Andy Cohen aired his intentions to grant a final interview with The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah before the commencement of her prison sentence. However, the TV personality has declined the chance to share her thoughts, with some valid reasons many could relate to. Her refusal followed TV host Andy’s revelation that he wanted to interview Jen before she heads off to jail in February during an episode of Sirius XM’s Radio Andy.
The reality star, who was sentenced to 6.5 years in jail for her role in orchestrating a fraud case, took to Instagram to explain why she would not participate in the interview despite the immense chance it would avail her to tell her truth. According to her, she remained cautious not to let this phase of her life become sensationalized and inaccurately conveyed, just like she promised her family.
RHOLC Jen Shah Vents Her Reasons For Declining Andy Cohen Interview
Jen began her post by bringing fans up to speed on her January 6 sentencing, where she pleaded with Judge Stein to see her as the real Jen Shah and not a fictionalized character. While she recognized the need to share the critical details and explain her truth to those that love and support her, the icon deemed herself at a point where she was mentally, emotionally, and legally able to provide only a few unknown details about her case. Additionally, some underlying issues Jen Shah had with Bravo stood in the way of her would-have-been interview with Andy Cohen. She explained:
“I will not be doing the 1:1 with Andy Cohen and Bravo because of their unwillingness to remove contractual provisions that would allow the network to legally make misrepresentations of me and my story, relating to any and all topics, prior to and during the course of my participation.”
Going further, Jen Shah explained that the proposed 1 on 1 interview with Andy Cohen was not part of her RHOSLC contract. Hence, she had no contractual obligation to risk her story becoming inaccurately conveyed, thereby breaking her promise to herself and her family. The 49-year-old went on to acknowledge the individuals hurt by her action. She concluded:
“I would rather remain silent and wait until I am able to accurately share my story than continue having complete lies and misrepresentations about me smeared across headlines. I intend to speak and you will hear from me. I will share my story and this painful part of my life very soon.”
Jen and her assistant Stuart Smith went into police custody in March 2021 on allegations of spearheading a phone scam to defraud people over the age of 55. Stuart eventually pleaded guilty to the crime in November 2021, while the RHOSLC star continued to maintain her innocence. This changed after she entered a plea deal in July 2022, admitting to her role in the scheme. Ultimately, Jen Shah received a prison sentence of 78 months in an undisclosed facility in the Texas region. The sentence would commence o February 17.