Tommy Garcia/Bravo
There may be a cast shake-up on one of the Real Housewives franchises.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah was arrested on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, and has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud as well as money laundering as part of a telemarketing scam, according to Entertainment Tonight.
At the time of her arrest, Shah had reportedly been filming for the show. Sources say that Shah was getting ready to leave for Vail, Colorado, on a trip with the other women when she received a phone call about her impending arrest. According to the source, Shah told the other women that she had a family emergency. Within minutes, she was taken into custody.
While some of this is expected to play out on a future episode of the show, a source revealed that Shah’s future on RHOSLC “is uncertain.” Production has not halted, and the new season is said to be filming without Shah at the present time.
So, does this mean that Shah will end up getting fired by Bravo?
Here’s what you need to know:
Bravo Has Not Released a Statement About Shah’s Arrest & Details About Her Contract Are Unknown
BravoJen Shah at the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reunion.
The Bravo network has yet to release a statement about Shah’s arrest, so it’s unclear whether or not there has been any kind of discussion surrounding her future on the show.
Details of Shah’s Bravo contract are also not public. It’s unclear if she has any kind of clause in there that would prohibit her from continuing on filming while she is being investigated and going through legal proceedings.
It’s also unknown how much money Shah makes to appear on RHOSLC. According to Cheat Sheet, many Housewives make upwards of six figures per season. NeNe Leakes was the very first Housewife to earn $1 million for one season of the show. Other Housewives who have joined the $1 million club include Teresa Giudice and Denise Richards.
Since Shah is supposedly not filming and production has “resumed without her,” according to Entertainment Tonight, the pay that she is set to earn may be on the line.
Teresa Giudice Kept Her Spot on ‘Real Housewives’ Despite Going to Prison for a Federal Crime
GettyTeresa Giudice in 2016
Shah isn’t the only Real Housewives star to face serious legal trouble. Teresa Giudice was not only charged with fraud, but she pleaded guilty to the charges and served time in prison. However, as The Hollywood Gossip points out, Giudice was able to keep her contract with Bravo, and she is still a major cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
While Bravo chose not to part ways with Giudice following her criminal case and subsequent prison time, there were some rumors that she was “terrified” of being fired after spreading a rumor about Jackie Goldschneider’s husband, Evan.
“[Teresa is] being watched by the network and needed a story to stir the pot. She had zero proof [that he cheated] and made up the story because Bravo has been getting rid of original ‘Housewives.’ [She’s] too expensive and they can filter through different women She’s desperately trying to stay relevant,” a source told Page Six back in February.
Giudice denied the claims on social media, however. She has been part of the RHONJ cast since the show first aired back in 2009, and it looks like Bravo has no intentions of firing her. Shah, on the other hand, is a Bravo newcomer on a franchise that hasn’t really caught fire yet. It will be interesting to see which way the network decides to go.
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