RHOSLC: How Jen Shah Developed A Friendship With Stuart Smith

Amid The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah’s felony fraud charges with her business partner Stuart Smith, it’s time to explain how the couple met. Jen and Stuart are both on the hook for their alleged involvement in a nationwide telemarketing scheme. Jen is professing her innocence while Stuart handles his charges separately. With him making just brief appearances on the show prior to their arrest, there are still a lot of questions about their relationship. Jen is opening up about how she developed such a close friendship with Stuart, which may have led to illegal business dealings.

Jen and Stuart are both named in a felony case over their alleged involvement in a scam that targeted unsuspecting victims through shady lead lists. Prior to their arrest, Jen and Stuart shared a show business relationship. Many looked at Stuart as Jen’s personal assistant. However, it’s claimed that a lot more than assisting was going on behind the scenes. As Jen and Stuart deal with their charges separately, they appear to be on different pages. Last month, Stuart pleaded guilty and turned on Jen. His flipped plea could lead to Jen doing more time than Stuart, despite her claims of being innocent.

With Jen still dealing with her felony charges while her legal drama plays out on the show, she has to be careful what she says. However, she did recently open up about her arrest and how the police kept her and Stuart separated. She went on to share that she met Stuart at an old company they worked at together a decade ago. Jen remembers seeing something special in Stuart, even though she had to save his job repeatedly. “He was kind of an underdog in his department and I felt bad for him,” Jen explained on the RHOSLC: After Show. The company was considering getting rid of Stuart and Jen claims that she vouched for him and convinced the company to change their mind and give him another chance. “I just felt like he was a hard worker and I saw him going the extra mile and I was like, ‘He just needs a chance,’ so that’s how our relationship started,” Jen shared.

Jen claims she saved Stuart’s job “five or six times over the years because every time Stuart would get into some trouble, I would always go be like, ‘Listen, he means well.” After leaving the company, Jen eventually hired Stuart as her personal assistant. She says he knew more about her daily lifestyle than her husband did. Jen’s backstory of Stuart paints the picture that her friend and business partner might’ve always been a bit mischievous and willing to break the rules. Jen also makes it seem like she was just being a good person with a big heart by sticking up for Stuart at work. The details surrounding their involvement in the telemarketing scheme are still coming to light while a lot is still unknown.

Since Jen and Stuart are battling it out in court in the same case, they’re not allowed to speak to each other. Considering how close they were for so many years, RHOSLC‘s Jen admits that not being able to communicate feels weird. “This person’s not in my life anymore and to be ripped away like that with no explanation, you don’t know what’s going on, all you know is you’re not allowed to speak to him, there’s a lot of emotions that come along with that,” Jen explained. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star is facing serious charges that could put her in prison for upwards of 20 to 30 years. With Stuart’s recent guilty plea, Jen could be facing a more lengthy sentence than her estranged friend.

Source: RHOSLC: After Show