Controversial Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah had her prison sentence reduced yet again. The news led to renewed speculation that Jen could make a return to RHOSLC after she gets released. There is precedent for such a thing, after all. Teresa Giudice returned to the Real Housewives of New Jersey following her sentence. In that case, RHONJ took a hiatus to wait for Teresa’s release.
Of course, there are a few notable differences between Jen and Teresa. Tre was in prison, serving time for fraud, for less than a year. Jen is, at this point, behind bars until 2027. Many couldn’t imagine RHONJ without Teresa. But RHOSLC is arguably getting better and better since Jen left after Season 3.
However, Jen is still a significant part of the show and is referenced often. So it’s not out of the question that she could make a comeback. Now, let’s look at the arguments for and against a potential Shah-mazing return.
Jen Shah still has connections with her Real Housewives of Salt Lake City co-stars
A major argument against Season 4 villain Monica Garcia’s return is that no one wants to film with her. But unlike with Monica, there are some RHOSLC cast members who might still film with Jen if she came back. For instance, Meredith Marks still keeps in touch with Jen’s husband. In Season 3, Meredith and Jen’s dramatic feud suddenly ended, and Meredith was firmly on Jen’s side.
Lisa Barlow also made waves recently for saying that Jen is “harmless unless you’re elderly.” Those comments didn’t sit well with Monica. Previously, Lisa brought up Jen to slam Angie Katsanevas on social media. There’s also a very complicated relationship between Jen and Heather Gay. Some speculate Jen may be the RHOSLC cast “sworn enemy” Heather referenced in the Season 5 trailer.
At this point, at least a few of the RHOSLC ladies might renew their friendship with Jen after she gets out. According to Lisa, Jen wants to have a relationship with her and Meredith. So, her return would be very organic.
Jen Shah would have to show genuine remorse and make significant changes
Another precedent for a potential Jen return would be Mary Cosby’s comeback. Mary got promoted to a full-time Housewife this year, for the first time since Season 2. Her comeback is a huge success so far. And it’s because she’s made positive changes, while still remaining true to her unique personality. Fans never thought they’d see the day when Mary and Whitney Rose were friends, but they’re getting along famously!
When Jen was on RHOSLC, she was very combative. To be blunt, she was a bully. Heather said it herself in the explosive Season 4 finale. While Jen is supposedly super charismatic, this never came across on screen. Instead of being a “love to hate” type of villain, it wasn’t fun to watch. In one notable moment, she threatened to drown Whitney and then screamed at a cameraman. And, according to Monica, Reality VonTease started because Jen mistreated her employees.
Of course, people can change. It’s possible that Jen could come back and be genuinely sorry for her actions. And she may want to repair her friendships with the ladies. As Mary showed us this season, you can never rule that out with this crew.
Do RHOSLC fans want to see Jen Shah and Heather Gay resolve their differences?
To say Jen and Heather have a complicated relationship is a huge understatement. There’s a lot between them that’s unresolved. The question is, would it make compelling television?
In the Season 4 finale, Heather finally revealed that Jen ALLEGEDLY gave her the black eye. Jen denied this and also threatened to sue Heather and Bravo for the allegation. Heather’s reveal caused some backlash, even as she also rose to RHOSLC’s top dog for the iconic Reality VonTease takedown. Fans were expecting some answers at the reunion but didn’t get any that were satisfying. Instead, Heather said she didn’t remember. On the one hand, Jen’s perspective might finally give some answers. On the other hand, it’s probably best to let the black eye storyline go. If Jen returns, though, it’ll have to come up yet again.
After the Season 4 finale, Heather’s comments about Jen, and comparisons to Monica, left a poor taste in people’s mouths. A lot of people questioned why Jen’s hold over Heather is still so strong. Their relationship didn’t seem healthy, so is an on-camera reunion the best idea? It might be better for Heather personally, and as a reality TV personality, if this friendship doesn’t get hashed out.
Are Jen’s crimes too much for RHOSLC fans to stomach?
The biggest hurdle for Jen Shah’s potential return are the reasons for her incarceration. Simply put, Jen’s crimes were awful, targeting the most vulnerable part of the population. Her actions had very serious consequences, and her telemarketing schemes hurt people. It was in poor taste for Lisa to make a flippant comment about that, let alone invite Jen back to a popular TV show.
For a lot of viewers, it would be hard to stomach a redemption arc. But also, this is Bravo where we have other formerly jailed Real Housewives and a couple of DUI ladies too – so let’s not get too judgemental. Hopefully, Jen is genuinely remorseful and makes an effort to right her wrongs. But it’s fair to assume that a lot of people don’t want to see that as a storyline on a Real Housewives show. After all, Erika Jayne got backlash for meeting with her estranged husband’s victims. However you slice it, Jen returning to RHOSLC might come off as rewarding bad behavior, which Bravo is famous for. Just look at the response to Anna Delvey’s attempt to use reality TV as a comeback.
Would Jen Shah’s return hurt or help the show?
Season 4 was the best Real Housewives of Salt Lake City season yet. And the very strong Season 5 is already shaping up to be even better. By contrast, Season 3 was the worst so far, and it heavily focused on Jen and her criminal case. At this point, would Jen’s return be detrimental to RHOSLC’s success?
While Jen gets referenced quite a bit, viewers are ready to move on. Jen’s drama was very dark, to put it mildly. This season, fans are delighted by the petty drama between Meredith and Whitney, and the silly friendship of Mary and Angie K.
Ultimately, even as Jen’s sentence gets reduced, there are still a few years left before her return to the show will be a serious consideration. A lot could change before then. But the last two seasons certainly prove that RHOSLC doesn’t need Jen Shah to be entertaining.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK JEN SHAH SHOULD RETURN TO REAL HOUSEWIVES OF SALT LAKE CITY? WHY OR WHY NOT?
