“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” is the newest addition to the popular Bravo franchise, and already has plenty of controversy surrounding cast member Mary Cosby.
The Salt Lake City native’s claim to fame is described in her bio as a “Pentecostal First Lady who inherited her family’s empire of churches,” but it’s the devil in the details that has fans’ jaws dropping.
If you continue reading, the bio claims: “The caveat in her taking over the family business was that she marry her late grandmother’s second husband, Robert Cosby Sr. They have since been married for 20 years and have one teenage son together.” Although neither of their ages could be confirmed, Mary is believed to be about 48 years old and Cosby Sr. around 67.
Mary’s grandmother, Rosemary Redmon Cosby, and Robert Cosby Sr. were married from 1975 through Rosemary’s death in 1997. The couple co-founded Faith Temple Pentecostal Church No. 2 in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1984, years after the Indiana native Rosemary founded the original Faith Temple Pentecostal in Utah in the 1960s. Mary supposedly inherited restaurants and additional businesses from her grandmother in addition to the churches, although it’s not clear in what sense she would’ve inherited a church, which is a nonprofit.
Mary Cosby hasn’t shied away from acknowledging the fact that she’s happily married to her ex-step-grandfather. During a “Housewife 2 Housewife” conversation on Instagram Live Cosby told “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice that while the revelation is new to the public, it’s old news to her and she doesn’t care what anyone has to say about her marriage.
“I don’t care. It’s not my blood,” she explained at about 10:30 into her chat. “It was a family situation, choice that I knew was right. So they’re coming at me like I’m incest and I’m gross and I’m marrying my grandfather, which sounds ridiculous. … It does sound ridiculous. It’s my story and I’m not ashamed of it. And I feel like I’d rather have kept my grandmother’s empire together than to have listened to the people. … It was 22 years ago. We’ve been married 22 years! … It’s old to me now.”
Although the pair don’t share blood, fans still think the union is too close for comfort and largely feel that if they were given the option, they would have passed.
“Gurl, grandma was just gone have to talk to Jesus cuz that’s nasty af.”
“Not even step dad she took it a step further …😆 (pun intended).”
“What in the Jerry Springer show going on here.”
“Girl if he had the money just say that.”
“It’s weird that she married him and it’s weird that her grandma wanted her to marry him. I’m glad that she’s happy in her decision and marriage but…it’s still weird 😂.”
Joining Cosby in the cast are the owner of LUXE marketing company Lisa Barlow, Beauty Lab and Laser owner Heather Gay, celebrity jewelry designer Meredith Marks, “Mormon Royalty” Whitney Rose, and entrepreneur Jen Shah. “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” premiered Nov. 11 on Bravo.