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Reality TV star Mary Cosby is now facing serious allegations in a new TLC paper examining claims of cult-like behavior in the church she leads with her husband.
The three-part series, “The Cult of the Real Housewife,” investigates the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church, examining claims of spiritual manipulation, financial pressure and emotional manipulation that former members say took place behind closed doors.
Documents trace the roots of Faith Temple to its founding by Rosemary “Mama” Cosby, Mary’s grandmother, who was well-respected in the congregation.
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A former church member took out a second $300,000 loan from his house and gave it to Mary Cosby, highlighting allegations of financial impropriety involved. (Koury Angelo/Bravo via Getty Images)
After the death of “Mama” Cosby, the leadership of the church passed to her husband, Robert Cosby Sr. – He is Mary’s grandfather – his later marriage to Mary sparked controversy and marked what critics described as a radical change in church tradition.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Mary Cosby for comment.
Mary’s cousin, Dan Cosby, told Fox News Digital that what he saw inside Faith Temple changed his faith in church leadership.
“How he would act, how he would use his authoritarian style of leadership and how he would talk to other brothers in the church … arguing with me or other members,” Dan said, referring to Robert Cosby Sr. “I wasn’t the only one. There were others who left because they saw the writing on the wall.”
Dan said the behavior felt unpredictable and very unpleasant, especially because it often seemed calculated.
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“There are two sides to Robert… almost a dual personality,” Dan said. “You just see his true nature come out – complete Jekyll-and-Hyde … He would preach and actually call people to church and laugh … it was just embarrassing.”
Over time, Dan noted, the behavior escalated to public embarrassment during church services.
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Mary married her grandfather Robert Cosby Sr. in 1998. (Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images)
“You are already afraid to go, people were afraid to go,” he said. “This is hurting people.”
For Dan, his time at the Faith Temple revealed what he described as a disturbing pattern of abuse disguised as spiritual guidance. He said church leaders often exploit the faith of members to force obedience and loyalty.
“You are already afraid to go, people were afraid to go. This is hurting people.”
In the documents, Dan says he endured corporal punishment and witnessed abuse as a child – including being kneed on pins and needles and watching another child being beaten. Robert Cosby Sr., a military veteran, is accused of pushing Dan during a prayer, which Dan says was the turning point for him to leave the church.
“To be clear, I think the ‘Cult of the Real Housewife’ is showing that trauma is real and that people are going to use that and make you think that God is a certain way,” she told Fox News Digital. “They’re going to put their own righteousness on what they believe.”
He warned that such fraud can be subtle, making it difficult for members to recognize that they are being exploited.
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“I think this sheds light – people can be in a cult but not even realize they’re together,” he said.
Financial pressure was at the heart of the regulatory scandal, Dan said, with members shamed for failing to contribute.
“People can be in a cult and not know they’re together.”
“It wasn’t really something that was going to happen to you … but it was a pressure that you know you have to give more and more [being told] “You’re cheap,” she said.
Scripture was used to reinforce guilt, making members feel abandoned.
In the book “The Cult of the Real Housewife,” former members opened up about the emotional stress caused by church teachings that demand impossible choices. (Natalie Cass/Bravo via Getty Images)
“They will apply all kinds of pressure related to the documents,” he said, adding that the members were made to feel guilty. “But if you combine your faith and when you think that you are doing the right thing, and they put this guilty conscience in you that you are going to hell, you will be condemned, that if you will not give.”
Dan described one of the most damaging tactics as involving the legacy of “Mama,” a beloved church founder, whose teachings emphasized personal faith and morals.
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“One of Mom’s messages was, ‘Know God for yourself,'” Dan said. But they started worshiping this man and this woman as their God.
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During the second season of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” a former church member named Cameron was introduced in what the docs described as a deliberate attempt to expose Mary, showing viewers “who she really is and what she’s all about.”
He said he took out a second mortgage of $300,000 on his home and then gave the money to Mary, highlighting the alleged financial difficulties involved.
Mary Cosby and Robert Cosby Sr. they appeared during “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” reunion. (Heidi Gutman/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
This script played an important role in revealing the tensions and conflicts about Mary’s character and her interactions within the social circles depicted in the show.
Dan’s wife, Kim Cosby, told Fox News Digital that he has also endured a difficult journey marked by faith, family problems and a painful separation in his community.
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In the book “The Cult of the Real Housewife,” she talked about the emotional stress caused by church teachings that demanded an impossible choice – even between her husband and God.
“A lot,” Kim told Fox News Digital when asked how hurtful it was to be told to choose between her husband and God. “When I say I’m going to go home and cook… I’m putting him above God.”
“It was always a competition … if I didn’t do what they said, I put my husband before God.”
She added, “It was always a competition … if I didn’t do what they said, I put my husband before God.”
“Mom” Cosby’s approach, Kim said, is one of unity and support — a stark contrast to the divisive tactics he says emerged after the church’s leadership changes.
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Meredith Marks, Mary Cosby, Bronwyn Newport, Angie Katsanevas, Lisa Barlow, Heather Gay, and Whitney Rose were featured on Season 6 of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.” (Koury Angelo/Bravo via Getty Images)
Although the past was painful, Dan and Kim see signs of healing and hope in the present.
Reflecting on the tumultuous twenties, Dan said, “20 years later … this year, 2025, and with the help of the ‘Real Housewives Team’ … my family — Kim, my daughters, my grandchildren — I’m in their lives, and we’re stronger than ever.”
Still, healing isn’t easy or simple, Dan emphasizes.
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“It does not mean that the pain is not there … The past, those situations, come back to our minds, and that hurts – that will only take God to be able to forgive,” he said.
TLC’s “The Cult of the Real Housewife” is available to stream on HBO Max and Discovery+.
