‘Summer House’ Newbie KJ Dillard Said His Dad Played for a Prominent Baseball Team
The new Bravolebrity also credited his mom for raising him and his siblings.
Published Feb. 5 2026, 4:10 p.m. ET
It's hard to imagine, but Bravo fans have been partying with the Summer House crew for over a decade. On Feb. 3, 2026, the show entered its tenth season and, with returning cast members Kyle Cooke, Amanda Batula, Carl Radke, Lindsay Hubbard, Ciara Miller, Jesse Solomon, and West Wilson. Ahead of the new season, Bravo also announced there would be several new faces with new stories to share.
One of the newbies joining the group was KJ Dillard. KJ, a recording artist, model, and pro skateboarder, joined the cast for the summer hoping to let loose in the Hamptons. And while we can already tell he likes to have a good time, there's more to KJ than meets the eye.
During his debut in the house, he vulnerably shared some details about his life with his new roommates. Since then, fans have wanted to know more about him, including who his parents are. Here's what we know about KJ's family.
Who are KJ Dillard from 'Summer House's' parents?
KJ briefly opened up about his family during the Season 10 premiere of Summer House. As the cast prepared for a group dinner, he had some one-on-one time with Ciara, during which viewers got to know him better. During their conversation, KJ said that while he can hold his own around the guys in the house, he felt comfortable living with women. When Ciara asked him if it was because he had sisters, he shared that he was raised by a single mom after his parents separated when he was 10.
"I can get down with the boys, but I grew up around all women," KJ explained, adding he has, "two younger sisters and then my mom raised me."
The athlete added that his family resided in Arizona until their parents' separation. After their split, KJ's mother moved him and his sisters to Kansas City, Mo., where she raised them while working as a nurse. He and Ciara bonded on that fun fact, as the model is also a registered nurse, as well as her mom.
As for KJ's dad, he said that he's also an athlete. He was reportedly a left fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, it's unclear when he played for the team, and since KJ didn't mention his dad by name, we don't know much more about him or their relationship.
KJ Dillard opened up about his mental health on 'Summer House.'
Later in the premiere, he opened up about his mental health struggles, which he said began when he was a teenager. KJ said he began dealing with anxiety at 14 years old and turned to skating and other “daredevil” activities to keep his anxiousness under control.
Ahead of the season premiere, KJ further discussed his mental health when he revealed he was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in October 2025. He said the news came after years of receiving other mental health diagnoses.
"For years, my mental health has been a thorn in my side. It’s a topic that I often write about it in my music, but rarely share online,” KJ wrote in a November 2025 post. “On social media, it’s easy for me to hide behind a screen, post my highlights and act like everything is okay when in reality everything is not."
"It’s OK to not be OK," he added. "That’s what community is for. This isn’t a cry for help, or anything like that, but more of a ‘I’m a human being human’ post. This is my surrender. It’s a time for me to peel off a temporary bandage on a permanent wound. To anyone else hurting, I’m healing with you…”
Underneath his post's caption, KJ received support from his castmates, including his West, who brought him on the show, Kyle, and Carl. His transparency is already making Summer House fans love him and what he brings to the show.
Catch new episodes of Summer House on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST. New episodes also become available the next day on Peacock.