More heartbreaking details have emerged about the death of Mary Crosby’s son, Robert Cosby Jr.
After news broke of Cosby Jr.’s passing, audio from a 911 dispatch call revealed that Salt Lake City police were sent to “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star’s home on Feb. 23 with reports that a 23-year-old male was “not conscious” and “not breathing.”
According to the audio, three police units arrived at the Cosbys’ Utah home, where he was reportedly given a dose of Narcan, a nasal spray used to treat drug overdoses, during what officers described as a “full arrest/medical emergency.” However, the call, which started as an overdose investigation, “turned into a death investigation,” a SLCPD spokesperson shared, per People magazine.
“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” fans were introduced to Mary and her son in 2020, during the series’ premiere, and, over the years, have gotten glimpses into Robert Jr.’s life. During season 5 in Nov. 2024, Robert Jr. opened up about his battle with addiction during an emotional conversation with his mother, where he revealed he had been abusing prescription and recreational drugs like Adderall, OxyContin since he was 16. Over time, his addiction worsened, admitting that he even tried heroin at a time when he “wanted to die.”
“I felt like a stain — I just felt like this world wasn’t for me,” Robert Jr. said at the time, confessing that his mother was: “the only reason I didn’t kill myself.”
Recalling the moment with the show’s production, Mary emotionally shared: “I said, ‘I asked God for you. I asked for you to be here. I prayed to have you. How are you a stain? Do you understand it took me four years to have you? I wanted to be pregnant so bad, and then to come here and get this far in life, and you told me you feel like a stain.’ I said, ‘What did I do? What did I miss? Was I not paying attention at some point that he went that far, to the point he didn’t even want to live?’”
“And where did I not secure him that he knows his worth, and he knows how much he means to me? What happened? I mean, if I don’t blame myself, whose fault is it? I feel I’m responsible,” she added at the time.
Later, Mary revealed that her son had completed a month-long stay-in rehabilitation program, and he came out of it “a new person.” However, in September 2025, Robert Jr. was arrested on charges of criminal trespassing, assault, failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, and three counts of violating a court order, following an incident involving his ex-wife, Alexiana Smokoff. Though devastating, the “RHOSLC” star described her son’s arrest as “a blessing in disguise,” explaining she thinks her son “needed that and that he understands that that’s the wrong journey.”
Though Robert Jr. was optimistic about his rehabilitation journey, in November 2025, he pleaded guilty to eight charges, including assault, criminal trespassing, and violation of a protective order, after he was arrested on Nov. 9 for attempting to enter the home of his then-estranged wife’s family.
“I have to step back so that he can learn, and he can make his own decision,” Mary said of her son’s recent arrest during the latest “RHSLC” reunion. “Unfortunately, he’s learning the hard way, but I’m okay with it. It’s just, you don’t wanna see your kid suffer, but I know it’s good, and I’d rather him be there than dead.”
Since his passing, the reality TV star and her husband, Robert Cosby Sr., have released a statement: “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.”
“RHSLC” has reportedly paused filming for Season 7, which was scheduled to start this week.
