Early Life and Early Career
Kelly Dodd was raised in Arizona and attended Catholic school before graduating from Arizona State University. Before entering the public spotlight, she worked in the corporate world, most notably as Chief Operating Officer of Kiss Me Mirrors, a Newport Beach-based beauty company.
Reality TV Fame and Business Ventures
Dodd gained national attention after joining “The Real Housewives of Orange County” in 2016. Her brash personality, outspoken nature, and willingness to confront her castmates made her a standout — and frequently divisive — figure on the show. Her time on the show coincided with a rise in social media visibility, merchandising opportunities, and brand endorsements. In 2019, she became a part-owner of Positive Beverage, a wellness drink company. However, after making a series of controversial public statements in 2020 — including dismissive comments about COVID-19 and posting a photo wearing a hat that read “Drunk Wives Matter” — she faced backlash from fans and her business partners. Positive Beverage publicly severed ties with her in 2021. That same year, Bravo chose not to renew her “RHOC” contract. Since leaving the show, Dodd has focused on online content, including a joint YouTube and podcast series with her husband called “The Rick & Kelly Show”. She has also teased plans for a return to the beauty industry.
Personal Life
Kelly Dodd has been married three times. Her first marriage, to lawyer Scott Silva, ended in 2004. In 2006, she married Michael Dodd, the then-President and COO of LeapFrog Enterprises, a technology company specializing in educational toys. The couple had one daughter, Jolie, in 2006. Their marriage was rocky, involving several separations before ultimately ending in divorce in 2018. In 2019, Dodd began dating Fox News correspondent Rick Leventhal. The couple married in October 2020 in a small ceremony in Napa Valley. Dodd often credits Leventhal with providing a sense of stability in her life, and the two frequently appear together on social media and “The Rick & Kelly Show.”
Real Estate
In 2014, Kelly and Michael purchased a $3.58 million ocean-view home in Corona Del Mar, which they extensively renovated. Amid their divorce, the house was sold in 2017 for $5 million. In early 2021, Kelly and Rick purchased a 2.3-acre parcel in La Quinta and began planning to construct a 7,000-square-foot mansion. They ultimately abandoned those plans and flipped the lot. In January 2022, Kelly and Rick paid $715,000 for a home in Palm Desert, California.
