We’re officially one week away from the Season 5 premiere of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and the recently released trailer promises to deliver another year of rumors and nastiness. With Mary Cosby back as a full-time Housewife, fans were shocked to see that her long-standing friendship with Meredith Marks was on the brink of ruin — including Marks, who told DECIDER that she’s still “very confused” about what led to their conflict.
“It felt to me like she was just kind of coming at me out of nowhere for no real reason,” Marks said when asked about her tension with Cosby, who was seen kicking her out of a dinner party in the trailer. “It made me feel very used because I had been the only one who had been there for her during these years where she was not being asked back [to the show] and she was not asked to be there full-time.”
But they’re not the only cast members at odds. Whitney Rose, who typically has a way of finding herself in the center of drama, is also butting heads with Lisa Barlow. “I think that Whitney ends up getting herself in a lot of trouble because she brings light to things, under the guise of saying, ‘I’m bringing this to tell you.’ But in the meantime, [she’s] telling the rest of the world, too,” Marks said, noting that some of the women are beginning to question Rose’s “real intentions” as they deem her pot-stirring “somewhat intentional.”
The reality star also teased a shocker from this season when both Rose and Barlow’s typically soft-spoken husbands get involved in their wives’ feud, telling us, “I’ve never seen either of them get all revved up like that. Like, not at all. So that right there is surprising. You know, it just was very out of character in general.”
Marks recently stopped by DECIDER’s studio, where she talked all about the Season 5 drama, her son Brooks Marks’ involvement in the Bravo spinoff Making It In Manhattan, and her time celebrating Pride with Vice President Kamala Harris. Check out the full interview below.
DECIDER: I am super excited about Season 5. How are you feeling about going into this season after the craziness of Season 4?
MEREDITH MARKS: Well, I think there’s always a little anxiety going into any season airing. Because I know what happened when I was there, but I don’t know what happened when I wasn’t. So I think it’s kind of the same. I don’t think it’s any different this year than it has been in the past. Just mild anxiety about the unknown.
Before we fully dive into this next season, I do want to ask about Monica. Obviously, she’s not coming back this season – but do you think she has any chance of someday reconciling with the group and returning in the future? And have you seen or heard from her since filming the reunion?
Since reunion, I have not seen her. The last time I saw her was at reunion, and I have not spoken with her either. I can’t really speak to how things will unfold. Like, I don’t know. I always say, never say never. I’m sure nobody thought that I would be at peace with Jen Shah after Season 2. You just don’t know. I don’t think anyone thought that Lisa Barlow and I would ever reconcile.
I think it might be a little different in this situation, only because, for the most part, none of us really knew Monica before. And so it’s a little harder to reconcile something when there wasn’t more of an established pre-existing relationship like for like me and Lisa, where we had been friends previously for a very long time. I think you give a little more grace emotionally to someone who you’ve known for a long time, who has been good to you for a long time that then screws up, as opposed to someone who you just met. So I don’t know. I think it’s a tough one.
I want to talk about this trailer, because in it, you and Mary seem to be butting heads. How did you feel about her coming back full-time?
Congratulations. I think that’s what she wanted, and she got it. So I’m happy for her. I’m happy for people when they get what they want.
You said in the trailer that Mary had been using you for years. Can you explain what you meant by that?
I, at this point, am very confused what the conflict between Mary and I was about. And so it felt to me like she was just kind of coming at me out of nowhere for no real reason. And it made me feel very used because I had been the only one who had been there for her during these years where she was not being asked back and she was not asked to be there full-time. And I still invited her to all of my events, and I still included her and reached out and checked in and nobody else did. So it just didn’t feel good because I still don’t know what the issue is.
I know that there’s a lot for us to see still, but can you tell us anything about where you stand with Mary now?
I think you have to watch for that one. I can’t give it all away today!
While we’re on the topic of drama, Whitney seems to be at odds with a lot of the women. Why do you think she keeps finding herself in the center of drama?
I think that Whitney ends up getting herself in a lot of trouble because she brings light to things, under the guise of saying, “I’m bringing this to tell you.” But in the meantime, [she’s] telling the rest of the world, too. And the rest of the world wouldn’t have heard about this without it. And so I think that a lot of the women feel like it’s somewhat intentional at that point because the first time you’re like, “OK.” And then the second time you’re like, “OK.” But when it happens multiple times every year, you start to say, “Well, what’s the real intention here?”
