‘Summer House’ Star Mia Calabrese Has a Surprising Connection to KJ Dillard
"We’ve been family forever!"
Updated May 13 2026, 10:55 a.m. ET
Summer House fans were shocked to learn that Mia Calabrese and KJ Dillard’s connection goes back much further than their time together in the Hamptons. The Bravo stars recently revealed that their families have known each other for decades.
KJ shared the surprising discovery in an Instagram post on May 12, posting a throwback photo from his childhood that featured Mia Calabrese’s sister alongside his mother. The revelation quickly sparked reactions from fans and fellow Bravo personalities online.
Mia Calabrese’s sister was college roommates with KJ Dillard’s mom.
In his Instagram post, KJ explained that his mother and Mia’s sister were close friends and college roommates years before the pair joined Summer House. “My mom and @miagcalabrese’s sister were college roommates and friends,” he wrote. “This is me as a baby with both of them.”
The unexpected connection immediately grabbed attention from Bravo fans and cast members alike. Andy Cohen reacted in the comments section by writing, “This is incredible!” while cast member Dara Levitan added, “Life is so beautiful.”
Mia also appeared stunned by the discovery and celebrated the moment online. “I still cannot believe this! So insane,” she wrote in the comments section. “We’ve been family forever!”
‘Summer House’ fans shared emotional reactions to Mia and KJ’s family connection.
Fans on Instagram quickly flooded the comments section with emotional reactions after learning about Mia and KJ’s longtime family connection. Some viewers described the story as “destiny,” while others called it a “full circle moment.”
One Instagram user wrote, “Soul mates, literally destined to be in each others lives,” while another added, “OMG so sweet and the fact that this is like a full circle moment it’s actually crazy!” A separate commenter also shared, “And he invited her for the holidays & he told his mom about Mia. My little heart.”
KJ Dillard and Mia Calabrese formed a close friendship on ‘Summer House.’
KJ and Mia both joined Summer House during Season 10. According to Bravo, Mia entered the house through her friendship with Ciara and was ready to bring “the heat, the fun, and a little mess” to the group dynamic. Meanwhile, KJ was transitioning away from his career as a professional skateboarder while focusing on modeling and music. During the season, he developed a close friendship with Mia and eventually began dating cast member Dara Levitan.
In March 2026, KJ confirmed to Us Weekly that he and Dara were officially dating after meeting during Season 10 of Summer House. “We’re boyfriend and girlfriend,” he said with a laugh. “I love her tremendously. She’s the best. I wish she was here right now.”
KJ also explained why their relationship works so well despite their different backgrounds. “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,” he shared.