KJ Dillard is opening up about a difficult time in his life that led to a brief breakup with his girlfriend and "Summer House" co-star Dara Levitan.

The reality star shared the personal details during an appearance on the "More Life With Carl Radke" podcast, where he spoke honestly about his mental health, financial stress, and recovery journey.

Dillard explained that before joining the show, things were already unstable for him. He said modeling work had slowed down, and he had stepped away from jobs to focus on filming. That decision, he admitted, left him struggling, according to People.

"Modeling was slow. I'd taken a break during the summer to focus on the show," he said, adding that he ended up in a "terrible place" financially.

As pressure built up, Dillard said it began affecting his relationship with Levitan in ways he didn't fully realize at the time. Looking back, he admitted that he was unintentionally taking out his stress on her.

"Me and Dara were struggling because I was taking out what I was going through out on her. I wasn't even aware of it," he shared.

KJ Dillard Opens Up About Hospitalization, Recovery

The situation became more serious as Dillard dealt with anxiety, depression, and what he later learned was borderline personality disorder, Page Six reported.

He revealed that he was hospitalized in late 2025 for self-harm and later entered recovery. During that period, his relationship with Levitan came to a pause.

"I needed the time, because after the hospital, I went to recovery ... and that's when we broke up," he said.

Dillard explained that the split was painful but necessary. He believes trying to stay together during recovery would have made things harder for both of them.

"I would have been focused on saving the relationship rather than focusing on my health," he said. "Recovery changed my life."

Even after the breakup, Dillard made it clear that his connection with Levitan has not disappeared. He referred to her affectionately and said they continue to support each other despite public attention.

"We do a good job at not letting [the public] tear us apart," he said. "It affects us individually, of course, but the relationship, we both know what we want and what we've gone through together."

He also described their bond as something meaningful, saying, "some love story s–t," while stressing that outside opinions would not break them.

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Mental health