TLC’s newest docuseries is revealing new details of the allegations facing The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Mary Cosby and her husband, Robert Cosby Sr. The Cult of the Real Housewife, which premiered on Thursday, features interviews from several journalists and bloggers who covered the couple’s story as they face a series of allegations that include monetary extortion from their church.
Mary Cosby and her husband face extortion allegations
The Cult of the Real Housewife also features testimonies from ex-members of Faith Temple Pentecostal Church, owned by the Cosbys. Rosalind Enoch, one of the former members, said the couple put intense pressure on congregants to give money, creating a system they called “heave offerings.”
“They were going to have them every six months. It started to increase over time,” Enoch said, per Us Weekly. “We could have just had a heave offering meeting and then in a week or two, we’re having another meeting where we’re being told there’s an emergency, and they need $100,000. You’re just being barricaded in here. During this meeting, everyone put their name and their amount on the list. If you didn’t have a certain amount, Robert would say, ‘And that’s all you have?’”
Rosalind’s brother, Ernest Enoch, said there were several other members who gave up a large amount of their earnings to the church.
“There were people cashing out 401ks and losing homes. It got to be a financial embarrassment for some,” he said.
Mary Cosby allegedly had an affair with a former church member
Cameron Williams, a former member of Faith Temple who died in 2021, allegedly confessed to his romantic relationship with Mary before his death. The Cult of the Real Housewife obtained audio that appears to reveal that Williams made the confession during a phone call with Mary’s cousin, Dan Cosby.
Dan told the story in the TLC documentary: “He says, ‘What I’m going to tell you, I’m only telling you because I’m fearing for my life.’ If anything happened to him, he wanted his story out,” Dan said. “So then Cameron just started spilling the beans. According to Cameron, Mary went to Cameron’s house and she started asking him if he’ll put on this music.
He added, “They come sit by each other. Mary grabs Cameron’s hand and starts rubbing herself [against him]. And according to Cameron, he put his hand in her vagina. And I said, ‘What?’ He says, ‘And then we had sex.’”
According to Women’s Health, Williams’ loved ones revealed on social media that he died from a brain tumor at age 33.
Mary Cosby denies the allegations against her church
Mary addressed the accusations against her church when she spoke during a panel at BravoCon in November.
“I think it’s sad and a shame. It’s horrible,” Mary said at that time, Us Weekly reported. “That’s what I think.”
She also told a fan that the story told in the TLC docuseries is not true. Mary defended herself once again after TLC obtained audio — which revealed that she called her church members “poor” and “stingy.” The reality TV star said the audio was taken out of context.
In another recent interview, Mary addressed additional accusations from Cameron Williams, who said he “mortgaged his house” and gave her $300,000.
“I’ve been through this my whole life because people hated me for my life and my lifestyle,” Mary said, per Us Weekly. “But I’m not God. I worship the God in me.”