Kelly Dodd says she’s still paying the price for speaking out.
The former “Real Housewives of Orange County” star, who describes herself as socially liberal but fiscally conservative, says she feels alone because she harps on cancel culture, political division and the backlash that has dogged her for years, refusing to conform.
“I feel like if you don’t believe along the same lines as them, they don’t like you…I feel like an outcast,” Dodd said on Jamie Kennedy’s podcast.
“I feel politically discriminated against.”
The reality TV personality, who was fired from “Real Housewives” in 2021 after being accused of controversially commenting on the coronavirus pandemic and mocking the Black Lives Matter movement, suggested that ideological differences are becoming increasingly divisive in the United States, arguing that people with opposing views are often treated differently.
“It’s like a rule to me, but not to you,” Dodd said.
Dodd criticized what she saw as growing intolerance on the left, but insisted she respects the right of people who disagree with her views.
“If you’re a Democrat and believe all of this, I don’t hate you,” she said. “I respect your opinion. I don’t hate you because of your leanings. You like your policies…It’s your right as an American to feel that way. I don’t hate you politically for that.”
“But they hate people who don’t think like them. So it’s really hypocritical. The hypocrisy is real, but I don’t understand it.”
Ms. Dodd also talked about her time living overseas and how what she saw in China is similar to what she sees in the United States today.
“I’ve been a Democrat all my life, but then I moved to China and realized how much freedom you don’t have to speak out,” she said. “On Facebook, they just watch your every move. And I feel like this is where we’re going. We’re entering socialist-communist territory, I’m telling you right now.”
Dodd went on to draw comparisons to developments she believes are occurring in the United States.
“And that’s what’s happening in our country right now. Our civil liberties are being taken away from us in ways you don’t even realize,” she said.
“When you move to a communist country, you realize that these policies are happening in real time and right now. It’s really scary,” she said.
“I changed my perspective on policies…those policies don’t work.”
Her latest remarks come several years after she found herself at the center of controversy over social media posts that sparked intense criticism online.
In May 2022, the “Real Housewives of Orange County” alum shared a message on X that compared the discussion about school safety after the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting to the safety measures put in place after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, sparking backlash.
“After 9/11, we didn’t shut down planes. We secured cockpits. We secured schools,” the post read.
The post quickly drew criticism from social media users, with some arguing that increased security in schools was not a suitable alternative to changing gun laws.
In response to the backlash, Dodd clarified her position in a subsequent post.
“I never said we shouldn’t have stricter gun laws,” she wrote at the time. “We believe we must do better to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.
“Meanwhile, while these people have guns and can still buy them, we need to protect our children better.”
