Salt Lake City is big enough for both the Real Housewives and Mormon Wives, according to Lisa Barlow.
“I think it’s interesting, and I think culturally it makes sense,” the RHOSLC star said of Hulu’s new reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives during an interview on the Wednesday, September 18, episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
“I think it makes Heather’s journey make sense too,” Lisa added, referring to costar Heather Gay, who has been open about her complex relationship with the Mormon faith on RHOSLC and wrote a memoir called Bad Mormon.
Lisa also revealed that she knows at least one member of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast: Demi Engemann’s husband, Bret. Bret was previously married to Angie Harrington, who appeared on RHOSLC as a “friend” on seasons 2 and 3 and was at one point good friends with Barlow.
“I know Bret. Bret used to come to my house and sing to me before I was dating [my husband] John,” Lisa said. “We were totally just good friends.”
Mormon Wives’ Demi told Decider in an interview published on September 5 that the two reality show casts often cross paths in Salt Lake City.
“We do cross paths and it’s not surprising because Utah is very small and especially the influencer world and community here is very tight-knit,” she said.
In fact, costar Layla Taylor is friends with former Housewife Monica Garcia, who appeared on RHOSLC season 4. Layla said she turned to her pal for advice when she was cast on Hulu’s new hit show.
“I know Monica. We are just kind of internet friends and we chat here and there,” Layla told Decider. “She’s given me advice on the reality TV show world and stuff like that. Sweet girl. I wish she was still on this season, to be honest. I think she had a really good aspect to last season.”
“They’re all amazing women. I think that they’re so good at what they do,” Mormon Wives star Jessi Ngatikaura told Decider of the RHOSLC cast.
Meanwhile, over on Bravo, Lisa, Heather, Meredith Marks, Angie Katsanevas, Whitney Rose and Mary Cosby are all locked in for another season of drama as RHOSLC returned for a fifth season on Wednesday.
That same day, Bravo also announced Sold on SLC, a new real estate reality show set in Salt Lake City.