In the main case, Jen Shah changed her plea of innocence to guilty in a fraud case brought against her by the federal government. Shortly before this July 11 court hearing, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City graduate and her legal team insisted that the trial take place as early as possible, not later, in the interests of timely protection of her alleged innocence. However, things have changed now because Shah is refusing trial and heading straight to sentencing under a plea agreement, which could lead to her facing more than a decade in prison for the charges. Andy Cohen himself spoke out about the cancellation, and surely Shah’s colleagues in the RHOSLC film also have something to say about it, right?
How Andy Cohen reacted to Jen Shah’s News
The executive producer and longtime host of the “Real Housewives” reunion spoke about Jen Shah’s apparent change of heart (or perhaps a change of faith in the justice system) on her radio show recently via People. He was talking to actor John Hill when he said he didn’t quite “know how to feel” about the guilty plea. Hill suggested that this is a sign that the 48-year-old mother of two has finally dealt with criminal offenses as part of a telemarketing scheme in which she was allegedly involved and which affected mostly elderly victims. But Andy Cohen still seemed to hedge against the situation, saying:
All this means that she is changing her statement.
Did Andy Cohen imply that Jen Shah was not truly guilty as such, but perhaps just hedging her own bets on the improbability of an acquittal if it came to an expensive trial? The answer is not entirely clear, but it is obvious that the Bravo producer and talk show host has a weakness for a TV presenter in a difficult situation. He shared with Jonah Hill that Shah even sent a gift for the birth of his newborn baby girl, despite everything she was and still has to deal with, which he found “so sweet of her.”
What do other RHOSLC actors think of the guilty plea?
Interestingly, a few days before the hearing in the case of the exploded bomb, two of Shah’s colleagues from the film “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” were with her in New York to express support, according to page six. The trio was supplemented by Heather Gay (who, as you know, always believed in the innocence of the Shah) and Meredith Marks (who, as you know, did not believe in the innocence of the Shah at all and was even suspected of having warned the feds about her arrest). None of the RHOSLC actors have officially spoken about going to the guilty plea, so questions continue to persist as to whether they knew what their friend was planning.
The Taste of Reality Instagram account posted an alleged screenshot of a preemptive statement made in Stories by Meredith Marks before the turn of events. And judging by what got into the IG, albeit temporarily, it would seem that she was in favor of the Shah proving her innocence in court, and really did not foresee a sudden change of plans.
Source for E! The news showed that the other RHOSLC actors, generally speaking, were just as shocked by the statement as everyone else. Presumably, some of them feel “cheated, misled and deceived by their friend,” especially considering how adamant Jen Shah has been about her guilt or lack thereof for many months.
What Jen Shah said about the fraud allegations
Ever since her shocking arrest in 2021— while “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” was in the midst of filming the second season – the star has constantly insisted on her innocence. As a result, she fought the case quite hard, including trying to block the footage of the show so that it would not affect her trial, and tried to completely drop the charges (twice). Shah conducted her first candid non-Bravo interview in June of this year, after those efforts failed, where she again defended her innocence and made a direct message to both skeptics and supporters of her cause.
However, at a recent court hearing, Bravolebrity admitted the alleged crimes in a pre-written statement, saying that she knew the telemarketing scheme’s offerings had “almost no value” and that she knew at the time that it was “wrong and illegal.” In a statement to E! News following the news, Shah’s lawyer Priya Chaudhry stated:
Miss Shah is a good woman who crossed the line. She takes full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to everyone who was injured. Ms. Shah also regrets disappointing her husband, children, family, friends and supporters. Jen pleaded guilty because she wants to pay her debt to society and leave this ordeal behind her and her family.
Jen Shah is still filming the upcoming third season of her show due to legal issues. (Fans can catch up on past seasons with a Peacock Premium subscription.)
