RHOSLC Heather – black eye and lies 1/26/2024

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4 is over and done. Typically, after a reunion, resolutions happen, then we wait for the next season. Not this time. So much controversy, unanswered questions and rumors are swirling around after the season has ended.

Let’s talk about Heather. She finally admits that Jen Shah was responsible for her black eye in season 3. Anyone with half a brain already knew this. Jen was cagey, uncomfortable and looked Hella guilty during that episode. Everyone questioned Heather. Friends, family, fans and production wanted to know the truth. Heather refused to point the finger at long time friend, Shah. Instead, she created other narratives about what could have happened. Heather “jokingly” made light of how the black eye came to be: a spider laid an egg, someone from production hit her, she fell and hit the sink…the possible scenarios went on and on. Although most of the “stories” were ridiculous, Heather would not call out Jen Shah.

Many people are comparing Heather’s lies to Monica’s lies, demanding they both be fired from the show. I completely disagree. Heather clearly lied out of fear, misplaced loyalty and shame. Monica lied for her own benefit. Anyone who has watched RHOSLC from the beginning knows that, unlike Lisa or Monica, Heather (and Whitney) were raised as hardcore Mormons. Their ancestors were prominent figures in the Mormon community. Heather (and Whitney) were brainwashed from birth. Women in these cult type religions are second class citizens. Their opinions don’t matter, they are repressed, they are taught they are only useful for having/caring for their children and supporting their husbands. The women live in fear of saying the wrong thing, making the wrong decision, looking the wrong way. They usually have zero self-esteem. It’s traumatic. (There are several TV shows and documentaries that address this very issue.) Go back to Season One, Heather and Whitney are, clearly, scared of Jen Shah. They verbalize it several times. Meredith, Lisa, and Mary aren’t afraid of Jen Shah. But they weren’t raised in a hardcore Mormon cult.

Jen Shah controls the people in her life through fear. We watch her belittle, abuse, and go batshit crazy on anyone who disagrees with her. Jen pits friends against each other, which is another control tactic for the narcissistic Jen Shah. Unfortunately for Heather, she was under the spell of Jen. It seems that the demise of Heather’s marriage set the tone in her other relationships. Heather was so afraid of upsetting Jen and losing her friendship, she was willing to put up with a lot of abuse. I was surprised to see Heather stand up to Shah a couple of times, because Jen made her feel totally insignificant. After the disastrous dinner in Vegas, Heather says she will “not throw Jen away”. This solidifies the trauma of Heather’s husband leaving her the first and only time Heather said no to him.

Three seasons air with Heather being Jen’s biggest champion. Heather, as well as Lisa, Meredith and Whitney choose to believe that Shah is innocent. They choose to believe that their friend is telling the truth. Several people have commented that Heather knew where Jen made her money, that there in no way she didn’t know. I disagree. Case in point: Bernie Madoff. He ran the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. He was the chairman of the Nasdaq stock exchange. He pulled the wool over the eyes of family and friends. No one questioned him for years and years. Eventually, his house of cards came tumbling down, much like Jen Shah. So, do I think it’s possible that Jen Shah hoodwinked her friends and family? Absolutely!

 In Season 4, we do see growth in Heather. We watch her come into her own, gain confidence and self-esteem. It’s like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. That weight is likely Jen Shah. Now that Shah is in prison, the spell on Heather has been broken. She finally sees Jen Shah for who she really is, a con artist. The similarities between Shah and Monica are many, in my opinion. Shah only cared about Shah. Monica only cares about Monica.

Heather lied to protect a friend. She lied to avoid retribution. She lied out of fear.

Monica lied to get on a show. She lied to make a profit from other people’s misery. She lied to benefit Monica.