‘Real Housewives’ star Mary Cosby explains why she married her step-grandfather
'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' will premiere on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo
Mary Cosby turned a lot of heads when it was revealed that she’s married to her step-grandfather, Robert Cosby, Sr. But Mary doesn’t have any problems with telling her story.
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People released a sneak peek video of the first episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and in it, Cosby reveals that it was her grandmother’s wish for her to marry her then step-grandfather. So much so that she made the marriage a condition of the inheritance her granddaughter claimed.
Robert founded the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church with Mary’s grandmother, Dr. Rosemary Redmon Cosby, according to Refinery29. Redmond died of heart failure in 1997 at the age of 65, and a messy battle for her multi-million dollar estate ensued. Per Refinery 29, her daughter, Rosalind Cazares, was awarded $1 million after she accused her then-45-year-old stepfather of involvement in Redmon Cosby’s death.
Ultimately Mary did wed her step-grandfather and inherit her grandmother’s estate. The couple has a teenage son and they’ve been married for over two decades. Mary now runs the church, which has several different branches in Utah and Indiana, with her husband.
She says she ignores trolls and critics of her marriage, believing people will eventually move past the scandal.
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“I am the first lady of our church,” Mary said. “It was inherited through my grandmother. I don’t like to be called a pastor because that’s like, an old lady.”
Mary says that the unusual arrangement has brought nothing but blessings to her life.
“They’ll get over it,” she says in the video. “Just digest it.”
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City will air on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo.
Watch the trailer below:
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