Mary Cosby

Mary Cosby
Born
Mary Martha Jefferson

(1972-10-17) October 17, 1972
OccupationTelevision personality
Known forThe Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Spouses
Dana Harris
​
(div. 1998)​
Robert C. Cosby
​
(m. 1998)​
Children1

Mary Martha Cosby (née Jefferson, formerly Harris;[1] born October 17, 1972)[2][3] is an American television personality. She is best known as an original cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

Early life and career

Cosby is the youngest of her siblings.[1] Her father was originally from Milwaukee.[4] Her grandmother, Rosemary "Mama" Cosby, founded Faith Temple Pentecostal Church in 1968.[5]

In September 2020, Cosby was announced as a cast member of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.[6] Noah Samton, an executive at NBCUniversal, stated that the show was conceived after they discovered Cosby, and eventually found other personalities for a full The Real Housewives installment in Salt Lake City.[7] However, having missed the second season's reunion special, she did not return for the show's third season.[8][9] She later returned as a friend of the show in its fourth season and was promoted back to a full-time cast member in the fifth season.[10][11]

Personal life

Cosby married Dana Harris, but they divorced in September 1998.[12] Following her grandmother Rosemary Cosby's death in January 1997,[13][14] Cosby married Bishop Robert C. Cosby, her step-grandfather, in September 1998;[1] they have one son, Robert Jr.[15] Cosby has described her marriage as an "arranged marriage" and has stated, "It was kind of in my grandma's will for us to marry."[16] Through her marriage, she became the First Lady of Faith Temple Pentecostal Church in Salt Lake City.[17][18] The marriage exacerbated existing controversy between Robert and Rosemary's children from a previous marriage—specifically Rosalind Cazares, Mary's mother—over the division of Rosemary's assets, which included a printing company, day care, beauty salon, record store, and Gospel radio station.[19][20][21] Because of the marriage, Cosby was estranged from her mother, who died in January 2025.[1][22]

In September 2024, Cosby sued two executives of United Security Financial, accusing them of embezzlement.[17]

On February 23, 2026, Cosby's son, Robert Cosby Jr., died at the age of 23.[23][24]

Controversies

Cosby has been the subject of allegations that Faith Temple Pentecostal Church is a cult, particularly from former church members and several of her fellow The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast members.[8][25][26][27][28] She has denied the allegations, calling them "false" and "ridiculous".[29] The allegations were the subject of a three-part TLC docuseries, titled The Cult of the Real Housewife.[30][31]

