Mary Cosby Denies Cult Allegations

A Real Housewife of Salt Lake City is issuing a response to allegations about herself and her church.

Source: Chad Kirkland / Bravo

Mary Cosby whose been in headlines the entire season of #RHOSLC for her marriage to her stepgrandfather, is finally responding to rumors about her church. The Pastor of Faith Temple Pentecostal has been accused of running a cult. Numerous Reddit threads alleged that the church-leader brainwashed parishioners into thinking “she was God” and lived off their tithes and offerings.

In December as reported by MadameNoire alleged audio leaked of Mary shaming believers for “being poor” and not giving her enough birthday cards.

“Coming in here draining me,” says a voice on tape. “I ain’t preaching over y’all’s sin. I’m doing everything else. Y’all ain’t helping. Halfway pay your tithes. I got 14 birthday cards. Your old stingy selves. You old poor people. I don’t want poor people around me. Your poor self. And if you ain’t poor, you’re stingy so you’re still poor. God said you was poor. Said you’re reaping…what’s that scripture, Norman?”

According to Mary, however, the allegations are flat-out untrue.

“Clearly I’m not gonna get on national television, be a Housewife and be in a cult,” scoffed Mary to ET Online. “Like, come on. I believe in my church.”

“They’ve been saying that since my grandmother started at the church,” she says of the cult allegation. “There’s no cult. … My church members, they know those are false allegations. Those are ridiculous. It’s the people that are looking for fault.”

As for the alleged audio, Mary says she “never takes funds from the church for personal use” and allegations that she does otherwise are “cruel.” She also added that the allegations could be racial.

“That’s so cruel,” she says of the idea she would steal from the temple. “I feel like it’s so judgmental, because I am African American and a woman and I do have an eye for finer things in life. I have intelligent church members and they know that was all to God,” she adds. “I’m so not in it for the money. Oh my goodness, I believe in what I do, I believe in what I’m saying, and I love my church and I love what they are. … Money can’t fulfill that, not for me.”

Oh, Mary.

That’s lots more to unpack here like Mary telling ET Online that her housekeeper/ cousin Charlinda who she employed for two-decades but “doesn’t really know” quit because she got “jealous” and Mary being unsure if she’d sign up for another season of #RHOSLC. She also once again spoke on her “smelled like hospital” comments to Jen Shah. 

According to Mary, she said IT smelled like a hospital, not Jenn in particular.

“No regrets,” she declares. “I know my motive, I know where I was coming from. It can [seem like] a dig, and I see that, how it can come across as rude. What I do regret, probably, is the way I got so frustrated. I feel like I was being blamed for her [aunt’s] legs and it was for all year, before we even aired. So, as soon as it aired I was like, I am not responsible.”

Check out Mary Cosby speaking on #RHOSLC below.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.