Jen Shah Real Housewives: Even the confines of the penal system couldn’t prevent former “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah from addressing the drama that unfolded during the latest season finale of Bravo’s “RHOSLC.”
Shah, currently serving a 6½-year prison sentence for fraud, responded on Tuesday to claims from cast member Heather Gay that she gave her a notable black eye during the show’s third season.
Gay had previously shared various accounts of how she got the black eye but had maintained until recently that she didn’t fully recall the events leading to her injury. Now, she asserts that she had concealed the truth to protect Shah, whom she considered a friend at the time.
In Tuesday night’s finale, Gay said, “I went on a book tour and defended [Shah] and took s— for the fact that she gave me a black eye.”
Shah, rejecting Gay’s assertion, wrote on Tuesday in an Instagram Story, “BRAVO, if I punched Heather in her eye, you guys would have footage to prove it. It’s clear the show can’t live without me since I was brought up at the beginning, middle, and end of season 4.”
In her online musings, Shah also claimed she believed Bravo mega-producer Andy Cohen was “still butt hurt” that she turned down a one-on-one interview with him.
“Why would you sit down with someone who ‘gave’ another cast member a black eye? Next story,” Shah wrote.
Cohen responded to Shah’s claims Wednesday on his SiriusXM show “Andy Cohen Live.”
“Let me point out, I don’t want to be Captain Obvious here, but if we had footage, don’t you think we would’ve aired it?” Cohen pondered on the radio program.
He then mentioned that he did request a one-on-one interview with Shah, but “her stipulations were insane.” She wanted Cohen’s production crew to do a docuseries about her days leading up to jail, as well as a hefty amount of money to do the interview, he said.
As for whether he’s still “butt hurt” after trying to get the interview, Cohen stated that he’s “over it.”
In July 2022, Shah pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She admitted to participating in a massive telemarketing fraud from 2012 to 2021 that cheated thousands of people nationwide.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiersten Ann Fletcher said during the 2022 hearing that Shah engaged in a fraudulent scheme selling bogus services advertised to help people make substantial amounts of money through online businesses.
Shah, who acknowledged her awareness of the fraud, expressed remorse, saying, “I knew this was wrong and that many people were harmed, and I’m so sorry.”
In January 2023, the 50-year-old was sentenced to serve 6½ years in prison, down from the initially faced 11 to 14 years. Shah has since had her release date moved up several times, according to Business Insider.
She also pledged to pay $6.5 million in restitution and forfeiture when she gets out of prison.