NBCUniversal/Heavy Monica Garcia and Andy Cohen
The “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” fans learned that season 4 newbie Monica Garcia would not be returning to the show for the 5th season just ahead of the third and final reunion episode.
On January 24, Andy Cohen shared more insight on why Garcia, who had an explosive debut season, would not be back to film with the other women. “The big question since the Reality Von Tease reveal has been, ‘Will you keep Monica on the show?'” Cohen said on his SiriusXM radio show “Radio Andy.” “The news is out that we are gonna have a cooling-off period.”
He added that Garcia had the chance to plead her case at the reunion after her co-stars learned that she was behind the Instagram account Reality Von Tease. “I think the reunion is the chance to come out, say why you did what you did on the season,” Cohen said on his radio show. “It’s the Supreme Court of public opinion. And so Monica had the opportunity not only to explain herself to the audience, but way more importantly in this case to the other women and I don’t think she successfully swayed any of them to her side.”
He added that at the end of the reunion, he’d asked all of the women whether there was a way forward for them to rebuild trust with Garcia. “The answer was no all the way around,” Cohen added. “So, I think that it’s best, you know, we all discussed it ad nauseam that it would be best to kind of let this one breathe for a while.”
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Andy Cohen Hinted That the Door Wasn’t Closed for a Return to RHOSLC for Monica Garcia in the Future
Although Garcia won’t be back to film season 5 of the show, Cohen said the door wasn’t closed for the mother of four to return in the future. “She’s obviously really compelling television,” he said. “Maybe she’ll be able to build some inroads with some of the women on her own off-camera and we’ll see if that happens.”
In fact, while speaking with Variety, Cohen was asked whether Garcia might come back one day. “Who knows?” he answered. “Anything can happen. And I love a comeback. And so it would be very cool to find a path forward for her.” However, he said, “it feels too raw right now.”
Monica Garcia Said Her Exit From RHOSLC Wasn’t Her Decision
In an interview with The Cut ahead of the final reunion episode, the season 4 cast member said she was interested in returning. The publication asked her if she wasn’t back on RHOSLC for season 5, whether that would have been because of her decision not to return or the network’s decision. “That would be a cast and Bravo decision. It would not have been my decision,” she replied candidly.
While speaking with the publication, Garcia also admitted that she’d like to be able to find a path forward with the women in the future. She pointed out other things that cast members had done and been forgiven for, such as Lisa Barlow’s comments during her hot mic moment and Heather Gay blaming her black eye on other people when she knew who’d caused it.
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