Summer House Star KJ Dillard Reveals the Surprising Tie to Mia Calabrese Fans Missed
Long before sharing a Hamptons house, Summer House stars KJ Dillard and Mia Calabrese were already linked—KJ revealed on Instagram that his mom and Mia’s sister were college roommates, posting a throwback baby photo to prove it.
Summer House just served up one of those small-world reveals you almost can’t script: two of the show’s newbies were technically linked decades before they ever shared a Hamptons rental.
The pre-Hamptons twist
KJ Dillard hopped on Instagram on Tuesday, May 12, and dropped a throwback that explains a lot. He posted a baby photo of himself with his mom and Mia Calabrese’s sister, then spelled out the connection: his mom and Mia’s sister were college roommates and friends. Translation: KJ and Mia have been orbiting the same family circle since before he could walk.
The pic is from more than 25 years ago, and fans went full galaxy-brain in the comments. Andy Cohen jumped in with: 'This is incredible!' Castmate Dara Levitan added: 'Life is so beautiful.' But Mia probably won the reaction game: 'I still cannot believe this! So insane,' she wrote. 'We’ve been family forever!'
Quick catch-up: who’s who
- KJ Dillard: Kansas City native, recently retired pro skateboarder who’s pivoting to modeling and music; debuted on the show in February; dating castmate Dara Levitan.
- Mia Calabrese: Joined in February via her close friend Ciara Miller; came in 'ready to bring the heat, the fun and a little mess,' per Bravo.
- Ciara Miller: Mia’s friend and long-standing cast member.
- Dara Levitan: Newer cast member who quickly became KJ’s girlfriend.
- West Wilson: Ciara’s ex who is now dating Amanda Batula.
- Amanda Batula: Former bestie of Ciara, now with West. Yes, that’s a lot.
KJ and Mia’s first season vibes
When cameras rolled, KJ and Mia clicked as friends in the house. KJ also ended up catching feelings for Dara, and by March he was not playing coy. He told Us Weekly they’re officially together, and then went full soft-launch romantic about it:
'We’re boyfriend and girlfriend. I love her tremendously. She’s the best. I wish she was here right now. She has a completely different upbringing than I do, which I’m attracted to, but emotionally we’re very similar, and I love that about her.'
The messier subplot (because of course)
The biggest shock this season might be West Wilson confirming he’s dating Amanda Batula — who used to be Ciara’s best friend. KJ hasn’t exactly hidden his stance; he’s Team Ciara and not thrilled with the West-Amanda pairing.
Still, after the season 10 reunion taped, KJ read a text from West on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that got to him:
'I wanted to thank you for your articulation and kindness yesterday, despite being hurt. I’ve been off social, and I think I lost touch with how much hurt there was. I’m incredibly sorry.'
KJ’s response was simple and honest: 'It just hurts because it’s, like, me and him were so close.'
Where to watch
Summer House airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo, with new episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.