Mary Cosby's Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City Exit Explained

Why she is no longer a part of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" cast is just one of many unanswered questions about Mary M. Cosby that we're all still pondering. We're also not clear on the exact nature of her church, for instance, which she has been accused of running like a cult. And what's the deal with her "hospital smell" aversion? What does a hospital even smell like?

While we still can't explain the hospital thing or the cult thing, we do at least have some solid details on Cosby's exit from "RHOSLC," which has gotten some conflicting reporting — including from the lady herself. After two seasons of behavior so outlandish that it almost made co-star Jen Shah (who just pleaded guilty in her fraud case) seem like a square, Cosby was unexpectedly bounced from the show. In fact, it came as such a surprise that even Cosby herself once refuted the news on social media.

Mary Cosby first denied she was leaving RHOSLC

After Page Six reported in February that she was leaving "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," Mary Cosby herself denied the story on social media. Commenting on Page Six's tweet, Cosby wrote, "This Story Is Not True!!This is a complete Fabrication' A Complete Lie!' I have not spoke to anyone!!" However, as we all now know, it very much was true. But why?

Unlike her former co-star Jennie Nguyen, who was reportedly fired from the show after racially insensitive social media posts surfaced online, Cosby's departure may not have been due to racist remarks (which she definitely made on the show). Or at least, that may not be the only reason. Cosby also made headlines when she refused to attend the reunion show taping, which a huge breech in Official Housewives Law. "The only thing I have to say about the reunion is I didn't go because it was one-sided," Cosby said during a Twitter Space, per E! News. But according to E!'s inside source, Cosby knew that missing the reunion would spell the end of her time on the show. "Mary has not been filming and production has no plans to film with her for season three," the source said. "She knew her fate on the show by not showing up at the reunion."

Mary Cosby knew the consequences of skipping the reunion

The way Andy Cohen explained it on his "Radio Andy" SiriusXM show (via Page Six), it kind of sounds like Mary Cosby's decision to skip the reunion and to quit "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" were the same thing. "I spoke to her on New Year's Eve a few hours before I went on the air [for my CNN special]. We had a long talk, and it's her story to tell, but I got the sense that she was not finding gratitude in being on the show anymore," Cohen said.

After her two seasons on the show, the truth is that Cosby had gotten into it with almost all of her now former castmates. It's obvious she didn't want to feel ganged up on, but, as Cohen noted, when you ditch the reunion, you also lose out on your opportunity to tell your side of the story. 

If Cosby has one ally left among the women, it might be Meredith Marks. In an interview with E! News, Marks said that Cosby is "very happy. She's at peace with everything." As for whether she'd ever return to show? Marks said, "I mean, I would never say never." But, "I don't think it's likely."