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Kelly Dodd's Family Drama On 'RHOC' Is Hard To Keep Up With

by Chrissy Bobic

Every since Kelly Dodd became a full-time cast member on The Real Housewives of Orange County in Season 11, her life has been under a microscope. She began the series with some of her family from back home living with her, but when they were suddenly gone in Season 13, speculation about heavy arguments surfaced and she seemed to be estranged from her mom and younger brother. Now, she might reunite with them and her other brother, JR Meza, could serve as a buffer. But if you’re wondering who Kelly’s brother JR is on The Real Housewives of Orange County, you probably aren't alone.

Although Kelly’s life has been put on blast in recent seasons and she has had to fan away rumors of familial discord and even violence, her brother JR hasn't been shown on the Bravo series. In fact, it looks like he prefers to live a much quieter and drama-free life than his reality TV star sister. And with the way her time on the show has been so far, I can't really blame him.

JR’s Instagram and Twitter accounts are private and with less than 300 followers on Instagram, it's safe to assume he prefers it that way. His Twitter bio does mention family, so he likely holds his family, including Kelly, in high regard, which may be one reason why he lives a spotlight free life rather than a similar one to his younger sister. Unfortunately, that means Kelly’s brother is something of a mystery for now, but he does seem to have a good head on his shoulders regarding all of their family drama.

In a scene from Tuesday’s episode of RHOC which was posted on Bravo’s website, Kelly explains how she and her mom and younger brother had a falling out after they moved out of her house in between RHOC seasons.

"My mother and my little brother, Eric, used to live with me a couple of years ago," she says in the clip. "They said, it'll only be a few months. Well, those few months turned into a year and a half and I felt like my mom and Eric were taking advantage of me, and it caused my mom and me to get in a big, huge fight. They moved back to Arizona… so the last time I talked to my mom was almost two years ago."

Just because there appears to be a rift in the family, though, it doesn't mean Kelly is opposed to working things out with her mom and brother. In the clip, she calls her brother JR to ask his opinion on the matter and he tells her that, because of their mom’s health, it might not be a good idea to visit with them just yet. But the fact that Kelly can call her brother shows they are a lot closer than she probably is with any other family members right now.

On JR’s birthday last year, Kelly posted a collage of photos of them together on her Instagram with a caption that included, "I want to thank you for always being there for me not asking anything of me.. You are a loyal brother, husband and Dad!! I’m so proud of the man you’ve become!!"

While JR’s own social media accounts leave a lot up for speculation, according to Kelly he is married and has at least one kid of his own. It may be another reason why, unlike his sister, he stays out of the public eye and lives a more low-key lifestyle.

I’m sure Kelly’s family drama is far from over, even if she manages to at least partly reconcile with her mom and younger brother on RHOC this season. If nothing else, she's still close to JR.

The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.