Fans of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City were anticipating a change in the cast landscape what with the sentencing of Jen Shah earlier this month. It wasn’t a matter of if, but how long she would serve in jail after being found guilty of fraud in July 2022. So of course we were not expecting Andy Cohen to keep a spot for Jen after the Shah-mazing jail-bird was given a 6.5 year prison sentence.
One spot would need to be filled for sure to complete the RHOSLC Season 4 cast. But what has been alleged by Page Six is that Bravo is actually casting for three new housewives. Bravo has yet to confirm the report.
According to a potential candidate, “They held auditions in the fall. They were looking to replace three of them. They hadn’t decided if some of the ‘friends of’ would be promoted or if they’d find new talent.”
If this is true, Bravo will either ax two of the core ladies or simply expand their cast. Maybe one of the “friends” added in Season 3 will be promoted. But a source revealed that fan favorites Meredith Marks, Heather Gay, Lisa Barlow, and Whitney Rose are considered “safe.”
So, what’s the reason for the shakeup? Sources claim producers felt the show became too “dark” and wanted to explore new dynamics.
RELATED: Andy Cohen Grilled For Saying He Hoped Jen Shah Would Get No Jail Time
Perhaps the mystery of Heather’s black eye had something to do with it. Maybe the severity of Jen’s legal woes was too much controversy. Whitney explored some abusive experiences from her childhood and had a rough falling out with her cousin Heather. Lisa and Meredith haven’t been able to recover since the “hot mike” moment.
So perhaps it was time to reset the cast, not that Bravo will consider a candidate who isn’t “over-the-top.” The goal for producers is “to bring in new women to lighten it up.”
“It’s true that they are considering new Housewives,” a second source told Page Six.
As for Jen, she is due to start her prison sentence in February. A statement presented by Jen’s attorney read, “Jen Shah deeply regrets the mistakes that she has made and is profoundly sorry to the people she has hurt. Jen has faith in our justice system, understands that anyone who breaks the law will be punished, and accepts this sentence as just.”
Once she has served the time, Jen will enter a mental-health treatment program, and have five years of supervised release. She will submit to random drug tests.
Bravo has come through for fans by capturing the March 2021 arrest then airing the Season 3 reunion after her sentencing. It feels like a bit of a sendoff from the network. Unfortunately, Jen chose not to be interviewed solo by Andy.
“I will not be doing the 1:1 with Andy Cohen and Bravo because of their unwillingness to remove contractual provisions that would allow the network to legally make misrepresentations of me and my story,” Jen wrote on social media last week.
TELL US- WHO IS ON YOUR RHOSLC DREAM CAST? WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO LISA? DO YOU THINK ANY OF THE ‘FRIENDS’ WILL COME ON AS FULL- TIME CAST?
[Photo Credit: Chris Haston/Bravo via Getty Images]
