Jen Shah’s opportunity to return to reality TV is happening sooner than fans think.
In November 2025, news broke that The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City alum will be released from prison on December 10, 2025, after serving only two and a half years of her six-and-a-half-year sentence.
“Everyone’s very grateful for the BOP’s decision, especially because it means Jen will be able to reunite with her family for the holidays,” Shah’s manager, Chris Giovanni, said in a statement to People. “It’s a gift she doesn’t take for granted.”
Shah’s manager said she is in a “really positive, hopeful place mentally” as the countdown continues for her release.
“She’s done a lot of reflecting and real growth during her time away, and is genuinely not the same woman as she was before. Her focus is on her family and building a healthier, more grounded life,” the statement continued. “She understands the seriousness of the mistakes she made and is excited to put this chapter behind her so that she can show everyone the woman she’s worked hard to become.”
With season 6 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City wrapped — minus the highly anticipated reunion show — some fans have started to wonder if Shah will return to Bravo once she is a free woman.
Keep reading to see what her cast members and Bravo have said about Shah possibly returning to the Real Housewives franchise:
Do Jen Shah’s Costars Want Her Back on ‘The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’?
Original cast members Heather Gay and Whitney Rose have expressed hesitation in having Shah return to the show.
“I don’t think we need her back,” Rose told Us Weekly in December 2024. “I will take Monica [Garcia] back over Jen.”
In a separate August 2025 interview with Access Hollywood, Gay explained, “I don’t talk to Jen, and I don’t make those decisions.”
Meredith Marks, however, seemed open to the possibility of filming with Shah again — if she had changed for the better.
“Accountability goes a long way in our circle,” Marks told People in November 2024. “If you say, ‘Look, I screwed up and I made a mistake and I’m sorry’ — that matters. If she’s taking accountability and doing what she needs to do to make it better, that’s the best she can do right now. There’s nothing else she can do beyond that.”
What Have Bravo Executives Said About Jen Shah Returning?
While attending BravoCon 2025 in November 2025, Bravo and Peacock Unscripted chairman Frances Berwick was asked about Shah possibly returning to the Real Housewives franchise.
From Berwick’s perspective, accountability and a noticeable positive change can have a huge impact.
When comparing Shah’s story to Karen Huger’s prison journey following a 2024 DUI arrest, however, Berwick told Variety that Shah’s case is less forgivable. “But you know, again,” she added, “I have no idea on the level of accountability.”
What Has Andy Cohen Said About Jen Shah?
Back in September 2025, a Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen audience member captured host Andy Cohen participating in a Q&A with fans.
When one viewer asked if there was any chance Shah or Garcia could come back to The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Cohen responded, “Jen Shah — I never want to see again.”
What Has Jen Shah Said About Her Future on Reality TV?
Back in 2020, Shah helped launch The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City as an original cast member. Cameras were rolling when she was arrested in the middle of season 2. Her last appearance was in season 3 when she pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
While Shah hasn’t publicly spoken out about any reality TV aspirations post-prison, she was critical of how The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast members spoke about her in season 4 when she wasn’t filming.
“It’s clear the show can’t live without me since I was brought up at the beginning, middle and end of season 4,” she wrote via Instagram in January 2024. “Andy is still butt hurt that I turned down his 1:1 interview.”
Read the full article here
