The women sit down together for the first time since the explosive season finale, which saw newcomer Monica Garcia get exposed as one of the people behind a troll account targeting the cast.
It didn’t take long for Real Housewives of Salt Lake City newcomer Monica Garcia to find herself in the hot seat during Tuesday’s reunion, after her debut season on the Bravo show ended in utter chaos.
In case you missed it, Heather Gay exposed Garcia’s shady past in the season finale — revealing to the rest of the women that Monica was at least one of the people behind an Instagram troll account targeting the cast, Reality Von Tease. While the page posted gossip about all the ladies, Garcia was adamant she only used the account to expose Jen Shah’s misdeeds. The season ended with nobody on Monica’s side, as she left the group trip to the Bermuda — which was for her birthday — alone.
At the top of part one of the three-part reunion, host Andy Cohen noted that the women had not “been together or spoken” since the tropical getaway … before Monica said she felt “they have been together, minus me.”
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Eventually, Andy began to ask Lisa Barlow about the $60,000 ring she lost in an airport bathroom during a cast trip to Palm Springs — before wondering who Monica believed started rumors she was the one who stole it.
“I think it started over there,” she said, motioning toward Barlow, who denied doing it. “I thought Lisa and Heather,” Monica clarified, as Lisa told her she was “totally wrong.”
“Let me make this really clear. It’s easy, it’s stereotypical. I did not steal your ring. You’re saying I would steal it because I have less than you,” Monica then said, once again denying the rumors. “I never took your ring. I didn’t go into that bathroom until 20-30 minutes until you lost the ring.”
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Talk then shifted to Monica’s relationship with Shah, who she worked for as an assistant before turning on her and playing informant to the federal government.
“She needed help at the time with, honestly, her life. I almost felt like I was more of a friend, the stuff I would do, I would get her groceries, make sure she was on time with meetings,” explained Garcia, who said she wasn’t paid at the time and was simply helping out a friend.
At that point, Heather interjected and wondered whether Monica had ulterior motives by befriending and working with Jen.
“You didn’t have like a [thought like], ‘Kim K started out as an assistant and look where it got her, I’ll start out as an assistant and see where it gets me?'” she asked, as Monica said she didn’t. Heather then pulled out her phone, before playing an audio recording in which Garcia said pretty much that exact statement.
“F–king Kim Kardashian was a f–king assistant, look at that bitch now,” said Monica in the audio. “I can fully admit the reason why I was an assistant and putting up with that s–t was as a stepping-stone, a learning experience.”
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With that, Cohen asked whether Monica was her assistant as a means to end up on RHOSLC.
“I didn’t think I would ever end up on the show, honestly. But why wouldn’t I try to be on the show?” she responded, as Heather accused her of having “an agenda.”
“I didn’t. When I met her, I didn’t even know she was on the show. When I applied to get on the show, I applied just like everybody else sitting here,” Monica shot back. “I emailed the email for casting. I said, my name is Monica Fowler, your show sucks, the ratings are s–t and it’s gonna get canceled because you don’t have the right cast.”
Cohen was shocked to hear she said that, before an alleged screenshot of her email popped on screen showing it actually read, “You guys need a feisty excommunicated Latina on the show immediately! I’m your girl!”
The first installment of the reunion ended with Monica then getting into it with Angie Katsanevas, who accused Garcia of resurfacing old rumors that her husband was gay on the downlow. She claimed that while some people wondered about Shawn’s sexuality when he was a young hairdresser in Salt Lake City, the question stopped once they became an “established” couple in town.
“This has never come up until this rat came out of the sewer and here it is,” she added.
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She also claimed Monica was telling all the other women that there were rumors about her during the first week of filming, “When I thought we were friends.” Angie went on to said Monica had “no respect for love and marriage,” before accusing her of “spending your kids’ money on a f–king purse” and being “irresponsible.”
“Keep my f–king kids out of your f–king mouth,” Monica exclaimed, as the hour came to an end.
The drama with Monica will continue next week, with Garcia complaining to Mary Cosby that Lisa and Angie were being “relentless” with her. A teaser also showed her telling Heather to “shut the f–k up,” before claiming there were six people behind Reality Von Tease. Heather, however, said there was a “full investigation” which concluded “it’s you.”
RHOSLC airs Tuesdays on Bravo.