Andy Cohen has finally addressed the recent arrest of “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah.
Nearly one week after the Bravo reality star and her assistant, Stuart Smith, were taken into custody on charges of money laundering and wire fraud, the “Watch What Happens Live” host responded to a caller on his Radio Andy talk show who wanted to know his thoughts on the matter.
“Oy vey… I’m waiting to see how it plays out,” Cohen explained, according to a report from E! News on April 5.
Jen Shah Has Pled Not Guilty
“I have nothing to add to what we already know, other than I certainly hope and pray that none of it is true,” he continued.
According to Cohen, he hadn’t previously addressed the issue because he hadn’t had a microphone in front of him for two weeks.
As “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” fans likely heard, Shah and Smith were arrested last week after supposedly running a telemarketing scheme targeting elderly people for nearly a decade.
Then, on Friday, they both plead not guilty.
Jen Shah Maintains Her Innocence
Following the slew of charges against her, attorneys representing Shah shared a statement with E! News, saying that the reality star maintains her innocence and is “eager” to defend herself in court.
“She puts her faith in the American legal system,” her legal team said in a statement. “Because of the ongoing legal proceedings, we ask that you respect her privacy, and understand she will not provide any further comments.”
While Shah hasn’t offered any additional commentary on the matter, she has been active on social media.
Jen Shah Is Facing Decades In Prison
Shah has even shared a couple of “Free Jen” posts on her page as she faces a reported 50 years behind bars.
On the heels of Shah’s arrest in late March, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss released a statement about the case against her.
“Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businessperson on ‘reality’ television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah’s ‘first assistant,’ allegedly generated and sold ‘lead lists’ of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam,” she said in a press release.
Jen Shah Is Receiving Support From Her Fans Online
“In actual reality and as alleged, the statement continued, “the so-called business opportunities pushed on the victims by Shah, Smith, and their co-conspirators were just fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to steal victims’ money.”
In addition to her “Free Jen” posts on Instagram, Shah has also offered a statement thanking her fans and followers for their support.
“Thank you for believing in me,” she wrote to her online audience over the weekend. “Always.”
“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” season two is currently in production.