Were you surprised to see Justin and John get involved in Whitney and Lisa’s feud?
Yes.
It’s always surprising when the men get involved.
Yes it is. And also just knowing both of them, like, I’ve never seen either of them get it all revved up like that. Like, not at all. So that right there is surprising. You know, it just was very out of character in general.
Speaking of Lisa, you’ve had a bumpy few years with her, but things seem to be looking up again. How does it feel to be back on good terms? And will things stay that way throughout this season?
So, I’m not going to give away what happens. But, yes, I am very happy about that. Lisa and I have found a good peaceful space with really just a new friendship. I mean, it’s like my marriage, like, we call it our second marriage. We didn’t actually divorce and remarry. But it’s a new relationship. And that’s how I feel about the friendship with Lisa. We have kind of like a new beginning and it’s positive and it’s good. And, you know, you’ll see where we land at the end, but at least at the beginning, it’s really good and positive.
In the trailer, it seems like Angie Katsanevas questions Lisa’s parenting. How did you feel about that?
That kind of thing just does not sit well with me. I don’t like any of the shaming of women. It doesn’t bode well for me.
The internet is obsessed with the Lisas dinner in the trailer. What can you tell us about that event?
It’s spectacular. It’s beautiful. She did a really gorgeous job. Like, you won’t be able to taste the food or anything, but it was really good. It was beautiful, you’ll see. And there’s a lot of drama. You get us together, and it just, like, kicks off immediately. It was crazy, really crazy.
There’s also a new Housewife – Bronwyn Newport – and not only does she have some eye-catching fashion, but she also seems to get into it with Heather Gay. How do you think she did in her first year?
I have to watch again because there’s so many things that went on that I didn’t see – that I heard about, maybe. So I have to see how it all unfolds. She definitely made a great statement. Like, there’s no question that she’s there and you know it. But as far as how she did progressing through the season, I have to watch it myself to see. I hope she did well.
There have been photos of your son Brooks filming the new spinoff Making It In Manhattan. How has that experience been for him so far? And are you excited to fully welcome him into the reality TV world?
Well, I think everyone knows that I’m, like, obsessed with my children. So, you know, they are all thriving, booked and busy and, you’ll see, Brooks just booked a new campaign with IGK Salons so that’s shooting, like, I think next week. Soon, I don’t know, very soon. So there’s a lot going on, and, I’m really, really proud of all of them.
You got to celebrate Pride this year with Kamala Harris. What was that like? Did you learn anything about the VP that you didn’t know before?
That was incredible because first of all, I’ve never been to the – I got emails that were like “V-POTUS.” And I’m like, “Oh my gosh, this is wild!” But, you know, we were invited into her residence, which, to me, was super cool. That doesn’t happen every Tuesday and Thursday. So just physically being there was incredible. It was a beautiful event and, of course, something I care very much about. It was amazing, really. I mean, we had a great time. Beautiful night. And, yeah, it was fabulous.
Bravo’s fall slate is full of goodies. Not only is Salt Lake City coming back but so is New York and supposedly Potomac and Beverly Hills. Will you be watching any of those?
I don’t watch a ton of television to begin with. And a lot of times I don’t really love to watch the other Housewives shows because human nature, we draw things from other people. It’s the same way that I don’t sit and look at other jewelry designers. I’ll glance here and there but I don’t study what they’re doing because you end up incorporating all these things and I think it takes away from who you are in your own right. So I don’t want to become something I’m not. So I try to watch little bits and pieces so that I have a clue what’s going on. But I don’t really like to watch the whole thing because I feel like it changes my mindset.
So many people love to imitate you when reciting your iconic quotes. Who does the best Meredith Marks impression?
Oh, my gosh, that’s a good question. I don’t know. I mean, I’d love to give the credit to Andy [Cohen] because he does love the rumors and nastiness. But, sorry, Andy, it’s not that good. I have no idea who does the best impression. Now I have to think about it. I have to pay attention.
What else can you tease about the rest of this season? Anything you’re excited for? Anything you’re dreading needing to relive?
Well, I don’t know what to dread because maybe it won’t be shown. But as far as being excited, I get bat mitzvahed this year and I had not been bat mitzvahed when I was a teenager. So this was really a very, very special moment for me and I’m really excited to share that with the viewers.
