The “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” Season 3 reunion concluded Wednesday night with Heather Gay theorizing why Jen Shah’s husband, Sharrieff Shah Sr., supported her last-minute plea reversal.
“For the financial strain and it was just an uphill battle,” the “Bad Mormon” author, 40, told host Andy Cohen.
“And I have to assume it wasn’t something that he thought was worth rolling the dice [for],” she continued. “Just some sort of smoking gun.”
On Jan. 6, Jen, 49, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years behind bars for orchestrating a nationwide telemarketing scheme, predominantly targeting vulnerable elders.
The convicted fraudster, who pleaded guilty in July 2022 after months of proclaiming her innocence, is scheduled to begin her sentence at a federal prison in Texas on Feb. 17.
During the reunion, Lisa Barlow claimed that she knew of the “smoking gun” that incriminated Jen.
“It was a text or something that she had sent to Stu that basically incriminated her,” the Vida Tequila CEO, 48, said, referring to Jen’s former assistant and alleged accomplice, Stuart Smith.
Gay then chimed in, “I don’t know the details, but I would assume it was some type of smoking gun that showed knowledge.”
In November 2021, Smith — who had appeared in many “RHOSLC” scenes with Jen — pleaded guilty to three charges brought against him for his role in the fraud case. Like his former boss, he had previously pleaded not guilty.
The second and final part of the latest “Salt Lake City” reunion also included allegations that Jen and Sharrieff solicited their friends for funds to pay for their mounting legal bills.
“I did not give them money, but I know people on this couch did,” Gay claimed, adding that “friend of” the cast Angie Harrington “gave [the Shahs] money.”
Though she did not help Jen financially, Gay noted that she will be supporting Jen while the latter is behind bars.
“She said she committed fraud and she’s going to prison and she’s making $15 million restitution and I think me being mean to her or mad at her is just a virtue signal to the world and doesn’t do anybody good,” she said.
“And I’m this far down the road with her, I’m not going to drop her now.”
Gay reiterated this much during a September 2022 appearance on Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast.
“I would never miss a chance to render service to anyone, but certainly Jen and her family,” she said.
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