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Kelly Dodd hasn’t been on The Real Housewives of Orange County for a while, but the dramatic reality TV star never fails to make headlines. Even now, as a private citizen, she has found her way into the news, but it is not for a good reason. Dodd has some serious legal issues to contend with, including a revenge porn case and a separate battery charge. Here is everything we know so far.

Kelly Dodd has been charged with distributing revenge porn

Kelly Dodd’s legal trouble is stacking up. She has officially been charged with a host of crimes associated with revenge porn that could land her behind bars if convicted. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Kelly “unlawfully and intentionally” distributed images of a Jane Doe engaged in sexual activity. Prosecutors say Kelly shared the revenge porn on or around August 29, 2025, and that the person in the video suffered severe emotional distress as a result.

Kelly allegedly recorded the footage without the person’s consent under circumstances where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy. Court documents suggest Kelly and the unnamed victim had agreed to keep the images private, making the alleged distribution a direct violation of that agreement.

That isn’t where the drama stops, though. According to the same court documents, Dodd took things a step further and threatened the victim with bodily harm around the time she released the images. Kelly Dodd claims the case is built on “lies and bull***t.”

There is a separate battery case underway

Unsurprisingly, the revenge porn and criminal threats charges are not the only legal issues Kelly is facing. She has also been charged with battery. The battery charge involves a different Jane Doe and stems from an alleged incident in June 2025. The two cases involve separate alleged victims.

Between the revenge porn case and her battery charge, Kelly is now facing three misdemeanor charges and potential jail time. While jail time isn’t a given in this situation, it is entirely possible that she will serve time if convicted on all three charges.

Kelly Dodd’s time on ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’

Kelly Dodd’s current charges aren’t shocking fans who watched her bring chaos to The Real Housewives of Orange County. During her tenure on the show, she stirred up plenty of drama and loved a good confrontation. Viewers were first introduced to Kelly at the start of season 11, through former housewife Meghan King.

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She remained a full-time housewife until the conclusion of season 15. Dodd didn’t leave of her own accord. According to several sources, she was fired after executives, producers, and her fellow castmates grew tired of her comments and off-screen controversies.

Dodd refused to go quietly, consistently speaking out about her dismissal. Later, she contended that she was fired because of her conservative political views. “No, because I’m conservative. That’s why I got fired, pure and simple,” she wrote in response to a fan on social media.

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