Heather Gay always knew there was something gloomy about her starring star, “The Real Salt Lake City Housewives,” Jen Shah.
Gay admitted he had suspicions about Shah’s business dealings during an appearance Sunday on “Look What’s Happening Live With Andy Cohen,” nearly six months after the reality star’s arrest was wrapped in conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering.
“Did you know your business was nasty when you were your friend, and why would you change now that it’s public?” Gay said, explaining how he maintains a relationship with Shah despite everything.
As seen in the season 2 premiere on Sunday, Shah was handled by federal agents in March for allegedly ripping off hundreds of victims in a telemarketing scam that spanned more than six states for nearly a decade. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in April.
Shah’s assistant Stuart Smith was also arrested for his alleged involvement.
“I didn’t know it was illegal,” Gay told WWHL on Sunday, adding that she was confused by Shah’s source of income throughout her friendship for years.
Gay told host Cohen that he had previously tried to get to the bottom of Shah’s day job.
“Jen was on my podcast and I asked her, like an hour, questions about her business, because I love business and I know how hard it is to make money in business,” the Beauty Lab founder said. “It doesn’t just flow.”
“I never understood it and I just assumed it was something that was on the line of nothing in which I wouldn’t want to participate.”
Gay even went so far as to say that he would have tried to stop Shah if he had known that the alleged plan to make money could land his friend in the clink.
“I didn’t think I would go to jail for that,” he said. “I would have said, ‘Girl, don’t do this. Your life is worth more than that.’
Shah’s legal issues will continue to unfold in this “RHOSLC” season.
Shortly after his arrest, Page Six reported that producers wanted to bow to Shah’s court battle, as it could be fantastic for the ratings. (By comparison, Erika Jayne’s legal miseries seem to contribute to the current success of the fanfares and ratings of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”).
“It’s weird that Bravo has such a big hit as‘ RHOSLC ’on his hands from the door and the team was hoping to continue that momentum when production for the second season began,” a source said at the time. “Now, with the news of Jen’s arrest, they are sure to be even more successful than they imagined.”
Shah’s trial is scheduled for March 2022.
“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” airs on Sundays at 9pm ET on Bravo.