Heather Gay Says Drama with Monica Garcia Left Her 'Protective' OverRHOSLCStars (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

(L) Heather Gay and Monica Garcia.Photo:Emma McIntyre/Variety via Getty; Emma McIntyre/Variety via Getty

Emma McIntyre/Variety via Getty; Emma McIntyre/Variety via Getty

Heather Gayis still dealing with the aftermath ofMonica Garcia’s RealityVonTease betrayal last season.

In an exclusive sit down with PEOPLE, theReal Housewives of Salt Lake Citystar, 50, admitted that the events of last season made it hard to trust new Housewives who enter the group. When it comes to newcomerBronwyn Newport, Heather acknowledged that the two “got off on the wrong foot.”

On season 5, episode 2, Bronwyn rubbed Heather the wrong way when she chimed in on costarsWhitney RoseandAngie Katsanevas' latest drama. After stopping at Wendy’s for frosties and chicken nuggets, Heather raised a side eye when Bronwyn began mocking Whitney’s emotional stance on matters.

(L) Bronwyn Newport and Heather Gay.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

“This is the type of energy that’s burned me in the past,” Heather told cameras of Bronwyn’s behavior. “And I feel very wary of someone who has such strong, harsh opinions about people that they’re just meeting for the first time.”

While speaking to PEOPLE, theBad Mormonauthor claimed that she loved “making friends” despite the frosty exchanges she’s had with Bronwyn so far this season.

“I don’t think I’m a guarded person at all,” she explained. “I think that I came in with a bulldog mentality about protecting my friendships, and protecting the sanctity of the bond we had. That’s why Bronwyn and I got off on the wrong foot.”

Monica Garcia on ‘The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’.Peacock/Youtube

Peacock/Youtube

Heather confessed it’s been hard not to get protective of the seven women she considers some of her “dearest friends” since Monica revealed herself to be the mastermind behind RealityVonTease — an Instagram troll account that’s had a history ofposting negative things about theRHOSLCstars.

Though she acknowledged that online haters come with the territory of being a public figure, “have they been invited to sit at your dinner table, and then you have to pretend to be their friend?”

“There was no way that any of us could pretend to be her friend after she had deceived us so intimately for so long,” Heather said of Monica. “She sat at our table, she cried with us, she laughed with us. We bought her gifts, we met her children. We had her into our homes and into our lives and we welcomed her. I had zero drama until Bermuda and there was no way forward.”

“Now I just breadcrumb,” she added. “I’m just breadcrumbing my love.”

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Additionally, Monica has also insisted she only participated in RealityVonTease to expose former friend andRHOSLCalumJen Shah, who is currently serving afive-year prison sentencefor her role in a long-running telemarketing scheme.

Shortly after the third and final part of the season 4 reunion aired in January, PEOPLE confirmed that Monicawould not be returningfor season 5.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake Cityairs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

source: people.com