While it took a backseat for a few weeks, the feud between Heather Gay and newbie Bronwyn Newport got center stage on the October 30 episode of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Bronwyn welcomed Heather to her home, ostensively to see if she should invite the RHOSLC OG to the Palm Springs cast trip. However, it was a disaster, and not just because of what Bronwyn’s dogs left on the floor.
I’m all for Real Housewives holding ridiculous grudges, but this conflict is based on little to nothing, outside of a bad first impression. There’s only so much mileage a storyline can get out of that before it turns stale. Is there any way these two can move on- if not to being friends, then at least to have a conflict that’s earned? Will Mary Cosby make them hold hands? Let’s break down how this feud started, and how it might play out the rest of the season.
Why is Heather Gay so resistant to Bronwyn Newport?
Why does Heather have such a grudge against Bronwyn? Initially, she claimed it was because of a comment Bronwyn made about Whitney Rose. Defending your cousin is understandable and admirable. But the anger was a bit misplaced, as Bronwyn made the same comment to Whitney’s face.
Not only did Whitney come to Bronwyn’s defense, she also praised the newbie for shutting down gold digger accusations. On RHOSLC’s After Show, Whitney seemed to side with Bronwyn, declaring it’s hard for Heather to take accountability. So, Heather can’t claim she dislikes the newcomer for Whitney’s sake.
As of now, it feels as if Heather and Bronwyn both made some snap judgments about each other and are stubbornly holding onto them. Sometimes, it comes across as if Heather is looking for excuses not to like Bronwyn- truly, why does she care so much about a pre-nup? When Meredith Marks explained why some people don’t have prenups on the After Show, Heather appeared annoyed and asked if she was on Bronwyn’s side.
However, it’s important to remember that what we’re watching is edited. Heather claimed that Bronwyn made additional gossipy comments on that drive to Wendy’s. At the time, comparing Bronwyn’s energy to Monica Garcia felt like a stretch. But is there more we’re not seeing? Editors love to cut back to show previously unseen footage. It’s always possible we’ll get a different picture by the time Season 5 ends.
Heather was far more welcoming of Monica at the beginning of Season 4. And that didn’t work in her favor. Maybe she decided jumping to conclusions was a safer bet going forward? Heather’s already blamed Monica for being more protective of her fellow OGs.
Was Bronwyn genuinely trying to make amends with Heather?
Bronwyn said she invited Heather over to apologize so that could clear the air and move forward. She even admitted that it’s no easy for her to say sorry. Whether or not she meant it, at least it was an effort. However, things got extra dicey when the couples’ trip was brought up.
On the After Show, Heather joked that she didn’t realize she was walking into an audition. It is fair to wonder if Bronwyn ever had any intention of inviting Heather. Was she always going to use their latest confrontation as an excuse not to? It is a couples trip, and Heather would be the only single woman going since Bronwyn flat-out refused to invite Britani Bateman. That is putting Heather on the spot.
Heather was being unfair to Bronwyn, and it came across like she wouldn’t accept any apology. The “Oh you’re so perfect” comment was frankly childish. But it’s also fair to question Bronwyn’s intentions.
One could argue Bronwyn set herself up for this on the Milwaukee trip, and by tattling to Angie Katsanevas at the mob wives party. Confronting Heather and Lisa Barlow over their hypocrisy only made things worse. But was it wrong for Bronwyn to defend herself? Does she really need to take an L because she’s new?
Will Bronwyn’s fan-favorite status change Heather’s tune?
Angie called upon their shared past by claiming that Heather’s always wanted to sit at the cool kids’ table. Right now, Bronwyn is the cool kid of the RHOSLC cast. However, it’s still early in the season. Bronwyn is winning over viewers so far, but that can always change. More could come out in future episodes. For instance, we still don’t know which RHOSLC Housewife gets accused of recording the other women without their knowledge. It’s hard to remember now, but before the Season 4 finale, some RHOSLC viewers loved Monica (and still do).
Lisa even named her former friend as the RHOSLC Season 5 villain. Of course, cast members don’t always accurately predict what viewers will take away from a show. Remember last season on Vanderpump Rules, where producers and cast members seemed convinced viewers would change their minds about Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix? Yeah, that didn’t happen.
While feuds are fun, there’s a limit to where it starts to affect the show. That comes when things are so bad that Housewives refuse to film together. Hence why Monica didn’t return for Season 5. It’s too early to say if this feud will lead to filming conflicts. But at this point, Bronwyn and Heather can’t even have a conversation without the latter walking away. We’ll have to keep watching to see if Bronwyn truly reaches Monica status, or if Heather read that energy wrong.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HEATHER AND BRONWYN’S FEUD? ARE YOU INTERESTED TO SEE MORE, OR DO YOU HOPE THEY’LL MOVE ON?
