TV star denies being ‘racist’ after sharing meme comparing George Floyd and Charlie Kirk’s deaths
'No one should ever die'
Real Housewives of Orange County alum Kelly Dodd has never been one to shy away from controversy, and her latest Instagram post proves it. After comparing the media coverage of George Floyd’s death back in 2020 to the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, she’s once again at the centre of online drama.
Floyd’s death at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sparked worldwide protests and a reckoning on racial injustice, while Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10. Kelly’s decision to link the two moments has stirred up heated reactions, with people flooding her comments section.
Kelly Dodd compared coverage of Charlie Kirk and George Floyd’s deaths
Kelly Dodd is so disgusting. That’s why she’ll never be on TV again. #RHOC pic.twitter.com/xeBn97OvWg
— Real Legend (@RHLegend32) September 12, 2025
Following the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, Kelly Dodd was one of many reality TV stars to take to social media to comment on the news. While Savannah Chrisley took to Instagram to pay tribute and share that she was in mourning, Kelly opted for a different approach.
The RHOC alum shared a meme that compared the media coverage of George Floyd and Charlie Kirk’s deaths. After posting the meme to her Instagram Stories, people were seemingly outraged and many labelled Kelly a “racist.”
Kelly defends herself on Instagram
Since Real Housewives of Orange County alum Kelly’s meme was posted, she caused outrage online. Now, she has taken to Instagram to defend her stance after making comparisons between the two men’s deaths. She’s seen in the IG video alongside her husband, Rick Leventhal, where she explains why she’s “not a racist.”
Kelly said: “I’m just so upset that people are calling me a racist. What I was trying to say is that the media celebrates a man that was a convicted felon and had drugs in his system… he shouldn’t have died that way, no one should ever die, never. That’s not being racist. Now, we have somebody that was feared… God… loving, a good family man who quoted scripture and the media calls him the devil… I’m trying to compare and contrast, it’s not being ‘race’.”
She wrote in the post’s caption: “This isn’t about race. It’s about the way the media portrayed two people who were both killed. George Floyd was celebrated as a hero & martyr despite his criminal convictions & drugs in his system. Charlie Kirk has been demonised, despite his faith, family and interest in dialogue and debate on important subjects with America’s youth. You don’t have to agree with him to pay respect. No one should be MURDERED!!”
Reality Shrine reached out to Kelly Dodd for comment. For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates – like Reality Shrine on Facebook.