KJ Dillard Wears His Heart On His Sleeve

KJ Dillard's dream has officially come true. He recently received an Instagram follow from Popeye, which is kind of a big deal, considering the classic cartoon is Dillard’s own Instagram profile picture, the inspiration for many of his tattoos, and his animated spirit guide, of sorts.

“He's always getting himself into something, but then he comes back, eats his spinach, gets his energy back, and then he's the most confident dude in the world,” the 28-year-old Summer House star tells me over an espresso on a humid, rainy day as we sit outside one of his favorite spots in SoHo.

The cartoon sailor man’s routine isn’t unlike Dillard’s: On a typical day, he wakes up, makes a cup of coffee, takes his meds, picks out his outfit, and goes about his business. Choosing the perfect outfit is his figurative spinach.

“If I’m wearing a ‘fit that is off to me, my day will be off,” he says. “If I step out and my fit is on, even if something comes up, it’s going to be a great day.” Today, he’s wearing Balenciaga tortoiseshell sunglasses, a Supreme graphic T-shirt, and a chain that reads “KJ” — one of his milestone big purchases after his first appearance on Summer House Season 10.

Before being cast on the Bravo show, reality TV wasn’t on Dillard’s radar. The skateboarder and model from Kansas City knew cast member West Wilson, a fellow Missourian, from their wider social circles and was approached about joining the show. While he was nervous about whether he’d fit in with the cast, his gut told him to go for it. "Intuitive alignment," he calls it.

It was a bombshell season, as veteran Summer House castmates Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke’s marriage problems reached a fever pitch. Off camera, the two announced their separation in January, and rumors began swirling in February that Wilson and Batula were hooking up. Then Batula and Wilson shockingly confirmed their relationship in March, while Season 10 was still airing. Even those who rarely watched the show tuned in as the drama unfolded.

I haven't texted back.

But for the entire cast, it was a communal heartbreak, with housemates new and old standing by Cooke and Ciara Miller after the unexpected betrayal. “I haven't really had much time to process it, because I'm always in go mode,” Dillard says about everything that happened once cameras stopped rolling. “That's what I plan on doing this fall. Focusing on myself physically and spiritually, but also mentally and emotionally, coming from what we just experienced last season.”

In a May 5 episode of Watch What Happens Live!, Dillard shared that he received a text from Wilson the day after the reunion was filmed, but hadn't opened it yet. He read the message live on air; Wilson apologized and left the door open to reconnecting if Dillard felt open to it in the future — though that may not be in the cards. “Things stand the same today as they did in May… I haven't texted back,” Dillard says.

During his first season, filmed in the summer of 2025, Dillard almost immediately fell into lockstep with the group, helping decorate for parties, making breakfast, and debriefing the prior night’s shenanigans in the mornings. It was a refreshing shift from the past, as new housemates, particularly the men, have struggled to mesh, but Dillard quickly made his own connections. He began a relationship with fellow newbie Dara Levitan, and his strong friendship with Miller and Mia Calabrese — whom he’s said are more like his big sisters than friends — charmed fans. “They've told me to make smart decisions,” he says of their most recent sisterly advice.

Sometimes it scares people away to see a man who's just very in touch with his sensitive side.

In more vulnerable moments on the show, he shared how his anxiety manifests and what it’s like to be a Black man on a reality show that takes place in a predominantly white area. Being an open book while filming came naturally. “I wear my heart on my sleeve,” he says. “I've always talked about my emotions. Sometimes it scares people away to see a man who's just very in touch with his sensitive side.”

Dillard was going through his own journey during filming and in the months that followed. At the reunion, which aired in the spring, he shared that he had recently been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and had spent time in the hospital for his mental health in February.

While he thinks fondly about how he showed up during his first season on the show, he doesn’t plan to watch it right away. “I don't like looking back on how I was in the past. It makes me feel uncomfortable,” he says. “But maybe that's something I should challenge myself to do, and that could be a part of the healing process.”

Healing seems to be the overarching theme of Dillard’s current era. He now completely avoids Reddit, and he relies on castmate and friend Carl Radke’s advice to “keep going” and “block out the noise.” He was happy to find that the entire Summer House squad channeled that healing energy into this recent summer when they returned to the Hamptons to film. Though he was tight-lipped about what fans might see in Season 11, he says summer 2026 can be best described as “hot boy summer.” “I had so much fun. I learned a lot about myself this summer too. I'm in a great place,” Dillard says.

At the core, I'm a lover boy.

He’s embracing the current cuffing season with open arms, after his relationship with Levitan ended in June. “At the core, I'm a lover boy. I like spending time with someone I care about. I'm glad I had my single summer because I needed it, and I didn't jump back into anything. I needed time for KJ. But at the end of the day, humans long for love.”

That said, another relationship under the microscope of reality TV is likely not in the cards for him. “I'd rather keep my love life behind closed doors,” he says. “I would love to get into a relationship, maybe not as serious as my last one, but something where I’m spending time with someone, getting to know them, and sharing experiences with them.”

For now, he’s channeling all his feelings into his rap career — which he started before joining the show — and into brand partnerships (he’s particularly proud of his July collaboration with Kenneth Cole, which donates a portion of proceeds to the Mental Health Coalition).

“Music is my therapy right now, and I'm having fun doing it, but I'm also able to tap into different places internally that I can't get to with skateboarding or with fashion or whatever it may be. With music, I'm able to get there,” he says.

I have to take a step back, and I look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘Bro, look where you are. Look what you've accomplished.’

He released “girls in ny” on Aug. 21, a song that name-drops some of his favorite spots around the city, and he’s planning live shows, with his sights set on a tour or a buzzy opening spot eventually. A collab with co-star Jesse Solomon is also not entirely off the table: "I don't know if our styles would mesh well, but it could be something where we could try it out, get into the studio, and just see."

In the immediate future, he’s focused on balancing the highs of summer with the more mundane day-to-day, all while staying grateful. There’s more to come — but he already feels like he “made it,” thanks in part to that Popeye follow.

“It's easy to get caught up in everyday life and forget [where I came from]. At times, I have to take a step back, and I look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘Bro, look where you are. Look what you've accomplished.’ And I'll just give thanks to God,” he says. “My life has changed tremendously.”