When Jen Shah was unexpectedly arrested for wire fraud, Andy Cohen almost certainly knew what was coming. Jen would later plead guilty and was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison. Despite the hopes of some fans, Andy knew Jen couldn’t return to Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4.
Even so, her presence still looms over Season 4, much to the chagrin of some fans. Even though the RHOSLC cast continues to discuss her, they seem to be thriving without Jen. On a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live, Andy asked Lisa Barlow who missed Jen the most. She responded, “No one.”
There were talks for Jen’s husband, Sharrieff Shah, to appear in Season 4. But Jen made it clear she didn’t want that. Still, the inmate can’t seem to detach herself from RHOSLC. At least, that’s what her Instagram would suggest.
Does Jen want royalties for RHOSLC mentions?
While Jen is incarcerated, someone is out there running her Instagram and presumably making her thoughts known. During the Season 4 premiere, Jen’s story was reposting fan opinions. One read, “Clearly there is no show without the Queen.” Another said, “I need [Jen] back,” with an imagined tagline: “Even if I have gone away, apparently I’m here to stay.”
But another post tagged Andy and asked, “Now [Andy,] for the mention [of Jen’s] name on [RHOSLC,] does she get paid?” The person running Jen’s account tacked on some commentary, adding, “She might as well get a check if you’re gonna use her name 700x.” However, there is no precedent for celebrities to receive royalties when named on TV.
There is no copyright or trademark infringed upon by the mere mention of a name because names are not expressive content. Otherwise, every late-night show and celebrity podcast would be out of business. The only potential issues when namedropping would be slander or defamation, but Bravo almost certainly covered their bases there.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City continues Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JEN’S ABSENCE? IS SHE BEING MENTIONED TOO MUCH? DOES SHE DESERVE SOMETHING FOR THAT?
