‘RHOSLC’ Star Angie K Gives Update On Friendship With Bronwyn Newport After Accusing Her Of “Sucking” Her Way To The Top

When it comes to The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, fans can always expect a bombshell finale episode. In Season 4, Monica Garcia was outed for being Reality VonTease, and in Season 5, the ladies each read the nastiest text messages they had ever written about each other aloud. Angie Katsanevas—Season 6’s center snowflake and two-time cast trip host—wrote one of the most jaw-dropping messages about her co-star Bronwyn Newport, claiming she “sucked her way to the top” and admired her “business plan” of “marrying a guy who has one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel.” Yikes!

While Katsanevas’ words were certainly harsh, she told Decider that Newport was a “good sport” about the string of insults, and that their friendship is in a perfectly stable place throughout Season 6, which premiered on Bravo last week. Noting that the cast of RHOSLC is “pretty great about moving on,” Katsanevas said, “It’s crazy because one minute you can tell someone that they’re sucking their way to the top and bring up banana peels and hot dogs, and the next day you can be texting them and saying, ‘Happy birthday. Hope you’re doing well. How’s New York Fashion Week?'”

However, Katsanevas’ friendship with Lisa Barlow has had a more difficult time bouncing back. According to the salon owner, she hasn’t “really spoken to” the Vida Tequila founder, who has been shading her for her Codigo Tequila collab. “It’s not about who does it first. It’s about who does it better,” Katsanevas clapped back, before adding, “We have other things to discuss at the reunion, and I’m not really going to get into Twitter wars this year.”

When Katsanevas stopped by Decider’s studio last week, she also explained why she compared Barlow to Jen Shah, revealed how she’s been supporting Mary Cosby, and teased their upcoming cast trip to Greece. Check out the full interview below.

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DECIDER: We have really been watching you just make this show your own. You’re the center snowflake, you’re the center of the cast picture, and you’re hosting not only the first cast trip of the season but a trip to Greece as well. What does all of that mean to you?

ANGIE KATSANEVAS: It means a lot to me. It means I’m doing my job. It means I’ve been able to come on this show and start as an underdog. When you don’t start with the original cast, I think it’s almost harder to make your way in. I did it my way. I was listening to the Frank Sinatra song, “My Way,” and I thought, “That’s really how I came on the show.” It was unconventional because I didn’t start with the ladies, but I did it my way. I did it by being a loyal friend, by sharing my life, by sharing my family, being authentic and being vulnerable and really giving all of myself and just leaning into the entire process.

Also, I’ve grown every season and watched myself. I’m proud of how I came on because I did it, I think, with wit and humor and friendships. Again, I just did it my way. I feel really proud of some of the things that I’ve endured. I think all the ladies must feel the same way about themselves. It’s not an easy gig, but to come in and form real friendships and be able to let the audience read you as your real self, I think I’ve been able to do that. I’m starting to have a lot of fun. My friendships have blossomed and like I said, I feel like I’m learning a lot along the way. And that’s the most important thing to me. 

Photo: Brian Zak / New York Post

Before I get into this season, I need to ask about some iconic moments we saw last season. What was your reaction to how much traction your high body-count hair speech got after it aired?

I was shocked. I mean, I left the Bat Mizvah devastated that I got kicked out. That’s all that I could think about – that I went in there with an open mind and an open heart, and I got kicked out of a religious event, which was really embarrassing and devastating to me. The high body count hair thing was not even on my radar. To see that that went viral the way it did, I was shocked. But it was kind of like something negative turned into something positive for me. Being a hairdresser and being able to talk about someone’s hair in a fun, funny, witty way, it was how I want to do the show – just fun, funny and make people laugh. I love that people loved it. I was shocked. Britani pushed my buttons and I guess it ended up being a fun and funny moment for both of us. 

Another big moment was when Bronwyn was reading the text you sent about her in the finale. How is your friendship with her currently? And how will we see things between you two play out this season?

It’s crazy because one minute you can tell someone that they’re sucking their way to the top and bring up banana peels and hot dogs, and the next day you can be texting them and saying, “Happy birthday. Hope you’re doing well. How’s New York Fashion Week?” So I think our cast is pretty great about moving on. Bronwyn actually has a great sense of humor, and I think she’s definitely someone that can laugh something off and just kind of shake it off and move on. 

That’s what makes RHOSLC so good. You guys can say horrible things then move on from them.

I don’t like to attack people’s family or businesses or try and dig up dirt on people or expose people. That’s just not how I move. I don’t want to be on the show doing things like that. So for me, the little banana peel and hot dog and hair insults, that’s just a little more of my brand. I think you can always move on from something like that. Not that it was the nicest, easiest insult to take. Bronwyn was a great sport. 

Getting into the premiere, I was impressed with your RV driving skills! Do you have any other hidden talents that fans would be surprised to learn about?

I think [it was] just bravery. I’ve watched Sean do it. I’ve driven my husband’s truck, so I thought, “I can do this.” It’s a very heavy piece of equipment, so you just have to stop a lot earlier than you had planned on stopping at a red light. I’m used to a Porsche with really fast reacting brakes. This is a very heavy piece of equipment, so that was a little scary.

Photo: Getty Images

I think it’s fair to say that everyone was a little shell-shocked when you guys pulled up to the campground. Was that what you had in mind for the trip? Or were you thinking it would be a little more lavish?

