RHOSLC's Whitney Rose Isn't Holding Back On Jen Shah's Controversy
"Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah has been dealing with a host of legal troubles over the past few years. It all started in 2021 when, during filming for Season 2 of "RHOSLC," Shah was arrested for participating in a telemarketing scheme (via Us Weekly). Of course, Bravo's cameras were right there to capture the drama. During the scene, Shah receives a call while she and her cast members sit aboard a bus, becomes visibly agitated, then rushes away in a separate vehicle. Shah excused her abrupt exit by telling her cast mates that her husband Sharrieff Smith — who would also be arrested – had suffered a medical emergency. Minutes after her departure, law enforcement showed up looking for Shah — much to her cast members' confusion.
According to Time, Shah was officially charged with "conspiracy to commit wire fraud" and "conspiracy to commit money laundering." At the time, Shah pleaded not guilty and was released on $1 million bond. Needless to say, Shah's legal woes have been a huge part of "RHOSLC's" third season, which premiered in September 2022. During a trailer for the season, Shah maintained her innocence despite being grilled by her cast mates. However, Shah then changed her tune and plead guilty in July 2022, after filming for the season had completed.
Now, Shah's "RHOSLC" cast member Whitney Rose has some thoughts about Shah's decision to essentially change her legal strategy.
Whitney Rose thinks Jen Shah is a 'brilliant' liar
In November 2022, Whitney Rose held nothing back when talking to Us Weekly about Jen Shah's decision to change her plea. "It would be really nice to be able to sit down with her and have her explain," Rose said. "She's accountable to us. We spent all this time with her lying to us, and I wanna hear from her." Rose also shared that watching the show back, after knowing Shah previously lied about her innocence, is difficult. "That's just what she's brilliant at," Rose shared. "And there was a point where she had me thinking, 'Maybe this is a mess. Maybe this is a messed up situation where someone flipped on her. Maybe she didn't know.'"
Rose isn't the only "RHOSLC" cast member to comment on Shah's guilty plea. Mary Crosby, who left the show after two seasons, took to her Instagram Story to voice her thoughts. "Thou shall not steal... Shascamming," Mary wrote (via Reality Blurb). And according to E! News, several of the current "RHOSLC" cast members also had strong feelings. "The whole time Jen has never wavered on maintaining her innocence," shared an anonymous source. Given Shah's change of tune, they're now "feeling duped, misled and lied to by their friend."
However, Shah has much more serious things to worry about than her cast member's opinions. According to Fox News, Shah could face between 11 and 14 years behind bars.