Mary Cosby defends decision to film ‘RHOSLC’ 3 weeks after son Robert Jr.’s overdose death

Mary Cosby said she returned to filming “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” “for [her] son,” Robert Cosby Jr., just three weeks following his death. In an interview with Vulture published Wednesday, Mary addressed her decision to continue working, noting that producers gave her the option to “take a year off.” “[Robert Jr.] would want me to keep going. He would want me to shine. He’d want me to be the best I can be in whatever I’m doing in life,” she told the outlet. Mary Cosby (pictured above in a 2023 Instagram upload) said she returned to filming “RHOSLC” “for [her] son,” Robert Cosby Jr., shortly after his death. Instagram/mary_m_cosby “He would want me to keep going. He would want me to shine,” Mary said in part about Robert Jr. (seen above). Robert Jr., whom Mary shared with her husband, Robert Cosby Sr., died at age 23 on Feb. 23, less than three weeks after being released from jail following two months behind bars. A spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed to Page Six at the time that police officers responded to a call about an overdose that “turned into a death investigation.” Looking ahead to Season 7 of “RHOSLC” — which premieres Wednesday night — Mary, 53, told Vulture she hopes viewers take away a sense of “[her] strength” amid the loss. Robert Jr. (pictured above in an Instagram upload from his mom’s account) died at age 23 on Feb. 23 as a result of an overdose. Instagram/marymcosby Mary (seen above with her son in an Instagram upload) said she hopes viewers of Season 7 of “RHOSLC” take away a sense of “[her] strength.” Instagram/mary_m_cosby “This could have killed me, and it should have killed me. It was designed to at least let me fall, and I didn’t,” she said. “I doubled down on knowing that what happens in my life is for the good and what’s going to happen is supposed to happen. “You can’t do anything when it’s someone’s time but accept it and keep going and hope that one day, you’ll see [them] again.” Mary was back with her “RHOSLC” cast mates in March, just one month after her son’s death, following a brief pause to mourn him, sources told TMZ at the time. “This could have killed me, and it should have killed me. It was designed to at least let me fall, and I didn’t,” Mary (pictured above in Season 7 of “RHOSLC”) said of her return to the show following her son’s death. Alise King/Bravo Mary (seen above with her “RHOSLC” co-star Angie Katsanevas) returned to filming Season 7 in late March. Stacie L McChesney/Bravo via Getty Images Filming for Season 7 was originally slated to begin the week of Feb. 23 but was put on hold following his death. The Hollywood Reporter later reported that filming resumed in early March, with Mary joining Lisa Barlow, Heather Gay, Angie Katsanevas, Meredith Marks, Bronwyn Newport and Whitney Rose, as well as friends Britani Bateman and Ashley Quai, later that month. Marks, for her part, said Mary navigated her return to the show following her son’s death “so beautifully.” “You’ll see [that] her strength is so inspirational,” she said. “I think it will be really incredible to watch.” Mary’s “RHOSLC” co-star Meredith Marks said Mary (pictured above in a 2023 Instagram upload) handled her return to the show “so beautifully.” Instagram/mary_m_cosby Mary paid tribute to her son, Robert Jr. (seen above in “RHOSLC”), on Instagram in the days following his death, posting a photo of herself with him as a young boy. Bravo In the days following her son’s death, Mary broke her silence on Instagram, writing, “Our beloved son, Robert Jr., has been called home to the Lord. Though our hearts ache, we take comfort in God’s promise and in knowing he is finally at peace. “We are grateful for your prayers and trust in the Lord to carry us through this time of sorrow.” Mary later shared a tribute to Robert Jr. on Instagram, posting a photo of herself with her son as a young boy set to “Time After Time” by Jessica Mauboy. She captioned the post, “#godfirst #love #forever #❤️ I’m going to miss you, bubs ❤️🙏😢.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. 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