An unpleasant surprise? Mary Cosby didn’t think her marriage to her step-grandfather, Robert Cosby Sr., would draw so much attention in the teaser for season 1 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
“I was not expecting it to be dropped on social media,” Mary told Us Weekly exclusively on Thursday, January 21, while discussing the latest addition to the Bravo franchise, which premiered in November 2020. “That was more of a disappointment for me because I feel like social media is a place I don’t feel comfortable in.”
In the first episode of RHOSLC, Mary opened up about her “arranged marriage” to Robert Sr., who was the second husband of Mary’s late grandmother. Despite their “unconventional” relationship, the pair have been happily married for 20 years and share son Robert Jr. While filming the reality series, Mary wanted to be as honest about her relationship as possible.
“I just said my truth and I was ready to air it,” she told Us. “I felt like it was time and I felt like it was the right thing to do. … I mean, it is unconventional, but it’s not unheard of, I guess, in other countries.”
When the first trailer for the series debuted in September 2020, however, Mary felt like she didn’t have a chance to create her own narrative about her marriage before it played out on TV.
“They put that story right there with me,” she added. “It didn’t set it in a good light for me.”
While the circumstances of her marriage might seem shocking to viewers, Mary is “not ashamed” of the choices she made in her life that led her to where she is now. Though their wedding was arranged, the pair were “best friends” in the early days of their relationship — and it eventually blossomed into something more.
“I think it started changing into a loving relationship when I started wanting a son … probably two [or] three years into the marriage,” the reality star told Us. “I think that’s when I felt that I knew that this was my life, once I started having that craving [to be] a mom and [have] a family. … I have no regrets, I have no shame.”
Since RHOSLC premiered last fall, the Utah native has tried to let any negative comments about her lifestyle go in one ear and out the other.
“Sometimes I read it and sometimes I respond back to them and block them. Then sometimes I read it and [think], like, ‘OK, that’s your opinion,” she explained. “I try to separate it and I try not to put emotion into it. … In my mind, I’m not here to make sense. I’m here to tell you, ‘This is what Mary is and this is what I’m about.’ And this is my story and you don’t have to accept it again.”
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
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