Kelly Dodd is calling a former castmate "thirsty" after the latter called for the ousting of the "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star over racially-charged comments she made in the past.
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Earlier this week, Tamra Judge said publicly that Kelly should be fired from the Bravo show after a video from 2016 resurfaced in which she said she doesn't "like Black guys." Kelly, who appeared to be inebriated in the video, also added, "I don't even know any Black guys."
"That TMZ video is disgusting!" Tamra said, referencing the recent firings of several "Vanderpump Rules" stars. "Bravo shouldn't just single certain people out like Stassi [Schroeder] & Kristen [Doute]. There should be zero tolerance at this point."
Kelly was then asked what she thought of Tamra's comments.
"She's just thirsty and mad she got the bullet 🤯🔫," Kelly said, referencing the fact that Tamra left "Housewives" earlier this year. "Grasping for straws poor thing .. I hope she finds happiness."
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On Thursday, Kelly — perhaps in response to the controversy — posted a comment on Instagram that read, "Don't argue with people on social media. Every classroom had a kid that ate paste. That's probably who you're arguing with."
She added, "I'm going to stop arguing with people on my social media!"
The controversy surrounding the 2016 video isn't new. After TMZ first published it, then-"Housewives" star Heather Dubrow shredded Kelly, saying racism has no place at Bravo or in society.
Kelly later apologized.
"I am truly embarrassed. There is no excuse for bad behavior or comments that offend anyone," she said. "That video does not represent who I really am and I apologize for acting irresponsibly."
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This is far from the first time Kelly has apologized for controversial comments — she's done it several times this year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In April, she said Covid-19 was "God's way of thinning the herd."
She even wrote that regardless of the pandemic, "many [would have] died anyway!!" Kelly later apologized twice, claiming she's "not insensitive." She later called her own comments "so ridiculous and so stupid."
However, just a few weeks later, she compared the virus to the flu and again seemed apathetic about the lives lost.
During that video, a friend chatted with the reality TV star about the pandemic, speaking specifically about the number of deaths in New York.
"But how many people die on a daily basis?" Kelly asked, then added, "Well, people are going to die! I'm sorry to tell ya."
After those comments and the ensuing backlash, Kelly posted a video to Instagram titled "Dealing With Haters?" She later deleted it.
Then, in late May, she again faced backlash and was labeled insensitive after celebrating that few people appeared to be wearing masks in her hometown.
"Yeah, no one's wearing masks here in Orange County. Yup, because no one is dying here of the virus," Kelly said, despite the fact that 133 people in her hometown had died from Covid-19 at that point. The number of deaths has since increased.
Again, she posted a video to clarify.
"I was by no means minimizing deaths that have been caused by this virus, and I feel for their loved ones," she said. "However, Orange County has 133 deaths out of 3 million people — much lower than most."
She added that she was celebrating the lack of masks because she "felt encouraged and excited that people were out and about and there was some semblance of normalcy."
