Lisa Barlow is taking aim at her Real Housewives of Salt Lake City costars, accusing some of the women of lacking their own identity and copying her rather than embracing who they really are.
In a new interview with i-D magazine, the RHOSLC star opened up about friendship red flags, loyalty and why filming The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th was such a different experience from filming with the women in Salt Lake City.
And while Lisa didn’t name any specific costars, she made it clear that she believes some of the women struggle with her confidence because they’re not as comfortable with themselves.
When asked to identify a red flag in a friendship, Barlow didn’t hesitate.
“When they start imitating you,” Barlow said. “It’s like they lack identity so they try to take yours.”
The comment appeared to reflect some of Lisa’s frustrations with the women on RHOSLC, particularly as her relationships with several longtime castmates have deteriorated over the years.
When asked what she considers a green flag in a friendship, Barlow emphasized the importance of loyalty.
“Loyalty. I love when I don’t even have to worry about what’s being said about me when I’m not in the room because my friend will a hundred percent [be behind] me,” she explained.
Barlow also revealed that she is no longer interested in surrounding herself with people who bring negativity into her life.
“Negative energy people. I want them far away from me,” she said when asked what she no longer cares about.
And when it comes to dealing with mean girls, Barlow believes there are only two options.
“There’s two ways: You have to hit them head on and call them out for exactly why they’re mean girls. And then option two? Ignore and move on.”
But the most revealing part of Lisa’s interview came when she was asked to compare her experience filming RHOSLC with her time on Ultimate Girls Trip.
Lisa has previously spoken about how refreshing it was to spend time with Housewives from other franchises, especially after experiencing significant tension with several women on her own show.
According to Lisa, the biggest difference was that the women on Ultimate Girls Trip were confident enough in themselves that they didn’t feel the need to compete with one another.
“Everyone I was with on Girls Trip has a bold personality and a clear sense of self: Porsha, Gizelle, Kyle, Luann, me, Teresa, Vicki,” Lisa shared.
“Everybody has their own thing that makes them them. Nobody infringed on that; nobody was competing with each other at all in any capacity.”
However, Barlow suggested that the same cannot be said about her RHOSLC castmates.
“On my cast, I think it’s incredibly hard to be around girls that see cool things and copy them,” she explained.
She then suggested that some of her costars have difficulty maintaining genuine friendships because they’re uncomfortable with their own identities.
“When you lack the self-confidence and the ability to be you, it makes it hard for you to be a good girlfriend.”
Lisa went on to argue that her confidence is part of what creates tension between her and the other women.
“Some of these girls struggle with me because I’m very comfortable with who I am and just being me.”
The remarks are especially interesting considering Lisa’s ongoing disagreements with Whitney Rose, Bronwyn Newport and Heather Gay.
Throughout recent seasons of RHOSLC, Lisa has repeatedly found herself at odds with the women over accusations of dishonesty, loyalty and alleged behind-the-scenes behavior.
Her relationship with Bronwyn has been particularly strained since Bronwyn joined the franchise in Season 5.
Although the two women were friends before filming, their relationship quickly deteriorated as they disagreed about loyalty and personal boundaries.
Bronwyn has since suggested that she doesn’t believe their friendship can be repaired.
During Bravo Fan Fest in Charleston, Bronwyn admitted that her relationship with Lisa had gone “to hell and back,” before correcting herself to say that it probably would never come back.
Lisa has also experienced significant tension with Whitney, who has accused her of being involved in negative stories about other cast members.
Those allegations followed Lisa onto Ultimate Girls Trip, where some of her RHOSLC costars appeared and discussed their unresolved issues with women from other franchises.
During the crossover series, Whitney and Bronwyn criticized Lisa and her husband, John Barlow, while speaking with Gizelle Bryant and other Housewives.
Their comments created an uncomfortable situation for Lisa, who had been enjoying her time away from the usual Salt Lake City drama.
The tension escalated when Gizelle confronted Lisa about allegations involving information being shared with blogs.
Lisa denied the accusations, while Teresa Giudice defended her and questioned why she would have any reason to do something like that.
The experience highlighted the divide between Lisa’s relationships with her RHOSLC castmates and the connections she had developed with women from other franchises.
On Ultimate Girls Trip, Lisa formed an especially close bond with Teresa, and the two frequently defended one another when disagreements arose.
Lisa also developed an unexpected friendship with Porsha Williams, whom she later praised for being confident, creative and unapologetically herself.
The friendships appeared to reinforce Lisa’s belief that Housewives can have strong personalities without constantly competing against each other.
Now, Lisa is suggesting that the environment on RHOSLC has become exhausting because of what she perceives as jealousy and imitation.
But despite her frustration with some of the women, Lisa remains enthusiastic about Season 7.
When asked why fans and critics should continue watching RHOSLC, Lisa joked that the people who dislike her are often the most dedicated viewers.
“Haters are usually the ones that tune in the most,” she said.
She also teased that the current season offers a different look at the Housewives thanks to changes in the show’s production team.
“This season is super special. We had a new team in the field documenting everything with us,” Lisa explained.
According to Lisa, the changes have allowed viewers to see more of her everyday life rather than focusing almost entirely on explosive group events.
“I can’t speak for the other girls, but the way I got to be and live and have it documented versus showing up at a dinner and it just being chaos, that’s what gives you levity and relatability.”
Lisa then suggested that RHOSLC has been missing that balance for some time.
“I think we’ve been lacking that for a long time.”
Her comments suggest that while she still enjoys being part of the franchise, she wants viewers to see more than the constant arguments that have defined some of the show’s recent seasons.
And while Lisa didn’t reveal exactly which of her castmates she believes have been copying her, her remarks make it clear that she doesn’t think confidence can be borrowed from someone else.
For Lisa, the women who make the best friends are those who have their own identities, remain loyal and don’t feel the need to compete.
And after experiencing a very different dynamic on Ultimate Girls Trip, she appears more convinced than ever that the problems within RHOSLC aren’t simply about clashing personalities.