Heather Gay, from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, will delve further into her Mormon background with a brand-new limited series.
Bravo revealed the three-part series, Surviving Mormonism With Heather Gay, on Tuesday, October 21, offering viewers a sneak peek at Gay’s quest to reveal the darker aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I was profoundly shocked by what I discovered while filming this,” she states in the preview. “The genuine secret lives are considerably darker, more profound, and more terrible.”
Gay is later seen engaging in conversation with former LDS church members, including one man who confesses, “I lived my life as someone I wasn’t.” Another woman discloses, “My earliest memories involve abuse.”
In another part of the clip, Gay is seen crying due to what she has learned. She admits, “I feel both overwhelmed and horrified.”
According to a press release, the three-part series, which debuts on Bravo on November 11, “breaks the church’s apparently flawless facade to reveal the secrets that have been kept hidden.”
“In each hour-long episode, Heather engages in significant dialogues with abuse survivors, ex-Mormons, and former LDS church leaders,” the release continues. “As Heather contemplates her own departure from the church, Surviving Mormonism explores outdated and contentious practices, empowering victims to share their stories in order to raise awareness and effect change.”
Since being introduced to Us on RHOSLC in 2020, Gay has been quite vocal about her experiences with Mormonism. She went into detail about her departure from the church in her two books, Bad Mormon and Good Time Girl.
Gay stated in Us Weekly‘s Reality Stars of the Year issue, which featured the RHOSLC cast on the cover, that her “life purpose” is to “represent hope for people after Mormonism.”
“Especially for women after Mormonism, [I want] to represent a different path and shed light on damaging practices that we’ve never been able to discuss,” she told Us. “And so, being able to illuminate that and become a key figure for that ex-Mormon community and discuss previously unspoken issues gives me great joy.”
Gay continued, noting that programs such as RHOSLC and Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives are exposing the facade of Salt Lake City’s religious community, and people are captivated.
“I think I watched reality television to spot the flaws and see the cracks because it’s unscripted. So, inevitably, the truth will emerge, right?” she said. “And I believe that because we are so vulnerable to that in Salt Lake City, and we are all immersed in this culture, reputation is paramount, and we are highly sensitive to any blemishes on our image of perfection… which heightens the drama. When the stakes are high, the drama is proportionate.”
Following the announcement of her new project on Tuesday, several of Gay’s costars, including Angie Katsanevas, expressed their support. “Proud to call you my friend. You possess many talents. Keep up the excellent work. Congratulations❤️,” she commented on Instagram when the teaser was released.
Former Housewife Angie Harrington added, “Love you @heathergay ❤️ this is challenging.”
Surviving Mormonism With Heather Gay will premiere on Bravo on November 11 at 9:15 p.m. ET, following The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. On November 12, all three episodes will be available to stream on Peacock.
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