'RHOSLC' Stars Whitney Rose and Heather Gay Both Have Ties to Mormon Royalty
Updated March 19 2021, 4:04 p.m. ET
Season 1 of RHOSLC captures the day-to-day life of socialites like Jen Shah, Lisa Barlow, and Mary Cosby.
The stars often have fall-outs with each other, but some friendships seem to withstand every challenge. Take, for instance, the indissoluble bond between Whitney Rose and Heather Gay.
But are the rumors true? Are Whitney and Heather related by blood?
Whitney Rose and Heather Gay have close ties to Mormon royalty.
Both Heather and Whitney once belonged to the top tier of Mormon society.
Whitney was born into a prominent family — her fourth great grandfather, Shadrach Roundy, served as the bodyguard for Joseph Smith and Brigham Young — whereas Heather married into Mormon royalty.
Although they may have earned the title in different ways, they are indeed related by blood.
As Heather explained in a tweet posted on Dec. 22, 2020, her great grandmother and Whitney's great grandfather were siblings, which makes them third cousins.
"My great grandmother & Whit's great grandfather are siblings," Heather divulged.
In at least one Instagram post, Whitney used the hashtag, #buzzincousins, to contextualize her relationship with Heather.
Whitney had to leave the church after news about her illicit affair with boss, Justin, got out.
Not only do Whitney and Heather share the same ancestry, but they also had to face similar struggles during their adulthood. The RHOSLC stars were left with no choice but to leave the church in order to make their life more fulfilling. Whitney was excommunicated when she left her ex-husband for her boss and lover, Justin Rose.
Heather left the church after filing for divorce from Frank William "Billy" Gay III.
Billy's grandfather, Frank William Gay, started out as business magnate Howard Hughes's driver and right-hand man before working his way to the top and serving as a senior vice president and board member of the Hughes Tool Company. The rare achievement allowed him to earn recognition in the Mormon community.
It's understood that Whitney walked away from the church circa 2009, the year she married Justin. Meanwhile, Heather likely left the church around 2015, the year she divorced Billy.
Whitney spoke about the emotional turmoil triggered by the life-altering step on several occasions.
"When Justin and I first got together, our friends and family turned their back on us. Ten years later, they are finally starting to come back around. It makes me feel both resentful and happy, because, why the f--k did it take 10 years?" Whitney proclaimed in a previous episode of RHOSLC.
Heather started a new life after her marriage with Frank William "Billy" Gay III fell apart.
A self-described "Good Mormon Gone Bad," Heather started a new life a few years after Whitney.
"When I first met Billy, he checked all the boxes. He was over 6 feet tall, he was cool, he was rich, and his family connection to Howard Hughes made him Mormon royalty," Heather explained in a previous episode of RHOSLC.
"I was the 'never say no' girl. I said 'no,' and he moved out. And that was it," Heather described what led to the demise of her marriage.
Catch new episodes of RHOSLC every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo.
