Mary Cosby is knee-deep in yet another racial controversy this year. Throughout the (still airing) second season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, she has made derogatory comments about both people of Mexican and Asian decent while referring to her co-stars. It didn't help, too, that Cosby decided to debate the matter with fans online. Ever since, there's been a lot of talk that the reality star might be leaving the show ahead of Season 3. We have the latest on that front, and it doesn't sound very promising.
The first red flag concerning Mary Cosby’s predicted exit was the fact that she didn't show up for their reunion taping. Host Andy Cohen reflected that he would have liked her to say her piece, presumably if it was to be her last appearance. More recently, a Season 3 production source indicated to People that the end of the controversial pastor’s tenure is already here. They said:
Mary has not filmed anything this season and they just started this week.
No reunion and now M.I.A. from Season 3’s filming? It looks all but certain that Mary Cosby and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City might have parted ways. However, there is still a possibility that Bravo is in the midst of negotiating terms with Cosby ahead of the season – as much as happened with Beverly Hills star Kathy Hilton. (Although, technically, Hilton didn't make any controversial statements on her show and did in fact turn up at her last reunion.)
The RHSLC source claimed that the rest of the previous cast was present for Season 3 filming, including Meredith Marks, Lisa Barlow, Heather Gay, Whitney Rose, Jen Shah, and Jennie Nguyen. Yet, Nguyen’s return will likely be equally as controversial as her co-star's supposed departure. Old Facebook posts have come to light concerning the show’s newcomer that take aim at the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement and police treatment. Although Nguyen has apologized for the posts, her co-stars have spoken out against her and unfollowed her on social media. As a result, it is unclear how the show will deal with Nguyen’s past if everyone is severing ties with her.
Without a doubt, racially charged issues have become more prevalent within the Real Housewives franchise lately. Along with Salt Lake City's recent messes, Garcelle Beauvais shared during the Season 11 reunion of Beverly Hills that she heard co-star Lisa Rinna criticizing the notion of having Black people on the show. Her other co-star, Crystal Kung Minkoff, likewise said at the reunion that she has received hate comments online after her first season. Not long before that, on the New York City spinoff, Ramona Singer and some of the other castmates got backlash for appearing to quiet newcomer Eboni K. Williams for speaking about race with them.
The ongoing drama involving Mary Cosby clearly adds to the network's problems. But it begs the question, if Jennie Nguyen is allowed to clear things up or potentially have a major learning moment on the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, then why isn't Cosby? Is it her decision or is it the network's? While we wait for official word on the matter, check out new episodes on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
