Jen Shah from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City has apologized for the AIDS comment that she made while speaking to her son on the premiere episode. The franchise has already just started and there is already a kerfuffle. The show's fans found her comment ignorant.
Finally, the day that fans have been waiting for since November 2019 (and BravoCon) arrived. The hot cocoa has been warmed and the cutest RHOSLC ski bunnies have hit the chalet, preparing to bring the drama to Salt Lake City, amid the purple mountain’s majesty. Although the premiere episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City just aired, Jen has already made herself a target for Bravo viewers, by choosing some very insensitive wording.
Bravo viewers who watched the RHOSLC premiere episode fell in love with the newest housewives but were not pleased when Jen Shah spouted some very ignorant and factually incorrect information about AIDS. While speaking with her younger son, who is in high school, she said: “If you kiss a girl, you might be like, ‘Oh she’s cute,’ but guess what? You can contract herpes, probably AIDS.” After some intense backlash, she immediately apologized for her words via her @TheRealJenShah Twitter account. Check out the post below:
After the episode aired, The Aids Memorial called out the newest reality star in a tweet, by posting: “Please educate yourself instead of spreading myths about HIV/AIDS that only fuel the stigma that surround people living with HIV.” See the tweet below:
When HIV and AIDS first started to appear in the 1980s, no one really knew how transmission happened. Patients were often cruelly treated as pariahs. Thanks to medical professionals and A-listers such as the late Princess Diana, there is no longer the same level of stigma. Fans were upset that a woman who is educated would think that sharing false information about AIDS was okay. Fans clearly knew the Real Housewife was wrong, based on their reactions. Fans did applaud Jen for not trying to dance around the subject or defend herself during her apology.
While the words may have meant in a joking way, the virus is no laughing matter. Bravo viewers were impressed with her quick response and do look forward to seeing more of Jen and Mary Crosby’s feud play out. Right out of the gate, Jen stole viewers' hearts with her witty comebacks and warm heart. Hopefully, viewers will be able to see more of that softer side of the decidedly outspoken housewife in the future.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Wednesday at 9 pm EST on Bravo.
Source: Jen Shah/Twitter, The AIDS Memorial/Twitter