The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Mary Cosby has broken her silence after her son Robert Cosby Jr.’s untimely death.
“Our beloved son Robert Jr. has been called home to the Lord,” Mary, 53, told Us Weekly on Wednesday, February 25. “Though our hearts ache, we take comfort in God’s promise and in knowing he is finally at peace. We are grateful for your prayers and trust in the Lord to carry us through this time of sorrow.”
Earlier on Wednesday, a Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson told Us that they responded to a dispatch for an overdose at 6:14 p.m. on Monday, February 23. Robert was found dead upon authorities’ arrival. He was 23.
A cause of death has not been publicly shared. According to local law enforcement, a death investigation is currently “open and active.”
Mary shared her only child with husband Robert Cosby Sr. The Bravolebrity had opened up about Robert Jr.’s substance abuse struggles throughout her tenure on RHOSLC.
“I’m taking Xanax,” Robert, then 21, told Mary on a November 2024 episode. “I just took half to chill me out and then I had an Adderall to balance out the Xanax. … When I get high, it’s like adding seasoning to [my life].”
He continued, “At first, I was like, ‘I’m going to just stick to natural stuff.’ Then, I went to a party, and someone gave me Xanax. I started buying it. Then, I started doing Xanax with Acid and then Molly with Xanax. I really like Xanax so I mix it with everything. Xanax and cocaine. You know the regular 30mg Oxys? I noticed … this was, like, a turning point for me. I was taking 10 at once and I couldn’t even feel it.”
Mary, who was admittedly shocked by her son’s confession, tried to offer her support and assistance.
“That actually, truly shocked me,” Mary exclusively told Us Weekly in the RHOSLC cast’s October 2025 cover story. “I immediately started blaming myself, because I thought, ‘You can’t judge him and his life and his choices.’”
She added at the time, “I don’t believe in judging people. I’m just not a judger. I don’t like judging people, and I don’t like to do it. … If he’s opening up enough to tell me something this crucial, then why would I judge? I have no choice but to sit there and receive it and accept it and hope that I can help him.”
According to Mary, her son was “doing very good” after opening up about his addiction.
“I can honestly sit here and say he’s doing very good,” Mary told Us of her son’s sobriety journey, revealing that Robert Jr. “had a little bit of a setback” but would hopefully “[stay] good.”
Robert Jr. checked into an in-patient rehab facility in 2025, months before he was arrested for violating a protective order.
“I’m happy. I’m in a good place. I’m not worried about him,” Mary tearfully said of Robert Jr.’s incarceration during the RHOSLC season 6 reunion, which aired last month. “I know he’s somewhere where he’s not using. At some point, I have to step back so that he can learn and he can make his own decision, and unfortunately, he’s learning the hard way.”
Robert Jr., who pleaded guilty to the charges, was released from jail earlier in February.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
