The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City newcomer Ashley Quai has exclusively revealed to Us that there’s “no way” she would have “finished” her first season as a “friend” on the show without castmate Lisa Barlow’s support.
“I f***ing love Lisa Barlow,” Ashley, 44, tells Us. “She is the baddest bitch out of this whole friend group. She supported me. She kept me alive. She had my back, and she’s a baddie. That’s why all these girls do not like her. She is a bad bitch!”
Lisa’s relationships with the other SLC Housewives has been a constant source of conflict in recent seasons, even spilling over onto her stint on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th when Teresa Giudice had to physically separate her and Heather Gay during an argument.
Lisa may be on shaky ground with most of the Salt Lake City cast but Ashley assured Us that she could always depend on the “Baby Gorgeous” singer, 51, to have her back during the filming of season 7.
“I knew Lisa would be there no matter what. She is the reason I made it through this season,” RHOSLC’s newest “friend” insisted. “Lisa has always been a friend of mine. [She] had my back when I needed it.”
Ashley denied that there was ever tension with Lisa when she pursued independent friendships with the other ladies of RHOSLC.
“We’re all big girls,” she stressed. “Put on your big girl panties and let’s just do what we got to do. I can be friends with whoever I want.”
RHOSLC’s season 7 opened with a somber episode that largely revolved around the death of Mary Cosby’s son, Robert Jr., at age 23 following a struggle with addiction.
Mary, 53, returned to filming three weeks after her son died for a sit-down with the main RHOSLC cast. Speaking to Vulture last week, Mary suggested that Robert Jr.’s death may have been “for the good” because of his personal struggles.
“I still feel his spirit, and I don’t know how that could be unless he’s OK and he made it to the good side,” Mary said in a confessional interview. “I feel him safe. I feel him tucked away. I feel him away from danger, so a part of me can rest.”
While Ashley and fellow RHOSLC “friend” Britani Bateman were not present in the poignant season opener, the Bravo newcomer dropped hints about how her own relationship with Mary develops throughout season 7.
“Mary, I love her, love her,” Ashley revealed to Us. “I just didn’t know if she was gonna like me or not. We have growth and all that too, and so I’m just glad that we are where we are.”
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the following day on Peacock.
