Bravo Real Housewives of Salt Lake City stars Jen Shah, Mary Cosby and Lisa Barlow.
The cast of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” may be rich, but it’s not due to their paychecks from the Bravo reality show.
A new report claims that ladies of Salt Lake City are working for practically nothing—at least compared to the stars from other Housewives franchises. And it also explains why Mary Cosby’s decision to skip the recent season 2 reunion was less painful to her pocketbook than fans may think.
In addition to Cosby, “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” stars Meredith Marks, Jen Shah, Lisa Barlow, Heather Gay, Whitney Rose and Jennie Nguyen.
Here’s what you need to know:
The ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Cast’ Members Reportedly Make $6.5K Per Episode & That’s a Huge Increase From Season 1
BravoRHOSLC Cast
According to a report from Tamara Tattles, the cast for “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City “ signed a five-year deal for their first season which stipulated limited pay increases. They only earned $2,000 per episode for season one, but the ladies negotiated an increase to $6,500 for season 2. The outlet noted that most of the cast can expect a ten percent salary increase for season 3, but those who brought the most drama last season (think Shah and Marks) could earn closer to $10,000 per episode—still a low amount for a Real Housewife.
A source told the outlet that Cosby’s attorney demanded her final paychecks after she refused to participate in the three-part reunion. That decision cost her $18,000 but spared her from being grilled by Bravo host Andy Cohen about her controversial behavior this season. Cosby was under fire this season for a comment she made to co-star Jennie Nguyen about her “slanted eyes.” Cosby also compared Jen Shah to a “Mexican thug.”
Other Real Housewives Stars Are Paid Much More
Photo by: Tommy Garcia/BravoReal Housewives of Atlanta cast members, from left to right: Porsha Williams, Kandi Burruss Tucker, Kenya Moore, NeNe Leakes, Eva Marcille, and Cynthia Bailey
Fans may recall that on the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” reunion last fall, Andy Cohen teased that Erika Jayne was well paid for her role on the show. The New York Times reported that Erika was paid about $600,000 last season, which works out to about $30,000 per episode before the four-part reunion.
In November 2021, Tamara Tattles claimed Erika actually made $68,000 per episode. Either way, it’s a lot more than the RHOSLC cast’s reported salaries, and it may have prompted another franchise star to request more money.
In December 2010, TMZ reported that RHOBH “friend” Kathy Hilton demanded a hefty salary increase to return for season 12. Hilton was a breakout star in season 11, but she skipped several season 12 cast events during negotiations. She finally came to an agreement with producers—and it’s likely for more money than the full-time Salt Lake City castmates make.
“Kathy’s done her homework,” an insider told Life & Style (via All About the Real Housewives). “Atlanta’s Kandi Burruss and New York City’s alum Bethenny Frankel made way over $1 million per season, so Kathy’s people have told Bravo she wants to be paid somewhere in that range.”
The highest-paid Housewives are said to be from the Atlanta franchise. Nene Leakes was paid $2.85 million for her final season, while her former co-star Kandi Burruss, who rake in S2.3 million, according to ScreenRant.
As for Cosby, it’s unclear if she has cashed her last RHOSLC paycheck. While there have been reports that she quit the Bravo franchise, she has not confirmed anything. Cosby recently posted to Instagram to tell fans, “You will always know what My plans are …From Me! Trust The Process Going UP! always. #loveyou.”
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