Kelly Dodd is speaking out after she was fired from the Positive Beverage company following the recent controversial comments the Real Housewives of Orange County star made about the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m glad I could help put Positive Beverage on the map and wish them well,” Dodd tweeted on Sunday, January 31. “I’m also really excited about my next venture in the beauty industry, which is my real passion. Stay tuned!”
Positive Beverage’s founder and CEO Zach Muchnick confirmed on Sunday that the company no longer wants to be affiliated with Dodd.
“Today was a rough day: our stakeholder, Kelly Dodd, was distanced from our company as an ambassador of the brand after the recent weeks and days of social media presence, indicating her opinions about people and the pandemic,” he said in a statement to Us Weekly. “Unfortunately, these values weren’t aligned with our tone and priorities of inclusion, diversity, wellness and health within every pillar of daily life. While she remains a minority shareholder in the company, we made the decision today to formally sever ties with her endorsement and likeness with our brand, so that we can continue our charge to spread good vibes and healthy hydration to everyone!”
The company also addressed the topic via its Instagram Stories. “2020 taught us that words have power and listening can unite…,” the post began.
“Our core values of wellness, community, diversity and inclusion should be reflected by our brand and anyone associated with,” head of Brand, Zach Muchnick comments, “it has become clear over the past few months that Kelly’s controversial views and opinions have distracted from our primary objectives, so effective today, we are no longer affiliated with Kelly Dodd-Leventhal,” the statement read.
“We welcome all people – however they are and whatever they are passionate about – to Positive Beverage,” says CEO, Shannon Argyros, “but there must always be an underlying layer of respect. Unfortunately, we feel Kelly’s stance is no longer congruent with our core values. We appreciate her contributions during our affiliation, and she will always be a part of Positive Beverage’s history, but we do not align with her opinions or global views while we uphold our own values and the values of our customers.”
The statement ends with, “thank you for standing by us as we share positivity, wellness, and health with the world.”
Meanwhile, Dodd reignited speculation that she wouldn’t be back for season 16 days after she shut down reports that she was fired. She raised eyebrows over the weekend after she updated her Instagram bio to read: “Proud veteran castmember of #RHOC.”
According to Us Weekly, the change came hours after she was fired by the Positive Beverage company for seemingly mocking restrictions imposed by a California restaurant to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Dodd was criticized for sharing several videos on Instagram on Saturday, January 30, that showed her dining out with friends in California while not wearing a mask and mocking the restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the pandemic.
In one clip she shouted “Cheers!” in a toast as someone yelled out “to superspreaders,” and one of her friends fake coughed after shouting, “Spread that s—t.”
Dodd later shared a video defending herself on her Instagram Story.
“I’m not a superspreader because there’s nothing to spread,” she said in the clip. “We all got the vaccine and we don’t have it, so there’s nothing to spread about superspreaders.”
“The sheeple are mad,” she added.
Positive Beverage’s founder and CEO Zach Muchnick confirmed that the brand no longer wants to be affiliated with Dodd.
“Today was a rough day: our stakeholder, Kelly Dodd, was distanced from our company as an ambassador of the brand after the recent weeks and days of social media presence, indicating her opinions about people and the pandemic,” he said in a statement to Us Weekly. “Unfortunately, these values weren’t aligned with our tone and priorities of inclusion, diversity, wellness and health within every pillar of daily life. While she remains a minority shareholder in the company, we made the decision today to formally sever ties with her endorsement and likeness with our brand, so that we can continue our charge to spread good vibes and healthy hydration to everyone!”
Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
