ET sat down with the cast of the Bravo reality show, returning on Sept. 12.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is back with another explosive season.
Returning for its second season, fans will finally get to see castmate Jen Shah's legal battle unfold. ET's Lauren Zima sat down with RHOSLC stars Lisa Barlow, Meredith Marks, Heather Gay, Whitney Rose at Heather's Beauty Lab and Laser, where the ladies broke down Jen's arrest (which took place at that same location) and dished on more season 2 drama.
"This is where the, like, SWAT team came. We met here to leave on our cast trip together, so this was like the meeting point. This was the ground zero if you will," Heather recalls, with VIDA Tequila owner Lisa and Whitney adding that they were in "shock" when Jen got arrested.
"It was so out of left field that we thought that Jen left the bus and hired strippers. Because I said that, I was like, 'Clear the bags, we have strippers! Jen hired strippers," Whitney -- who owns beauty line Iris and Beau (soon to rebrand as Wild Rose Beauty) -- says. "'Cause it was Homeland Security, FBI, NYPD and a SWAT team. And Lisa and I were like, their outfits don't even match."
Jen is accused of operating a telemarketing scheme and in documents obtained by ET, federal authorities say she allegedly targeted "vulnerable, often elderly working class people." In April, Jen pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. She faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
"I was confused, shocked, upset. I went through a myriad of emotions," Lisa explains of the situation, after Jen first told them that her husband was in the hospital and had to leave. "We didn't get any time to process, it was all happening raw, real time, on camera, and what you're gonna see is our raw emotion…We all broke down and cried. We were upset, questioning, 'Is this real?' and feeling awful for her."
"She got a phone call that said your husband's in the hospital, and she looked very upset," Lisa adds. "That's what she told us. So we don’t know what was said on the other side of the phone."
"It was a lie. I think," Whitney chimes in, adding that her "biggest regret" was turning off Jen's microphone. "So I turned off her mic, she came back on the bus and said her husband's in the hospital with internal bleeding and she took off."
"I wish I didn’t turn the mic off because that call is a big question mark. Who was on the phone? What did they say?" she continues. "And in reality TV, we kind of signed up for this. You don't turn off the mic. But if Lisa would have asked me, if Heather would have asked me, and probably would have been like [we] completely miss out. F**k, Girl Code. I have to."
When asked if they were surprised by the charges, the Meredith Marks jewelry designer says, "I can't really speak to that because I guess it's still open-ended as to whether I'm the one who contacted the FBI," adding that she "absolutely [did] not" call authorities.
As for where the ladies stand with Jen, Heather says she still has the "same affection" for her, adding, "I want to be a great friend to Jen…Our relationship has changed for the past year because of the things that we have gone through, but as far as my support and my support of her and her family…It has not really changed with the charges."
Lisa, on her end, will continue to treat Jen like a friend despite the circumstances. "If I am your friend, I am your friend. I am also not the judge, not the jury and I am not Jen Shah. So I think at this point, I am not going to change who I am and we are just going to see what happens and hope for the best."
Whitney on the other hand never built a friendship with Jen and will "offer her grace and kindness." However, she notes that if Jen is guilty, "It is going to be hard for me to want to continue to be friends with somebody who took advantage of very vulnerable people…Or if I have seen the real Jen Shah."
While many will be tuning in to see the unforgettable moment unfold onscreen, the ladies admit that Jen's arrest isn't the biggest part of season 2.
"[Let's] put it this way, Jen getting arrested is the smallest part of the drama of season 2," Heather teases, with Meredith adding, "I don't think the smallest, but it was definitely not the biggest part."
Lisa notes, "I felt like it was intense before that and it just exemplified everything," as Heather clarifies, "You can't forget about our other relationships despite what was happening with Jen."
One should also note that co-star Mary Cosby hasn't done any interviews yet for the new season, as there's rumors that she's running a cult.
"I think you'll hear people on the show say that she is," Heather says. "And to be fair, I grew up Mormon my entire life. So I wouldn't know a cult if it bit me in the a**."
"I've been to her church. I do not believe that she's a cult leader," quips Meredith. "I can't speak for what goes on when I'm not there, I don't know. But her church seemed like a very uplifting place. It was very high energy and people seemed to really enjoy being there. So from my own personal experience, I have no reason to believe that it is anything other than a church."
And if an arrest, religion and an alleged cult aren't enough drama to unpack, the ladies are also introduced to a new SLC Housewife, Jennie Nguyen. The cast members reveal that viewers can expect "big things" from their "upfront and unafraid" newest member.
"She's the right fit. I think Jennie's great. She has a big personality, super direct," Lisa says. "I bonded with Jennie over bags, baby bumps and our boys."
Whitney adds that Jennie's "direct, fearless, and stirs the pot. And I'm just thankful there's another one."
Meanwhile, the ladies note that it'll be a "roller coaster" of a season, feelings will get hurt and there will be honest and raw conversations.
"What you're really gonna see here is that our friendships have deep layers to them," Lisa notes. "Because when you're going through this you have to have real conversations and hard conversations and heal from those conversations and move forward as friends."
The new season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City premieres Sept. 12 on Bravo.
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