Heather Gay, star of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, reveals how the Bravo series has fundamentally reshaped her life and sense of self. Since her debut on the show in 2020, Gay, 50, has gone through a transformative journey, shedding what she describes as a lifetime of “heavy baggage.”
“Oh, I’ve completely changed,” Gay tells PEOPLE. She reflects on the therapeutic experience of living her life on television and then watching it back. “I’ve unburdened myself from a lot of heavy baggage I’d been carrying for years,” she explains. “It’s allowed me to really evolve, not just as a woman, but also as a mother.”
Gay, who shares daughters Annabelle, 21, Georgia, 18, and Ashley, 17, with her ex-husband, spent over four decades as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After parting ways with the church in 2019, the same year Bravo announced the launch of RHOSLC, Gay began to embrace a new chapter in her life.
Initially, Gay admits she never anticipated the show’s success. “When we filmed our sizzle reel, I thought it would be a local production,” she recalls. “I didn’t think it had the legs to go this far.” But the show quickly became a hit, and Gay found herself growing alongside it. Her business, Beauty Lab + Laser, has flourished, and she has embraced a newfound confidence. She also recently lost 25 pounds, a change she jokingly credits to Ozempic, and will release her second memoir, Good Time Girl, in December.
While Gay acknowledges that RHOSLC played a pivotal role in her life’s transformation, she emphasizes that much of the internal work was her own. Reflecting on her journey since her divorce in 2011, Gay describes her gradual separation from the church as a slow but liberating process. “I feel really empowered now,” she says, noting how she has embraced feminism and is now unapologetically a “girl power” advocate.
This empowerment has also enhanced her relationship with her daughters. “Before, I felt bound by the expectations of my culture and community. Now, I get to be the mom I always wanted to be,” she shares. Her daughters, too, are thriving in this new, open dynamic. “We’re just enjoying each other, openly expressing gratitude for how happy we are.”
Despite the challenges of reality TV life and the scrutiny it brings, Gay is ultimately grateful. “I feel like the happiest girl on earth,” she says. “All of my dreams have come true, shattering the glass ceiling I had about where my happiness could be.”
Reflecting on the journey, Gay marvels at the unexpected path that Real Housewives has paved for her. “Who could have ever expected Housewives to bring me that?” she asks.
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