Mary Cosby is opening up about her decision to return to filming The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City just three weeks after the death of her son, Robert Cosby Jr.
In a new interview with Vulture, Mary addressed why she continued filming Season 7 so soon after her devastating loss, revealing that producers gave her the option to take the year off.
But Mary says she chose to keep going because she believes that is what Robert Jr. would have wanted.
“Robert Jr. would want me to keep going. He would want me to shine. He’d want me to be the best I can be in whatever I’m doing in life,” Mary said.
Robert Jr., whom Mary shared with husband Robert Cosby Sr., died on February 23 at the age of 23.
At the time, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a call about an overdose that “turned into a death investigation.”
His death came less than three weeks after he had been released from jail following two months behind bars.
Cosby’s grief has already been one of the most emotional storylines surrounding the upcoming RHOSLC season, which premieres Wednesday night. And while many fans wondered how she was able to return to the show so quickly, Mary says her strength is exactly what she hopes viewers see.
Looking ahead to Season 7, Mary said she wants people to take away a sense of her strength after experiencing the unimaginable.
“This could have killed me, and it should have killed me,” Mary said. “It was designed to at least let me fall, and I didn’t.”
Mary explained that she has leaned on faith and acceptance while trying to move forward through her pain.
“I doubled down on knowing that what happens in my life is for the good and what’s going to happen is supposed to happen,” she said.
Mary also spoke about the heartbreaking reality of accepting a loss she could not control.
“You can’t do anything when it’s someone’s time but accept it and keep going and hope that one day, you’ll see them again.”
Mary’s decision to film so soon after Robert Jr.’s death will likely be difficult for viewers to watch, especially knowing how fresh the loss was at the time. But Mary is making it clear that she did not return because she felt forced.
She returned because she felt it honored her son.
RHOSLC has shown Mary’s relationship with Robert Jr. over the years, including her concerns for him and the challenges he faced. His death has deeply impacted the cast, with several of Mary’s costars already speaking about her strength and resilience while filming this season.