Jen Shah continued to maintain her innocence weeks away from her federal fraud trial on Wednesday’s season premiere of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City.
The season three episode titled Revenge Marks The Spot showed Jen, 48, taking a defiant stance as the show continued to chronicle her case after showing her arrest last season on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.
‘I’m the only defendant left that is still going to trial,’ Jen, 48, said in a confessional. ‘I have no idea what is going on with the other defendants in this case. I have no idea why they have taken a plea deal. But I’m not going to take a plea deal when I’m not guilty. I’m innocent.’
Maintaining innocence: Jen Shah continued to maintain her innocence weeks away from her federal fraud trial on Wednesday’s season premiere of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City
With her trial at the time just seven weeks away, Jen admitted she was scared.
‘I can’t imagine being away from them, it will literally kill me,’ Jen said of being away from her family. She pleaded guilty in July just 11 days before the start of her trial.
The season premiere opened with clips of Jen talking to the camera on Dec. 9, 2019, describing her work only as direct response marketing.
‘I make millions,’ Jen said. ‘Hey, you got to do what you got to do for money….I’m like the Wizard of Oz.’
Defiant stance: The season three episode titled Revenge Marks The Spot showed Jen, 48, taking a defiant stance as the show continued to chronicle her case after showing her arrest last season on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud
Not guilty: ‘I’m the only defendant left that is still going to trial,’ Jen, 48, said in a confessional. ‘I have no idea what is going on with the other defendants in this case. I have no idea why they have taken a plea deal. But I’m not going to take a plea deal when I’m not guilty. I’m innocent’
In Meredith Marks’ clip from 2019 she talked about how Lisa Barlow always had her back.
‘I know she wants what’s best of me,’ Meredith, 50, said. ‘I know there is no ulterior motive there.’
Lisa, 47, also had good things to say about Meredith in her 2019 clips.
Last season: Season three followed a wild season two finale that featured Lisa Barlow going off on a hot mic on Meredith Marks
‘I just really like that Meredith is 100 percent Meredith all the time,’ Lisa said.
‘Heather and I have been friends for years,’ Whitney Rose, 35, said in her 2019 tape. ‘We are actually cousins.’
‘She never explodes on me,’ Heather Gay, 40, said in her 2019 confessional of Whitney.
The show shifted to the present day where Meredith met Jen for a spa day.
Spa day: The show shifted to the present day where Meredith met Jen for a spa day
‘If someone asked me eight months ago if I could be hanging out with Jen, I would look at them like they were crazy,’ Meredith said in a confessional.
‘Here’s to a new year and new us,’ Jen said toasting in a jacuzzi.
Jen told her she had been going through so much with her fraud and money laundering trial that was set to start in a month and half. She revealed that she also was trying to plan a 51st birthday party for husband Coach Sharrieff Shah.
Trial looming: Jen told her she had been going through so much with her fraud and money laundering trial that was set to start in a month and half
Meredith said she was still reeling from the fact that Lisa spread rumors about her that weren’t true. Meredith said she had heard rumors about Lisa such as questions about her marriage, business, finances but hadn’t up until this point shared them with others.
‘Fair game on her at this point,’ Meredith said in a confessional.
Lisa met with Heather for lunch where she asked for her help mending her friendship with Meredith.
Fair game: ‘Fair game on her at this point,’ Meredith said in a confessional of Lisa
‘You came for her family,’ Heather said.
‘I was in a blind rage,’ Lisa said.
‘You have to make it right,’ Heather said. ‘The questions that are going to be asked are is that how you really feel about Meredith.’
Sought help: Lisa met with Heather for lunch where she asked for her help mending her friendship with Meredith
‘What do you think?’ Lisa said.
‘I think that’s how you really feel about Meredith,’ Heather said.
Lisa denied it.
Later, Heather went over to Whitney’s house to talk about her meeting with Lisa. Whitney showed her the new speakeasy bar that was hidden behind a sliding door.
Catching up: Later, Heather went over to Whitney’s house to talk about her meeting with Lisa
‘The fact that we have a bar in our home is a big deal,’ Whitney said. ‘You know I’ve been on this big healing journey.’
She said she had been working to clear the trauma from her early childhood.
