*Mary Cosby addressed the allegations made against her in TLC’s docuseries “The Cult of the Real Housewife” during part 2 of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” reunion on January 20. Host Andy Cohen asked the reality star for her reaction to claims that she and her husband, Robert Cosby Sr., turned the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church into a cult.
“It hurt me, of course,” Mary said, PEOPLE reports. “Definitely hurt me. But I’ve been through a lot, Andy. I’m pretty tough. So, it hurt, and it just got put in the pile of all the rest of the things that hurt me.”
Mary suggested that the focus on her church may stem from unfamiliarity with its practices. “I think it’s because of the policy and the rules and the different things that our church does. They’re not used to a pentecostal church in Utah,” she said. “They’re not used to a Black church. I have no idea.”
The docuseries traces the rise of Faith Temple, founded by Mary’s grandmother, Rosemary “Mama” Cosby, through its controversial leadership transfer and Mary’s marriage to Robert Sr. It features accounts from former congregants, including the Enoch family, Mary’s sister Denise Jefferson Odinaka, and cousin Dan Cosby, alongside investigative journalists and a cult expert.
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In the series, former church member Rosalind Enoch alleged she worked full-time in Mary and Robert Sr.’s home without pay. “In the five years that I worked for Robert and Mary, I was never paid,” Rosalind said, describing her work running errands and doing housekeeping for the family. “It was more like a slave plantation.” Other ex-members, including Susie Tunson, recounted experiences of verbal abuse and exclusion from church events.
Rosalind also recalled developing a friendship with Tunson’s sister, Pat, while they were both working in the home. Susie Tunson said her sister had worked for the couple “for many, many years,” and Enoch added that Robert and Mary treated Pat harshly, at one point even calling her a slave.
“I recall one time Robert and Mary talked to Pat so badly, things like, ‘You’re a slave. You’re going to work here until you die, because if you don’t, you’re going to die anyway and you’re going to hell,’” Enoch claimed. “Pat would take insults, Pat was called a liar and a thief. But this almost 80-year-old woman still believed what Robert and Mary had embedded in her.”
The series also highlights the experiences of Dan Cosby and his wife, Kim, who spoke to EUR about their decision to participate. Dan fully supports the claims made by ex-congregants: “It’s all true. What they’re saying, no one’s lying. I witnessed it at times. Kim witnessed at times. The things that took place, the entire church witnessed it.”
Mary has previously called the docuseries “sad and a shame” and “not true.”
“The Cult of the Real Housewife” is available to stream on HBO Max and discovery+.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Mary Cosby’s Cousin Speaks Out on Controversial TLC Docuseries: ‘It’s All True. No One’s Lying’ | EUR Exclusive
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