Nip/Tuck’s Kelly Carlson Reveals Why She Stopped Acting And What Happened to Sex Doll

Though it’s been a decade since Ryan Murphy’s “Nip/Tuck” went off the air, the show has seen renewed popularity after FX dropped all six seasons on Hulu.

While Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh have kept busy with many a TV show, one star who you don’t see much of anymore is Kelly Carlson, who made quite the impression as blonde bombshell Kimber Henry. Her last acting credit was back in 2013.

Since the show dropped on Hulu, however, Carlson has been inundated with new and returning fans on social media — and, throughout May, has been doing Q&As on Instagram all about the show. According to her, she currently lives in San Diego with husband Dan Stanchfield, a survival specialist, and is currently not acting.

In one Q&A, posted over the weekend, she revealed the two met when she hired him for her own personal security in 2012, following issues with a stalker. He was the one who taught her how to use a firearm, “because I felt like I needed one.” She revealed she’s currently a range safety officer.

Calling it a “total cliche,” Carlson said Dan was “totally professional” with her. “That was a big deal,” she said of his help, “because that was an awful moment in time. It was really, really stressful.”

He has never watched the show, with Carlson admitting he’d probably be “shocked” by her in it if he ever did. “I’m kind of a goody goody, I am a little bit,” she said. “I’m a little bit of a rule follower. I didn’t used to be, but I am now.”

During the Q&As, she was asked why she no longer acts. “Not for any reason, really,” she explained. “Just that we live far away. I need to be in L.A. and I’m not.”

“For my husband’s work, he’s in the Navy, so we’re way down in Southern San Diego. Nothing bad happened or anything like that, I loved my life up there,” she continued. “He has a business where we kind of need to be out of the city too and now he’s the star of the family and I’m the manager wife. It was just a decision, that’s all. Maybe I’ll go back one day.”

The rest of the sessions were all about her time on the boundary-pushing FX series, which ran for six seasons and revolved around a plastic surgery practice in Miami. While Kimber started out as a model, she eventually became an adult film star on the series — one with a sex doll made in her likeness (photo above). The Kimber Doll was a very popular topic among fans.

When asked what happened to it, Carlson revealed she sold it through an auction.

“I had her for years. Warner Bros. made me take her, because she’s me. We measured my body, face, so technically that’s my likeness so they’re like, ‘She’s all yours. We’re not touching that, that’s a sex doll,'” she explained. “She was in my living room for years. I don’t know who bought her. Who knows what she’s doing right now. I don’t even wanna know.”

Saying the doll was kept under strict lock and key on set, she recalled how absurd it was seeing Dylan Walsh have sex with it in one scene. Carlson also admitted everyone “fondled her, immediately,” when she was unveiled.

Her on-screen love interest McMahon also came up quite a bit, with Carlson shutting down rumors they ever dated off-camera.

“Julian and I never dated. It was published in the press that we dated but I think they got confused,” she claimed. “His then girlfriend and now wife is named Kelly. I know in the press people got that confused. No, we never dated, which is a smart thing to do. That can wreck a show sometimes.”

She also said she never found it uncomfortable to film sex scenes. “I was comfortable with my body,” she explained. Carlson began to share a story about McMahon, but stopped herself … though you can certainly read between the lines.

“Julian and I had a little, the shower scene, I can’t,” she began. “That’s for Julian to tell. I covered him. I’ll put it that way.”

She said they haven’t spoken “for several years,” saying there’s no reason she and the other cast members haven’t stayed in touch, but they all literally went to different countries when the show wrapped.

On the show, Kimber eventually became a Scientologist, something the Church apparently was excited about … until they saw the episodes. When asked if she ever got any pushback from the church herself, Carlson said “nothing ever happened to me, personally,” but that apparently wasn’t the case for everyone involved in the show.

“I heard that some people were confronted. I can’t say that that’s 100% true … but it probably is,” she said. “I know that when we first introduced that Kimber was Scientologist, [the church] had my ‘Nip/Tuck’ headshot on the front of their website … the minute we took a right turn and started, not making fun of them, but we had Xenu which you’re not allowed to talk about in Scientology. We introduced that on the show and that’s when things went south.”

“I heard a couple people — I won’t say who, because I don’t know if it’s true — were confronted by some church members,” she added.

Another shocking moment for fans was — DECADE OLD SPOILER ALERT — Kimber’s death by suicide. Carlson admitted she was “of course, a little bit” upset when her character was killed off, but stands by the creative decision.

“I also know she needed somewhat of a dramatic departure,” she said, before sharing her hope to see Kimber live again if the show ever gets a revival. “I hope this doesn’t sound arrogant and I’m sorry if it does, I think it would be a mistake not to ever bring Kimber back if they did that. I do. I don’t think Ryan would do that. Too many people were invested in Kimber and Christian.”

Speaking of Murphy, she also said she has never seen an episode of his current series “American Horror Story” — and, when asked by another fan if she’d ever consider doing the show if asked, answered, “No, only because I’m not there and not acting at this moment.”

Given the nature of “Nip/Tuck,” a few fans also wondered whether Carlson had ever been under the knife herself. She revealed that when she turned 20, she had “a little tweaking done on my legs.”

“The only reason why I’m telling you this, because I think plastic surgery is private, but I understand with the nature of the show. I also don’t think people should lie about it,” she added. “I had my breasts done at 21.”

She was also adamant that she’s never had work done on her face — aside from Botox and fillers — and said nobody on the show or in Hollywood ever made her have surgery. “That’s all pressure I put on myself,” she added.

“Nip/Tuck” is currently streaming in Hulu.