It’s clear the Mormon Church wants to be as far away from reality TV as possible. But the conglomerate has found itself in the middle of quite the kerfuffle. Between The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives getting a second season on Hulu and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, they have their work cut out for them. But now that the church has been essentially made into its own character, I want to figure out why the Osmond family holds so much clout in Utah. I mean, are they gods or something?
Who are the Osmonds?
The most famous family members of the Osmonds are Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond. But the Osmonds are an American family entertainment group often called “Mormon royalty.” As a family, they toured the country singing. But they got their big break as The Osmond Brothers after appearing on The Andy Williams Show. They were considered musical missionaries who were open about their faith. The Osmonds were all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Fans grew to learn that their parents were active members of the church and taught their children to sing barbershop harmony. But the real talent was with Donny and Marie, who starred in a very popular variety show, Donny & Marie, which ran until 1979.
However, the family was marred by tragedy from early on, and their upbringing was far from fairytale. The patriarch was a demanding father who wanted perfection. George Osmond was known for his strict discipline of the children. He had his sons working in all kinds of jobs, from real estate to insurance sales. The family was actually given the nickname “One Take Osmonds” because they never made a mistake. Donny once shared via The Guardian that his dad was “a strict disciplinarian who assigned each child a number for family head counts.” Donny noted he was also beaten for complaining.
Why are the Osmonds Mormon Royalty?
When it comes to Mormon royalty, most understand them to be the rich, influential, powerful families that have a generational attachment to the Mormon Church. Naturally, some surnames that would pop to mind are Romney, Hatch, Smith, and Young. But the Osmonds are also high in the ranking. The Osmonds are adored as paragons of virtue. To the church, they are role models to look up to. Thanks to their pioneer heritage, the Osmonds have ancestors who came to Utah and Idaho with the Mormon pioneers. In fact, the Osmond’s family tree can be traced back to Devon, England.
Since day one, the Osmonds have shown faith and devotion to the Mormon Church. Even today, all of the family members are active members. Donny once told Desert New, “I have such a firm belief in God and Jesus Christ, and I’m a true Christian. I want to be very careful that I don’t shove it down anybody’s throat, but on my website, you know, people ask me questions all the time. I call it ‘My Beliefs,’ and I tell them exactly what I believe in, and it’s kept me grounded in life.” Donny and the rest of the Osmonds agree that “As long as you have a belief in a higher power, in God, and you recognize that, it keeps you humble. It keeps your feet on the ground. It keeps your perspective in life.”
Why is Jared Osmond causing a ruckus on RHOSLC?
The Osmond name was given a resurgence after newbie Britani Bateman revealed she was dating Jared Osmond. The nephew of Donny and Marie is also a musician, but no one remembers him for his musical ability. Unlike the rest of his clean-cut family, Jared is coming across as a cad. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City viewers just watched as Britani was told that Jared had been sliding into other women’s DMs. However, now he is clapping back, claiming she is unstable and uses him. In a word-vomiting post, Jared wrote, “The fascinating part of Britani’s story is that she adds so much drama for no reason.”
Jared added, “Truly, in an attempt to be relevant. If you want to know the truth on our history, I have never walked away from her. I’ve always been steady, spoiled her over the last year. Paid for everything and have been a true gentleman.” Jared said, “Rather than just steadily stay with me and work through all of the dating issues that pop up, she runs like a scared child. I need to date a stable woman.” Utah is a small town, so when an Osmond messes up, people will know. Only time will tell if there are more DMs to uncover and if the Mormon family can reign supreme.
