When Whitney Rose from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City first saw the federal agents searching for co-star Jen Shah, she thought they were strippers. During the first two minutes of the season 2 premiere episode, viewers got to witness the moment Jen received the phone call about the feds looking for her. Later on in the clip, Jen asks Whitney if she could help her turn off her mic so she can continue her conversation privately. Jen then tells fellow costar Heather Gay she has to leave and exits the premises.
Shortly after Jen left, the police swarmed the limo, as well as at her infamous Shah Chalet, looking for her. The news hit the press right away and photos were soon leaked of Jen leaving a Utah courthouse following her arrest. The ladies of RHOSLC stayed mum on the situation up until the premiere episode was set to air. While they are skeptical of Jen now that she has all these legal charges against her, they aren't quick to believe the allegations.
During an appearance on Us Weekly's Getting Real with the Housewives podcast, Whitney admitted Jen's arrest was one of the most shocking experiences she has ever been through. "I still kind of forget that it happened," the 35-year-old revealed to the hosts. "I think I blacked it out a little bit [...] it just didn’t feel like real life as it was unfolding." In fact, the whole moment was so bizarre she thought she was in the middle of a prank. "We had so many different agencies, federal agencies there that I thought that they were in costumes. I thought Jen got us strippers," Whitney declared. There were a number of different law enforcement there, such as Homeland Security, FBI, NYPD, and a SWAT team.
Since everyone was dressed in different uniforms, Whitney truly thought it was some sort of prank. Jen, who was arrested for fraud and money laundering charges in March, left the RHOSLC cast divided, but Whitney still offered her support. Despite the ups and downs, the two had been through last season, Whitney offered Jen grace and kindness throughout filming. Even though the mother of two was concerned at first about how Jen's arrest would affect her and her family, Whitney decided to be there the best she can for her friend. "I chose to match Jen with what she gave me. If she’s being kind, I’ll be kind back," she revealed. At the time, Whitney wasn't sure about the allegations against Jen and didn't want to assume anything about her costar.
When Jen's arrest first took place, Whitney was shocked by the whole situation. She was in such shock she truly believed what she was witnessing was a prank. Now that the dust has settled, Whitney realized the events that took place were real life and had to figure out how she would navigate her friendship with Jen. Hopefully, fans will be able to see most of that struggle play out on the new season.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.