Heather Gay Reveals RHOSLC Alum's Surprising Connection to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star-InfoExpress
They don't call it Small Lake City for nothing.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Heather Gay is shedding light on a surprising connection between one of her former costars and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Demi Engemann.
"I know Demi and Bret [Engemann] because that's Angie Harrington's ex-husband," the Bravo star exclusively told E! News, "and we're good friends."
That's right, Demi's husband Bret used to be married to the RHOSLC alum and the exes even share two children.
"It’s Small Lake City, totally," Heather noted, adding that she's still close with Angie, who left after season three in 2022. "She lives a little bit farther away from me, but we still stay in touch."
As for the new Hulu reality series, which follows a Mormon community of #MomTok influencers who were embroiled in a swinging sex scandal several years ago, Heather is a huge fan.
"I didn't know the others, but I totally watched and I loved it," she gushed. "I felt like it was Housewife adjacent, a lot of the things that they talked about on their show we've addressed on Housewives."
And although the group of TikTokers nearly broke the internet after member Taylor Frankie Paul revealed some couples participated in "soft swinging" together, the extra-marital escapades were something Heather was already privy to.
"#MomTok really brought it to a forefront and I didn't realize it was younger people," the 50-year-old admitted. "I knew of soft swinging and I knew there were some soft swinging with locales in Utah. Everyone heard legend of it, but I always thought it was older people. #MomTok was the first time I heard about soft swinging for the under 30 set."
And while season five of RHOSLC—which premieres tonight, Sept. 18—won't feature any sex scandals, the cast is rocked by one costar secretly recording the other Housewives.
"Have you met the Salt Lake City Housewives? We're a pretty tech savvy bunch of ladies," Heather joked, referencing last season's Reality Von (Tea)se cyber bullying scandal involving series alum Monica Garcia. "We are hypersensitive to surveillance videos and being secretly recorded and being exposed. So, we're on high alert and it picks up throughout the season."
"It was crazy," she noted, "expect the unexpected with Salt Lake City. We're snowflakes for a reason because we bring a storm. A lot of bad weather."
See the drama play out when The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City premieres Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
And keep reading to learn more about season five and meet the newest Housewife.
Mary Cosby is back full time with her fiery remarks and 2003 Dom Perignon. Mary re-immerses herself in the group, making amends with Whitney and Heather after her name calling, and a deep and unexpected friendship develops with Angie. Although she has a new ally and confidant, Mary and Meredith’s longstanding friendship is on thin ice as they struggle to see eye-to-eye.
Heather Gay is a ride-or-die girl with a new, unexpected allegiance to Lisa. She and Whitney continue to make strides and strengthen their foundation. Tensions with Mary reach an all-time high when they both throw quips about body positivity. Heather introduces her friend Britani to the group, but when Britani repeatedly puts her foot in her mouth, Heather can’t continue to defend her.
Bronwyn Newport is passionate about couture, art and a first-class lifestyle. Raised Mormon, Bronwyn was excommunicated from the church when she got pregnant while attending BYU. While raising her daughter, Gwen, as a single mother, she worked in finance before marrying Todd, who’s 26 years her senior. Although she and Lisa have been friends over the years, she quickly learns that her old friend may not support her in the way she wants.
Meredith Marks is excited to celebrate and reaffirm her Jewish faith by having a bat mitzvah, ultimately bringing her and Seth closer together. The bathwater continues to muddy with Whitney because of their overlapping business plans to create bath products. When Meredith repeats something she heard about Whitney’s business, the game of telephone lands her in hot water.
Whitney Rose finds herself at odds with many of the women. When harmful rumors about her jewelry line circle the group, she confronts the women to find the source. As tensions rise, the husbands get roped into the women’s fights, causing things to get heated between Justin and John. Whitney introduces the women to her friend Meili, who quickly gets thrown into the fire when Lisa shares a rumor about her shopping habits.
Lisa Barlow enters the season with strong bonds, but her friendships quickly flip on their head. Meredith and Lisa promise to have each other's backs, but her relationship with Whitney is permanently threatened after Whitney makes a series of hurtful remarks about Lisa’s status as the group’s villain. Lisa retaliates with claims about the authenticity of Whitney’s business practices. With Jack away on his mission, Lisa is especially hurt when Angie questions how good of a mother she has been.
Back with props and larger-than-life sunglasses, Angie Katsanevas and husband Shawn put last year’s rumors and nastiness behind them as they celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. She and Mary are thick as thieves, but her friendship with Lisa is unstable as the two go head-to-head over how good a friend they’ve been to one another.
Britani Bateman jois season five as a friend of the cast.
Meili Workman jois season five as a friend of the cast.
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