In a world like the Real Housewives, where it feels like everyone wants a piece of you, it is probably very comforting to make a solid friend. However, this is not what Heather Gay came to find after befriending the one and only Jen Shah. Early on, fans of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City could see that the convict was a mastermind and had a knack for controlling the recently exiled Mormon. What came to pass was a story of love, lies, and betrayal, which inevitably almost broke Heather. So, toss a coin to the writer as we delve into the saga of Jen and Heather.
Jen Was the Messiah
For a while, It seemed like Heather felt that Jen was some sort of superstar who could do no wrong. Maybe it was Stockholm Syndrome, but whatever it was, Heather couldn’t lose her attachment to Jen. The whole obsession became hard to watch. It was painfully obvious that Jen couldn’t have cared less about her bestie. Sometimes, Heather’s people-pleasing ways would put Dorit Kemsley to shame.
For the last three seasons, fans have been praying that Heather would start valuing herself more, especially when it came to her toxic friendship with Jen. Yet, up until her guilty plea, Heather rode hard for her innocence. In the end, Heather just wanted to be accepted at face value, like she does for so many of her allies. Heather’s loyalty boner was out of control, leaving many to believe that she would walk to the ends of the earth for Jen. Luckily, their tie was severed.
Heather Championed Jen
No matter what argument Jen found herself in, Heather was always ready to back up the mother of two, no matter who she offended. The two women met shortly before filming of Season 1 started in 2020 and hit it off pretty quickly. My hunch is that Jen saw that Heather was going places with BeautyLab and probably wanted to wiggle her way into free fillers or Botox. The connection seemed genuine at first, but the affinty turned ugly with Jen leading the charge, yet Heather still hung on for dear life.
Heather Was Never Obsessed; She Was a Hostage
I have thought about this from day one, and I stand by what I am about the type—Heather was in an extremely abusive relationship. Just like Real Housewives in the past, i.e., Shannon Beador, Taylor Armstrong, and Bethenny Frankel, those who were going through an extremely difficult time just became shells of their former selves. Heather was no exception to the rule, especially after just finalizing a divorce and leaving the church.
While some fans may think there needs to be a romantic element to have an abusive relationship, that isn’t the case at all. As we learned, Jen was a full-on narcissist who took advantage of everyone around her, often targeting the most vulnerable. Sadly, I think Heather latched on to believing she had found a true kinship. Heather’s trauma from her Mormon upbringing left her confused and vulnerable.
Heather Had No One
I think Heather was consumed by Jen, who, at face value, had everything. A loving husband, a huge house, fancy cars, and designer duds. In Season 1, Heather shared how lonely it was after she first left the Mormon church, noting that the people who she thought would stick around actually turned her back on her. With not a lot of options, Heather most likely gravitated towards Jen, who was energetic and social.
Heather might have become a bit obsessive with their chumminess, but I believe it was out of necessity. Heather needed to be in a social circle that wasn’t full of Latter-Day Saints, and Jen filled that void. Sadly, the ride-or-die attitude was at the expense of herself. While it is noble to want to stand by a friend, Heather needed to wise up ages ago, but instead, she only just revealed that it was Jen who punched her in the eye.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK HEATHER GAY WAS OBSESSED WITH JEN SHAH?
