Heather Gay revealed embattled co-star Jen Shah reached out to friends for her legal defense fund during Wednesday’s reunion of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City.
Jen, 49, was absent from the meeting after pleading guilty to committing wire fraud last July after previously claiming her innocence.
Heather, 40, on the second and final reunion episode of season three, made the revelation as host Andy Cohen, 54, asked her opinion on Jen changing her plea and risking jail time.
“Do you want to visit him?” Andy asked.
‘I mean it depends on where she’s going,’ replied Heather, who filmed the meeting before Jen was sentenced to 6½ years in prison last month with a request that ‘She is being served at FPC Bryan Minimum Security Institution in Bryan, Texas.
Reunion show: Heather Gay revealed embattled co-star Jen Shah solicited friends for her legal defense fund during Wednesday’s reunion of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City on Bravo
“I’ll write to her if she wants and watch Omar and Coach, I don’t know,” Heather added, referring to Jen’s son and husband Sharrieff “Coach” Shah, 52.
Andy then asked Heather what she thought after teammates Whitney Rose, 36, and Lisa Barlow, 48, commented on speculation that Sharrieff had prior knowledge of his wife’s illicit business dealings.
“I don’t know anything about their relationship. I think it’s, you know, pulling a string. I don’t think you could be as supportive if you knew she was involved,’ Heather said.
Heather said she thought they made a financial decision for Jen to plead guilty after seeing something in the evidence that made it too risky to go to trial.
“She said the cost of the trial was astronomical. Just getting the transcripts was $2,000 a day and the cost was overwhelming, and they solicited friends for money,’ Heather said.
“Understood,” Andy commented.
“And a lot of our friends gave them money,” added Heather.
“You gave them money?” asked Andy.
Jail sentence: Jen Shah is shown in January leaving federal court in New York after being sentenced to 6 and a half years in prison for running a telemarketing program targeting the elderly
Together again: Meredith Marks, Heather, Andy Cohen, Whitney Rose and Lisa Barlow were back for the reunion episode, but Jen was absent after pleading guilty last July
“I didn’t give them any money, but I know people on that couch did,” Heather replied, referencing Angie Harrington who had appeared on the reunion show after appearing as a friend in season three.
Lisa asked how long Jen had known Angie because she thought it was a “really new relationship”.
“I do, but I think they knew the Harringtons had the money, and Chris didn’t hesitate to help however he could,” Heather said, referring to Angie’s husband, Chris, who had created a fake Instagram account called “@shahxposed”.
Gave money: “I didn’t give them money, but I know the people on that couch did,” Heather replied, referring to Angie Harrington who had been on the show. reunion after appearing as a friend in season three
Lisa said they also asked her and her husband John for money.
“I didn’t because our lawyer said we probably shouldn’t,” Lisa said. “Otherwise I would have done it, I was ready to do it.”
‘No. I can’t do this to my family, Heather said quietly.
Also asked: Lisa said the Shahs also asked her and her husband John for money
Heather also said she would continue to support Jen.
“She said she committed fraud and she was going to jail and she was paying back $15 million and I think being mean to her or being mad at her is not only a signal of virtue to the world and does no one any good,” Heather said.
“And I’m so far down the road with her, I’m not going to let her down now,” she added.
Continued support: Heather also said she would continue to support Jen
Meredith Marks, 51, also said she was supportive of Jen.
“Guilty, innocent, in between, I will always support the underdog,” Meredith said.
She also shared that she was restrained with her comments about Jen after learning from a “very reliable source that Jen made an attempt on her life.”
Supporter of the underdog: ‘Guilty, innocent, in between, I will always support the underdog,’ Meredith said
Andy asked if Jen had ever shown a response to her telemarketing fraud scheme targeting seniors and they all said no.
“Well, I was quoted in an article and she wrote to me and said, ‘Tell me who my victims are, b****,'” Lisa said, well that the text displayed on the screen does not contain profanity. .
Heather and Whitney also discussed their friendship which was put on hiatus during the third season but failed to redeem itself.
Victim Zero: ‘Well, I was quoted in an article and she wrote to me and was like, ‘Tell me who my victims are, b****,'” Lisa said, even though the text displayed on the screen was not. include any profanity
The women were joined by their husbands on the episode with John Barlow, Seth Marks and Justin Rose sitting next to their wives on the couch.
Justin said he could broker peace between Seth and John after their wives had a falling out.
“I can get Meredith and Lisa together too,” Justin said.
The women and Andy enjoyed a champagne toast together at the end of the meeting.
Jen is due to report to jail on February 17.
Husbands joined: The wives were joined by their husbands during the episode with John Barlow, Seth Marks and Justin Rose sitting next to their wives on the sofa
Bold statement: ‘I can get Meredith and Lisa together too,’ Justin said
