'RHOSLC' Star Heather Gay Insists Her Black Eye Came From Jen Shah
By Afouda Bamidele on January 24, 2024 at 8:45 AM EST
The drama on "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" continues with unveiling unseen footage that allegedly confirms Jen Shah gave Heather Gay a black eye.
The drama began when the reality TV star labeled her former castmate as the culprit behind an injury she debuted in 2022. Two years later, Bravo fans are getting all the juicy details about the incident, including why Gay lied about Shah's alleged physical assault.
Heather Gay Gives Emotional Recollection Of Her Black Eye Incident With Jen Shah
Part three of the "RHOSLC" reunion show saw Gay opening up about her issues with Shah. The program's moderator, Andy Cohen, gave her the floor to elaborate on how she got the infamous shiner from her former castmate.
"Heather, you shocked the world when you claimed Jen gave you the black eye. Tell us how it happened," Cohen said, to which Gay confessed the details of the incident were blurry, but it occurred after a night partying on the cast's trip to San Diego.
"Honestly, it was a lot of drinking, and the next morning, I woke up with the black eye; I knew I'd gotten it from Jen," Gay recalled, noting she didn't know how the shiner happened but believed her former friend was responsible. In her words:
"I didn't know how, but I knew I'd gotten it from Jen. She was the first person I texted; she came in the room, she said, 'Did I give that to you?' I said, 'Don't worry, I'll cover.'"
When asked why she chose to "cover" Shah's alleged abuse, Gay emotionally confessed to being scared of the incarcerated entertainer. "I don't know. I was scared of her, I think," she wailed. "I had been covering for her for three years. I wasn't going to stop with the black eye."
"I was that in, and I was too scared to say anything. I was terrified to say it; I was still scared to say it at the reunion. I was still scared to say it in Bermuda," she added, referencing the moment she shared her narrative about the black eye incident.
Gay explained she addressed Shah's alleged crimes in Bermuda because she felt like she was betrayed by someone she considered a friend. Her revelation came after fellow castmate Monica Garcia was exposed as one of the culprits behind a "RHOSLC" troll account.
Heather Gay Claims Unseen Footage Backs Her Story About Jen Shah
The black eye drama continued with the "RHOSLC" production team seemingly supporting Gay's narrative with unseen footage from the morning she woke up with the injury.
A disclaimer flashed across the screen, warning viewers that the audio was "unintelligible" and that both parties initially claimed they "were discussing a different topic" in the video. "Heather now claims this footage shows them discussing the black eye," the note read.
Per Gay's recollection, the video captured Shah arriving at her room and sitting on the couch. As Bravo noted, the audio wasn't crystal clear, but the alleged victim claimed her former pal said: "I did that to you; I can't believe I did that to you," while she responded: "Don't worry about it. I got you."
Following the clip, Gay apologized to her castmates, Bravo, and fans for lying about her injury. "I didn't know how to navigate it myself. It was a horrible situation," she lamented. "I was scared, and I did what I always do, I deflect with humor. It was in poor taste; it was horrible."
Jen Shah Vehemently Denied The Black Eye Accusations
Weeks before Gay's emotional recollection of her black eye, Shah clapped back at her claims in a fiery statement on her Instagram Story. She defended herself from prison, where she is currently incarcerated on fraud charges.
Shah noted there was no evidence supporting Gay's claims and insisted that if the incident had happened, it would have been captured on camera. She also accused "RHOSLC" showrunners of using her for clout, writing:
"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."
The 50-year-old's argument continued with quips at Andy Cohen, who she claimed was bitter over her refusal to do an interview. She noted the TV host would never have reached out to her if she was the culprit behind Gay's black eye.
"Andy is still b--- 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 concluded her statement.