‘RHOSLC’ Star Slammed For Attacking Mormonism To Stay Relevant

“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Heather Gay has never been shy when it comes to speaking about her experience with Mormonism. Throughout her time on the show, the reality star has gotten extremely honest about her previous marriage and the strict rules she says came from being a member of the church. Now, she’s sharing even more in the new three-part limited series, “Surviving Mormonism,” which promises to uncover the “dark secrets” of the religion. And while the docuseries has drawn praise from some Bravo viewers, others have slammed Gay, accusing her of using her past ties to the church to stay relevant.

According to a press release from Bravo and NBC Universal, Gay will host the new three-part docuseries when it airs on Bravo on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. All three parts will be available for streaming exclusively on Peacock on November 12.

The press release says the docuseries will uncover the truth about the “church’s seemingly perfect” image that’s been hidden behind closed doors for so long.

In each episode, Gay speaks about her own experience while also connecting with “abuse survivors, ex-Mormons, and former LDS church leaders.”

“As Heather reflects on her own departure from the church, ‘Surviving Mormonism’ delves into outdated and controversial practices and empowers victims to share their experiences to bring awareness and enact change,” the press release read.

Bravo’s newest production, starring Gay, drew a mixed reaction from fans, many of whom expressed their frustration with the network seemingly making Gay the spokesperson for Mormonism.

“Anyone tired of her making this topic her survival stamp mark on the show???” a user wrote. “I don’t care about religion.”

A second user clearly agreed, adding, “At some point, we’re going to have to have another storyline from Heather.”

“She has been divorced for about 20 years and [is] still talking about it,” a third added.

The reaction wasn’t all bad, however, considering a plethora of users jumped into the online conversation to defend the mother of three.

“Unless you’ve experienced religious trauma and degradation, you don’t get to decide when someone should be done with it,” a person shared. “She’s helping so many people on the bigger scale of things. No one told you to watch or care.”

Another user called Gay “amazing” for bringing “light” to such a sensitive and intense topic.

In addition to sharing parts of her story with millions of viewers on television, Gay also published a memoir, “Bad Mormon,” in 2023.

During an interview with The Today Show, Gay explained that creating her memoir “consumed my life,” adding that there was no separation because she was writing about her real life and events happening in real time.

The reality star, who joined the popular series in 2020, also got candid about her three daughters reading her book. She explained how the content would give them a better “understanding” of her relationship with their father and “why I made the sacrifices I made and how much they are loved.”

While Gay is the only “Real Housewives” star set to appear in “Surviving Mormonism,” she’s not the only “Salt Lake City” cast member who’s been open about their struggles with religion.

Whitney Rose got candid with viewers in the series premiere five years ago, explaining that she faced backlash from the church and her loved ones after having an affair with her now-husband, Justin Rose.

“When I married Justin, I was five months pregnant, and I was wearing my high school prom dress, standing in front of about 50 people who didn’t want us to be together,” she said, according to Bravo’s Daily Dish. “We had this hot office romance that we were trying to hide from everyone because we were both married to other people.”

As the episode continued, Rose told the audience that she comes from a “long line of Mormonism,” later calling her leaving the church a “very big deal.”

She ran to X, formerly Twitter, to add more about her current relationship with the Church of Latter-day Saints, stating, “Although I no longer identify as a Mormon, I still have a deep love and admiration for all of my Mormon friends and family.”