RHOSLC's Mary Cosby Suffers Tragic Loss As Her Son, Robert Cosby Jr., Passes Away

Bravo fans are keeping "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Mary Cosby in their thoughts as her son, Robert Cosby Jr., has reportedly passed away. The 23-year-old made several appearances on the show, which began in November 2020, alongside his mother, an original cast member. Notably, his most recent appearance on the show was in the 2025 season.

TMZ broke the story of Cosby's tragic death on February 25. Per the report, he passed away on February 23 in his home state of Utah. As noted, the cause of death is unclear, but the outlet states that the local police responded to what may have been an overdose. However, upon reaching the requesting residence, they found Cosby deceased.

The police told the outlet that they responded to a call on the night of February 25 for a 23-year-old male due to a "full "arrest/medical emergency." TMZ also learned that fire and paramedics were dispatched.

UPDATE: Following the passing of her son, Cosby issued a statement that read: "Our beloved son Robert Jr. has been called home to the Lord. Though our hearts ache, we take comfort in God’s promise and in knowing he is finally at peace. We are grateful for your prayers and trust in the Lord to carry us through this time of sorrow."

Following the news of Cosby's death, many fans of "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" took to social media to offer their condolences. One person said on X, "The Mary Cosby news, oh my god, I can't imagine the pain she's in right now." Someone else said, "Condolences to #RHOSLC star Mary Cosby and her husband Robert—their son Robert Cosby Jr. has sadly passed away at 23."

Another person said, "I just saw the Robert Cosby Jr. news, and I'm not ok. My heart hurts for Mary and her family right now." A Different X user wrote, "The way my heart is breaking for Mary Cosby. May Robert Junior finally be at peace."

Cosby gave one of her most recent updates about her son and his battle with addiction in September 2025 while appearing on SiriusXM's "Reality Checked" radio show. When on, she was asked how her son had been. This was after they'd opened up about his addiction on "RHOSLC" and following his arrest. 

Cosby said, "It's his journey. If you don't make your mind up, then this is all for nothing. And if it just takes a made-up mind to do and execute whatever you are trying to do, but you can't do it if your mind's not made up. And I can't make it up for him."

She went on to discuss how she aided her son in his recovery process, saying, "I can just only push him, encourage him, and love him. And that's what I'm doing. That's kind of where we are. But he's still on that road, and it's a hardcore road.

Cosby continued in the interview, opening up about the difficulties of being a parent and having to watch a child struggle with substance abuse. She admitted, "It's tough to watch as a mom." Cosby also noted that her husband, Robert Cosby Sr, "is most of the time devastated" by the situation. 

She went on to express hope for Cosby Jr, saying, "But at the same time, I have hope, and I believe in him. I know that his ability, I mean, I raised him, so I know he's got all the tools and he's got all the will, the willpower that he needs, and the support. He just needs to make up his mind."

Cosby first opened up about her son's battle with addiction on the episode of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" that aired on November 27, 2024. In it, she and Cosby Jr. sat down for an emotional conversation in which he spoke openly to his mother about the. Per PEOPLE, he admitted to taking Xanax, prompting her to ask him if he was happy and if he felt he had an issue with substance abuse.

He said, "Sometimes, I feel like I don't know, just life is like this chicken without seasoning. But when I get high, it's like seasoning." Cosby went on to reveal that he first took Xanax from a friend at 16 years old, confessing, "Then I was like, 'I like this.' I started buying it. Then I started doing Xanax with acid, and then Molly with Xanax, because I really like Xanax, so I mixed it with everything, Xanax and cocaine."

She then told her son during the episode, "I can help you. I can try to help you, but you have to help yourself, because I'm not gonna support it. I'm not. You know I'm not. Do you accept it's a problem that you're having a problem?"

Later, he said he "wanted to die" at times. Saying, "I felt like a stain — I just felt like this world wasn't for me." According to Yahoo Entertainment, he checked himself into rehab in October 2024, which would have been after the emotional "RHOSLC" episode was filmed.