‘One of the biggest tethers or wounds I have is the church,’ Whitney said. ‘I came to the realization that I’m ready to close that chapter and leave officially and ask them to remove my name.’
Officially leaving: ‘One of the biggest tethers or wounds I have is the church,’ Whitney said. ‘I came to the realization that I’m ready to close that chapter and leave officially and ask them to remove my name’
Whitney said she was doing it for kids so that they did not fall into her cycle of limited beliefs and feeling not being good enough and not being heard.
‘Having my name on the record of the Mormon church means that they’re still tracking what I’m doing,’ Whitney said. ‘That means that they still send people to my house to check on me. They still come to collect money. Even when you move, they know where you move, and your record transfers.’
Whitney said all she needed to do was to go to I Quit Mormon dot com. Heather said she didn’t know in a confessional if she could do it herself yet.
Not ready: Heather said she didn’t know in a confessional if she could do it herself yet
Jen had moved into a smaller house. Her husband had told her the most important thing was to have money to fight for her freedom. Jen said to the camera that she also had to downsize her ‘Shah Squad.’ Jen spoke to Sharrieff about his 51st birthday party. Her friend Angie K had offered her house for the Harlem Nights themed event.
‘You remember we are in Utah,’ Coach Sharrieff said. ‘Harlem Night was in Harlem. A lot of Black folks which we’re void up here. Are we going to import Black people up here?’
Sharrieff said he just wanted to have a good time at the party. He said he didn’t want someone to use it as a place to confront another person.
Party planning: Jen spoke to Sharrieff about his 51st birthday party
‘As we come closer to the trial date, that in itself is a lot to deal with,’ Sharrieff said.
Jen revealed in a confessional that her trial was just weeks away.
Meredith told her husband Seth she was still upset by Lisa’s comments.
Trial approaching: ‘As we come closer to the trial date, that in itself is a lot to deal with,’ Sharrieff said
‘She’s questioning our finances yet I see SEC documents that their company was not making money,’ Meredith said.
In a confessional, Meredith said she was not a whore despite Lisa’s comments.
‘I have never exchanged sex for money that’s what a whore is,’ Meredith said. ‘Maybe someone else does, I don’t know.’
Whore denial: ‘I have never exchanged sex for money that’s what a whore is,’ Meredith said. ‘Maybe someone else does, I don’t know’
When a producer asked if she was insinuating that Lisa had Meredith coyly said she didn’t know.
At the night of Sharrieff’s 51st birthday party, Lisa arrived and said she didn’t know what she walking into.
Former Boston Celtics star Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis was at the party. Heather was excited to meet him. Jen made a toast to her husband.
Basketball player: Former Boston Celtics player Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis was at the party
Party anxiety: At the night of Sharrieff’s 51st birthday party, Lisa arrived and said she didn’t know what she walking into
‘It was important for me to show how much I love and appreciate you,’ Jen said. ‘I know we have been going through a lot. Because of everything we have been going through it means more to me than ever in my life to have people that I know really truly love me and love our family.’
Lisa told Heather she didn’t think it was a good time to talk to Meredith.
Whitney suggested they all take a girls trip before Jen had to go to New York and face trial. Lisa walked over and gave Meredith a hug and asked if they could talk at a later time.
Pre-trial trip: Whitney suggested they all take a girls trip before Jen had to go to New York and face trial
‘I just want you to know that I love you and I’m really really sorry,’ Lisa said.
‘Leave me alone,’ Meredith said in a confessional.
Lisa told Meredith’s husband Seth that she regretted her comments.
Regretful remarks; Lisa told Meredith’s husband Seth that she regretted her comments
‘Your behavior was so hurtful,’ Seth said.
‘I literally haven’t been able to sleep,’ Lisa said crying. ‘I don’t even think those things now.’
Seth said none of it made sense to him. Lisa said she was hurting and doesn’t even remember making the comments.
No sense: Seth said none of it made sense to him
‘I thought I was in a private space hurting,’ Lisa said. ‘It wasn’t meant for anybody else to hear.’
Lisa left the party upset. Seth told Meredith that Lisa didn’t appear to be taking responsibility for her actions.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City will return next Wednesday on Bravo.
Private space: ‘I thought I was in a private space hurting,’ Lisa said. ‘It wasn’t meant for anybody else to hear’
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