Meredith Marks teased the upcoming season of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, her “new beginning” with Lisa Barlow, and her drama with Whitney Rose and Meredith Marks – her former bestie who returned as a full-time castmate. She also gave an update on her marriage and shared how Jen Shah is doing in prison.
According to a season five trailer, Meredith is feuding with Mary Cosby and Whitney. Last season, she began to repair a relationship with her longtime friend Lisa after she shockingly called Meredith a “wh**e.”
“There’s a lot of conflicts, a lot of drama, ups and downs,” said Meredith of the new season in an interview with Extra. “A lot of reconciliations and failed reconciliations.”
The star said she’s in a “new beginning” and a “different friendship” with Lisa.
“I think there had been a lot of misunderstandings between us,” she explained. “There was definitely problems, I’m not denying that, but … I think some of the other women — I don’t know — they don’t really want us to be friends, is what it feels like. I feel like there’s been a lot of gas poured on the fire between us. And she and I both see that.”
“It’s like, ‘Oh okay, I hear what you’re saying and I also know you have ulterior motives,’” she added, seemingly addressing other castmates. “You’ll see where we land.”
She then hinted at her issues with Whitney.
“Whitney says things and just has no regard for the consequences,” said Meredith. “And she’ll speculate on things and say them as if they’re facts … Labeling someone is not an opinion. She’s like, ‘This is my opinion.’ Well, calling someone a villain, that’s not an opinion. That’s degrading their character … If she thinks it’s okay to express all her opinions then I guess we should too about her.”
“We’re a group that … all think[s] differently. We are wired differently. Some people are offended by things that others can’t even understand,” she went on. “It’s just ripe for conflict.”
Though Meredith tries to be “reasonable and rational,” the cast has “different interpretations” of things.
Meredith also addressed her recent bat mitzvah, which her husband had encouraged, as she didn’t have one as a teen.
“I wasn’t ready,” she said. “It’s a big commitment, obviously it takes a lot of work. And I am very proud of being Jewish. I’m not really a very religious person, but it is my heritage.”
Discussing her feud with Mary, Meredith said she doesn’t “understand” her issue with her, and Mary “brought up things” that were from “ages ago” that they had “already talked about.”
“So it felt very sort of contrived to me. It was odd,” she said. “Usually when someone starts coming at me, there should be a reason for it, especially when I’ve been there for them for years when nobody else would be … I felt like she wanted to pick a fight with me.”
“Perhaps others are in her ear,” she said. “She has all these new friends.”
Meredith said she and her husband Seth are “great” even though it’s been a “trying year” as he’s spending “a lot of time” in Ohio for work. According to the star, things are starting to feel “transactional,” which seemed to remind her of the “weird things” that “went downhill” the last time they were having problems.
As for the newbie Bronwyn Newport, Meredith said she met her five years ago, but she “didn’t know her well at all” before the season. She claimed Bronwyn has a “strong personality” and “a lot of opinions.”
The star shared that she’s no longer speaking to Monica Garcia, who exited the show following her secret ‘troll page’ against castmates. She also isn’t in contact with Jen, though Meredith occasionally speaks to her husband Sharrieff, as well as Jen’s manager, who shares “how she’s doing.”
“It sounds like she’s doing pretty well,” said Meredith. “I mean, obviously, it’s not an ideal situation for anybody. But given the circumstances, it sounds like she’s doing well and she’s found her footing there … I’ve heard that she’s like doing fitness classes and at some point was like doing some makeup stuff … [She and Sharrieff] are navigating.”