Bravo/ABC Heather Gay.
Heather Gay says she’s “sad” to admit that her past body positive persona was all a “lie.” Two months after her “Receipts! Proof! Timeline! Screenshots!” speech went viral, the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City“ star is making headlines for her dramatic weight loss.
In a March 2024 interview on ABC News’ “Impact x Nightline,” Gay issued a response to critics who say she copped out of embracing body positivity.
“I’ve sold out,” she said. “I’ve given up the banner of you know, accept yourself. And it’s disappointing and sad to know that body positivity was all a big lie. Because it is better not to be overweight.”
Heather Gay ‘Felt Pressure’ to Try Weight Loss Drugs
ABCHeather Gay.
In November 2023, Gay told People magazine she was “on the Ozempic train” and had been “on it for a long time.”
“I haven’t had massive results, but enough for people to notice, which is great,” she shared. “You lose five pounds, people are nicer to you. It’s just the way the world works and that makes me sad for women. But happy that I’m down five.”
Three months later, Gay lost over 15 more pounds by using weight loss drugs. She told ABC News that she has accepted herself “as someone that needs medical intervention in order to maintain a weight that feels healthy and positive.”
“Everyone I knew was taking this GLP-1 medications, losing weight and just bragging about how great it was and magical,” she said. “I didn’t want to show up at another party and see all of my friends 20 pounds thinner and just be resentful.”
Heather Gay Says She Was Shamed By Some of Her Castmates
Peacock/ABCMary Cosby on WWHL; Heather Gay
In October 2023, Gay was body shamed by her RHOSLC co-star Mary Cosby during Cosby’s appearance on “Watch What Happens Live.” In a game called “Versace or Hibachi,” host Andy Cohen showed photos of Real Housewives stars’ outfits and and Cosby and fellow guest star Ziwe were asked to rate them as “Versace” or grill them on a hibachi.
When a photo of Gay’s season 4 confessional look of a Gucci corset top popped onscreen, Cosby insinuated Gay’s top was a fake. “I don’t think Gucci makes that,” Cosby said. “I’ve never seen a corset in, like, a size 14. Have you?”
Cohen and Ziwe appeared shocked by Cosby’s comment.
Gay soon responded by posting an Instagram photo of her wearing the zipper-front corset top that Cosby referred to. “Thank you @gucci for being so inclusive. ❤️ #RHOSLC,” the Bravo star proudly captioned the photo.
Speaking with ABC News, Gay said she’s been called worse than “size 14 Gucci.”
“I’ve been called a manatee, I’ve been called Shrek,” she said. “I’ve been called horrible things in private and public by my costars and by the general public.”
After losing weight, Gay said she felt valued by her “castmates, by the public” in a way that she “had never been valued before.”
During the RHOSLC reunion in January 2024, Cosby even said her corset comment was not meant as a body shame toward Gay. “I was not body shaming her at all,” she said. “That didn’t even come to my mind. That was not my point. I have no reason to do that. And I think she looks really good, especially today. I guess she shamed me, because she looks great.”
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