In April 2021, she was charged with unlawfully providing shelter to a runaway and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She pled not guilty to the charges in August 2021, and the charges were dropped in September 2022.[32][33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Mims, Bob (November 7, 1998). "Marriage of Faith Temple Leader To Step-Granddaughter Fuels Feud". The Salt Lake Tribune. Vol. 257, no. 24. p. C-1. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ @Mary_M_Cosby (October 17, 2020). "I am a Libra. Happy Birthday to all the Libras out there. 💋 💕 ♎" (Tweet). Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Raphael, Shannon (September 13, 2024). "Who Is Mary Cosby's Husband, Robert Cosby Sr.?". Bravo. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  4. ^ Kirby, Hannah (September 26, 2024). "'Mil-where?': On 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,' Whitney invited her castmates on a trip to Milwaukee. Here's how they reacted". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Manson, Pamela (March 9, 2007). "Mama Cosby estate feud reopens". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Hearon, Sarah (September 9, 2020). "'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City': Meet the Cast, Watch the Trailer". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Keegan, Rebecca (January 19, 2024). "'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' Is Having a Moment". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Aurthur, Kate (January 7, 2022). "Mary Cosby Ditches 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' Reunion, and Presumably Quits the Show". Variety. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  9. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (February 5, 2022). "Mary Cosby No Longer Involved in 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  10. ^ Aurthur, Kate (August 19, 2024). "After Wild Fourth Season, 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' Sets Season 5 Premiere Date, Bravo Releases First Trailer". Variety. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  11. ^ Strause, Jackie (August 19, 2024). "'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' Sets Cast and Season 5 Return Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  12. ^ Karam, Alec (January 1, 2026). "Shocking Details Emerge About Alleged 'Real Housewives' Cult". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  13. ^ "Death Notices". The Indianapolis Star. Vol. 94, no. 215. January 11, 1997. p. B-6. Retrieved September 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Dr. Rosemary Redmon Cosby, "Mama"". Indianapolis Recorder. Vol. 102, no. 3. January 18, 1997. p. D7. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  15. ^ McCormack, Aly (September 20, 2022). "RHOSLC: Mary Cosby Celebrates Charges Against Her Being Dropped". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  16. ^ Costabile, Sabrina (November 12, 2020). "RHOSLC: Mary Cosby's Marriage To Step-Grandfather Was 'Arranged'". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Means, Sean P. (September 19, 2024). "'Real Housewife' Mary Cosby is suing the people who ran the finances of her church". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  18. ^ Fox, Derick (September 20, 2024). "'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star sues executives of her church's business firm". KTVX. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  19. ^ Mims, Bob (August 4, 1998). "Church Split By Feud For Fortune". The Salt Lake Tribune. Vol. 256, no. 112. p. B-1. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. In a probate dispute pitting two children of the late church founder, Rosemary "Mama" Cosby, against her widower and current Faith Temple leader, Bishop Robert C. Cosby, Thorne said he would appoint a special administrator to oversee a complete inventory of the late preacher's estate. The judge also said Monday that he will issue a restraining order preventing Cosby from selling property or transferring assets that Mama Cosby's daughter, Rosalind Cazares, and son, Ernest Walton, believe their mother owned.
  20. ^ Mims, Bob (December 1, 1998). "Mama Cosby's Children Switch Lawyers". The Salt Lake Tribune. Vol. 257, no. 48. p. B-4. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Mims, Bob (February 20, 1999). "Suit Disputes Faith Temple Founder's Property Transfer". The Salt Lake Tribune. Vol. 257, no. 129. p. D-2. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Tracy, Brianne (November 25, 2025). "RHOSLC's Mary Cosby Details Her Late Mom's 'Dark' Final Days: 'How You Live Is How You Leave' (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  23. ^ Earl, William (February 25, 2026). "'Real Housewives' Star Mary Cosby's Son Robert Dies at 23". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 60626328. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  24. ^ Tinoco, Armando (February 25, 2026). "Robert Cosby Jr. Dies: 'Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City' Star Mary Cosby's Son Was 23". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  25. ^ Felbin, Sarah (January 17, 2022). "'RHOSLC' Star Mary Cosby Says She Isn't Running A Cult". Women's Health. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  26. ^ Lylo, Madeline (January 18, 2022). "RHOSLC: Mary Cosby's Church Reportedly Shut Down". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  27. ^ Witter, Brad (September 24, 2021). "Former Church Members Allege 'RHOSLC' Star Mary Cosby Is Running A Cult". Bustle. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  28. ^ Monteil, Abby (September 16, 2021). "'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' Star Mary Cosby Accused of Running A Cult by Ex-Congregation Members". Decider. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  29. ^ Sander, Brice (January 27, 2021). "'RHOSLC': Mary Cosby on Internet Allegations & Going MIA From Season 1". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  30. ^ Levy, Giana (January 2, 2026). "'RHOSLC' Star Mary Cosby's Church Investigated: New TLC Doc Alleges Cult Behavior, Abuse, Unpacks Her Marriage to Step-Grandfather and More". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  31. ^ Vlessing, Etan (January 2, 2026). "Directors of 'RHOSLC' Star Mary Cosby Cult Series Talk Affair and Extortion Allegations: "It's a Playbook"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  32. ^ Pierce, Scott D. (September 13, 2022). "Charge of harboring a runaway dismissed against ex-'Real Housewives of SLC' star Mary Cosby". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  33. ^ Schonfeld, Alexandra (September 19, 2022). "Criminal Charges Dropped Against Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Star Mary M. Cosby". People. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
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