan has temporarily ended due to his mental health issues.
When speaking with Karl Radke on Tuesday’s episode of “More Life with Karl Radke,” the Bravo newbie explained that “before the show, there wasn’t really anything going on.”
“Modeling was slow. I took time off over the summer to focus on shows,” he explained, noting that this left him in a “terrible situation” financially.
“Me and Dara were having a hard time because I was projecting my experiences onto her, and I didn’t realize it,” the reality star recalled.
Dillard explained that despite taking medication for anxiety and depression, she was “unaware” that she was also battling undiagnosed borderline personality disorder. This diagnosis was revealed in the first half of the reunion show “Summer House,” which aired last week.
When Dillard hit “rock bottom,” Levitan ended the relationship “because he had to.”
“I think Dara was going to hang out…but it wouldn’t have been good for both of us,” Dillard explained.
“I needed time. After being hospitalized, I started to recover…and that’s when it was time to say goodbye,” he added of his hospitalization in late 2025 for self-harm.
However, the Bravolebrity admitted that the breakup was for the best, noting that dating while recovering “would have been a mess.”
“If it were me, I would have focused on protecting the relationship rather than my own health,” he reflected. “Recovery has changed my life.”
During the podcast, Dillard also revealed that Levitan is still his “babe.”
“We do a good job of not letting[the public]tear us apart. Of course it affects us individually, but in the relationship, we know what we want from each other and what we’ve been through together,” he explained.
Dillard called her relationship with Levitan “kind of a love story” and insisted the two were not going to be influenced by “outside influences.”
Meanwhile, just last week, the two unfollowed each other on social media, infuriating fans.
Dillard also deleted all photos of Levitan from her Instagram page and posted a series of cryptic messages in a thread, including one that simply read “Welp.”
But a few days later, he released a music video for his song “My Lil Thing,” proving that the online conversation was a promotion for the song.
“She’s mine/Stay close to me and give me a wedding ring/Stay close to me and give me a second name,” Dillard raps in the music video, in which Levitan stars.
The lyrics also refer to an encounter during season 10 of Summer House, with the artist singing, “From the Hamptons to the city, every weekend gets louder.”
In March, Levitan gushed about their romance in an interview on Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea,” proving that he and Dillard are still head over heels.
“For me, there was something different about[Dillard]. He was a little more soft-spoken and he came forward with a very kind, warm energy,” Levitan, who previously dated the controversial West Wilson, revealed to hosts Evan Real and Danny Murphy.
The television personality shared that she and Dillard had many similarities, which allowed her to bring out her “lover girl” side.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
