The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City has laid the groundwork for Meredith Marks and Jen Shah's feud to take center stage in Season 2. Insinuations are even made that Marks had tipped off the feds on where to arrest Shah on March 30 for charges of fraud and money laundering. They supposedly get to the bottom of the ordeal but, ahead of the new season's premiere, Marks still seemingly took the opportunity to shade her rival in a major way.
As fans saw in the trailer for The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s second season, Jen Shah gets into a heated argument with Meredith Marks over her alleged snitching at a cast dinner party. Marks “disengages” in true form, and on the way out, sarcastically says to Shah, “Who's calling who a fraud? Love you baby, bye.” Now, Marks is using the zinger for new merchandise on her online store. That's right, she's selling her Jen Shah diss on hoodies for $49 on the night of the show’s premiere.
Whether scathing or lighthearted, Meredith Marks’ move seems like shade to me. She apparently took accusations of being an FBI source on the chin in Season 2 and then manifested it into a business venture at Jen Shah’s expense. I think Real Housewives superfan and shade master Rihanna would, in fact, be proud.
However, there is a slight chance that Meredith Marks’ shade wasn't intentional towards Jen Shah. She addressed the claims of tipping off the feds before the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 2 premiere, with hints that it all might have been a big misunderstanding. In a more recent interview with Us Weekly, it sounded like she still considers Jen Shah to be a friend, albeit one she argues with frequently:
Innocent until proven guilty at the end of the day. My friendship with Jen is a different standard, it’s not held to legal standards, but in terms of a crime, it is innocent till proven guilty and you know, the court of friendships a little bit different.
On the same token, Meredith Marks also told Us Weekly that her “eyebrows were raised” concerning the information the cast got about Jen Shah’s charges at that time. She said it was “possible” that Shah indeed was the ringleader of a telemarketing scheme (as she’s been accused of) but that certain “problematic” aspects “didn't add up” in her perspective.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Jen Shah has pled not guilty in court and faces trial next year. If found guilty, she could face upwards of 20 years in prison.
The second season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City will apparently catch the legal drama from all angles and viewpoints. It premieres tonight on Bravo at 9 p.m. EST, and one can only hope that Meredith Marks is wearing her “Love you, baby” hoodie to celebrate it.
