'RHOSLC' Star Mary Cosby Sues Her Church's Business Firm for Nearly $6.3 Million
Mary has served as the vice president of her husband, Robert Cosby's church since before her Bravo fame.
Published Sept. 24 2024, 5:07 p.m. ET
Since viewers of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City first met Mary Cosby in Season 1, she's given plenty to discuss and quote when the spirit moves us. Fans have admired her blunt yet hilarious approach to dealing with her longtime group of friends and were happy to see her return in a full-time capacity in RHOSLC Season 5. And she hasn't disappointed, delivering us a carb-filled read to one of the show's newbies, Britani Bateman, in the Season 5 premiere.
While Mary mostly delivers fun shade to her co-stars, she proved in September 2024 that she doesn't play about the church she operates with her husband, Robert Cosby. The Bravo star sparked extra attention when her lawsuit against her church's executives went public.
Here's what to know about Mary's lawsuit.
Mary Cosby filed a lawsuit against of her church's former business firm in September 2024.
On Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, Mary and Robert filed a lawsuit against two executives for her church’s for-profit financial business arm. The couple serves as vice president and president of their church, Faith Temple Pentecostal Church, respectively, Annie Johnson and Shawn Turner, and the business firm, United Security Financial, with whom they worked closely. Johnson was a former Faith Temple member and served as USF's President, and Turner is the office's Secretary.
Mary and Robert claimed in the lawsuit that Johnson and Turner "misappropriated church funds for personal use by securing loans against Faith Temple property" and allegedly profited from a loan using Robert's forged signature. The couple also said Johnson reportedly took money from the church's tithes and offerings and funneled them into her accounts.
The lawsuit also stated Johnson was known to use bullying tactics such as "intimidation, threats, verbal abuse, racial degradation, and physical abuse” to cash USF checks and give her the money directly.
Johnson and Turner are also being sued for allegedly wrongfully demolishing a radio station reportedly bought in 1991 with the church's funds.
Johnson allegedly put her name on the property title instead of Faith Temple or USF and stayed with the station before it was dismantled in 2017. The radio station was mentioned to prove the Cosbys' statement that Johnson and Turner "aided and abetted” each other into misappropriating the Faith Temple's funds.
Mary Cosby and her husband have accused of running a cult-like church.
While Mary plans to get everything that was allegedly stolen from her and her husband back, the couple has grown accustomed to their church being in the press. In 2022, the RHOSLC OG famously skipped the Season 2 reunion and left the show during the following season. Mary allegedly didn't film the reunion to avoid questions about her church being a cult or to discuss "racially offensive remarks" she made during the season.
The church VP also seemingly closed Faith Temple down amid the backlash she received from the season. In January 2022, fans noticed the church had removed its signs and stated on its website that it had closed down due to COVID-19. However, Mary's family, including her estranged mother, said in multiple interviews that she and Robert's church is a cult and claim Mary is a "victim" of her husband's alleged acts. Today, Faith Temple remains closed, according to its Yelp page.
Mary inherited Faith Temple Pentecostal Church and became the First Lady—per her grandmother’s will—when she died, as well as her fortune and home. However, the inheritance was conditional on Mary marrying Robert, her grandmother's second husband.
Mrs. Cosby is many things, but boring isn't one of them!
Catch new episodes of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City on Bravo on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST.