Jen Shah Is Not Taking Bravo's Black Eye Rumor Lightly, Lawsuit Looms

Although Jen Shah is behind bars for fraud charges, the reality TV star is gearing up for another potential courtroom battle.

The "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star is threatening to sue Bravo, Andy Cohen, and her former co-star, Heather Gay, following allegations of Shah giving Gay a black eye during the reunion.

In the preview for the highly anticipated Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" reunion, Cohen did not mince words, asking Gay if Jen Shah was responsible for her black eye. The Beauty Lab + Laser owner's affirmative response set the stage for a potential legal showdown. 

A representative for Shah disclosed that the TV personality was closely monitoring the situation and "is most likely going to seek legal action" based on the perceived wording. Shah's spokesperson revealed to Page Six:

"If in the final cut of the three-part 'RHOSLC' reunion, Heather makes any direct reference to Jen Shah giving her the black eye, legal action will be taken by the Shah family against Andy Cohen, NBC Universal, Bravo, Shed Media, and Heather for slander and defamation."

This controversy follows Gay's revelation in the season 4 finale of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," where she accused Shah of being the perpetrator behind her black eye.

The dramatic revelation unfolded when Heather Gay, alongside co-stars Lisa Barlow, Meredith Marks, and Whitney Rose, confronted newcomer housewife Monica Garcia about her speculated involvement in the Instagram troll account Reality Von Tease.

Drawing parallels, Gay likened Garcia's suspicious conduct to Shah's, highlighting that the housewives had previously navigated similar challenges with their ex-cast member. In her candid expression, the entrepreneur stated:

"We are friends, and we have been through this b—-- before with Jen…I went on book tour and defended her and took s— for the fact that she gave me a black eye."

Despite being incarcerated, Shah promptly responded to the allegations on social media, vehemently denying any involvement and accusing Bravo of clinging desperately to her for content.

The 50-year-old's statement began with a direct jab at the network: "BRAVO, if I punched Heather in her eye, you guys would have footage to prove it. It's clear the show can't live without me since I was brought up at the beginning, middle, and end of season 4."

Shah did not stop there; she claimed that Cohen had reached out to her for an interview – a move she insisted would not have occurred if she were truly responsible for assaulting Gay. 

The mother-of-two's concluding argument dismissed the allegations as a mere fabrication driven by Cohen's disappointment at her refusal to participate in a one-on-one interview.

"Andy is still butt hurt that I turned down his 1:1 interview. Why would you sit down with someone who 'gave' another cast member a black eye? Next story," Shah declared. 

While the details surrounding how Gay ended up with the bruise were not captured on the reality TV series, as the cameras were not rolling then, she also chose not to divulge the specifics. 

In April, reports revealed that the Salt Lake City-based football coach, often referred to as "Coach" by his wife and her friends, was allegedly asked to film scenes for the show. 

The scenes were intended to provide updates on how Coach's wife was faring behind bars. However, he chose to stand firm against this request, reportedly expressing discontent with how the show's producers handled the narrative surrounding his partner's arrest and jail time. 

He was adamant about not providing them with another opportunity to potentially tarnish the family's image. TMZ reported that Coach was not interested in engaging in on-camera camaraderie with the other "house husbands." 

While his relationship with Seth Marks, husband of Meredith Marks, and Lisa Barlow's husband, John Barlow, was portrayed positively on and off the screen, the NFLPA certified drew a line regarding participating in certain scripted scenarios. 

It was evident that The University of Utah cornerback coach valued his family's reputation and wanted to avoid any unfair allegations.