I had never been there before. I heard it was beautiful. It looked beautiful in photos. I think the time of year made it look a little more dreary, and not as lush and green and beautiful as it showed when I did my research. So yes, it wasn’t as luxurious and lush as I expected, but I think that’s what made it fun. You had Fendi, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, just stepping into the mud. We had to be humbled. 

Lisa Barlow wasn’t there but she was a main topic of conversation. Did you think it was fair for everyone to talk about her behind her back?

Everything I said at the table, I would say to her face. I always stand by that. I’m very direct, very honest. I would have never brought that information up, but because it did get brought up, I think having been friends with Lisa for so many years and knowing that these go five and six years back, I was a little surprised not to have heard of any of the lawsuits. I think it’s important to be vulnerable when you’re going through hard times or challenges. It’s not fun to be friends with someone and find information like this out in the press. I will say I wish she had told me her way versus finding out in the press, because then it does become a topic. I think for everyone at that table, she has spoken about some of their businesses, some of their marriages, so it does make it a free for all. But again, it’s not myself that brought it up. But I listen, I engage, and I wish I would have heard it from her first. I could have defended it or said, “Maybe these are not true or according to Lisa, this is not true.”

How are you and Lisa doing now? I know she recently shaded you for your tequila collab.

I know. She knew that I had that brand deal, so I was a little confused why she was so emotional about it that day. It’s not about who does it first. It’s about who does it better. I think we all take opportunities and if we find the right partner. So I was a little taken aback by that as I didn’t have that reaction. When she worked with Kérastase, I was very positive and supportive. I think it’s important for us to support each other. But it is what it is. I didn’t get on the playground that day. I’m not interested in that. We have other things to discuss at the reunion, and I’m not really going to get into Twitter wars this year. It kind of really derails us.

I haven’t really spoken to Lisa, but I do wish her well. As a business owner also, none of us ever like to see each other not doing well. No one wants to see anyone getting sued or going through ups and downs. That affects you in your home life and your family. I do wish her well, and I hope that she gets a positive outcome that she’s looking for. 

At one point around the picnic table, you compared Lisa to Jen Shah, which you almost immediately backtracked. Can you walk me through that a bit?

I think like in real time, I said it wasn’t the greatest analogy and it probably wasn’t the best choice of words. Just like “gout dick sucker” is not the best choice of words or “circle jerk” is not the best choice of words. But something in that moment to me felt like if there were multiple people making the same claims, that it’s not a great look. I think if you take money from someone, they shouldn’t have to sue you to get the money back. It just felt a little familiar. It’s not the exact same. I hope that people in these situations are just honest and make things right with whatever the business deal was. I hope that she gets resolve and finds a positive outcome. But again, it wasn’t the greatest comment. But I did say it. It just didn’t feel good to know that people were feeling taken advantage of. And I think we’ve been there in the friend group before. 

To add to that, I went home and I just thought, “Why did I say that? I said it and I need to take responsibility.” You kind of wonder what triggered me to say that or what made me say that. We all like to do things on the up and up and I think for me, I felt like people were feeling taken advantage of. It probably, in the moment, felt like something I’d seen in the past that’s already kind of familiar. Different levels.

Photo: Getty Images

I love your friendship with Mary. How have you been supporting her through everything she’s going through at home?

She’s got a lot going on right now. She did share this information with me before it was made public. I didn’t really think it was going to be made into such a thing online, so I really felt for her. I think in these times you need privacy for your family and you need support from close friends and family. It’s really hard to go through something like this when you’re not given your privacy. I’m just giving her space right now while she’s dealing with things at home. So just checking in with her, sending her messages. When she’s ready to talk, I’m here.

We saw in the trailer that you and Mary might hit a bump in the road this season. What can you say about what we’re going to see?

I think we’ve just become more honest with each other. I think I’m also very accommodating. Sometimes I don’t always say what I’m thinking because I’m worried about people’s feelings. But as you get older and as your friendships grow, honesty becomes more important. I think that I probably just did say what I was thinking more this year, and Mary would tell me when I was getting on our nerves. Honesty is always the best policy with friends, but it can cause some hurt feelings over time. So there’s some ups and downs, but I think we get through it. What’s really cool is I think we can both say that we talked through it. We said what we thought, we said what we felt. Right now we’re in a great place again. And that’s just part of it. 

When I talked to Mary, she said the friendship wasn’t going anywhere.

It is like a sisterhood when you can say what you think. A year ago, some of the things that I have said this year, I wouldn’t have said. That’s me growing, right? Being able to say what I’m thinking and not holding back. That’s who Mary is, and I think she respects me for it. 

I am so excited to see the Greece trip. What can you tease about that?

I think you’re going to see quintessential Greece. All the beautiful things that the fans want to see, the beautiful food, the beautiful scenery, the culture, the people. Those few days, I think we really did some of the most amazing things in Greece that viewers who have been or have not been are going to say, I love Greece, I want to go there or I’ve done that or I’ve seen this. It’s going to be a gorgeous trip to watch. We had a lot of fun. I mean, if you had hard times with friends in a group, I feel like during those few days those went away. I know they did for me. I was so happy to have the ladies in Greece. It was fun to be able to speak Greek and hear great music and just be surrounded by Greek people with the women. I just think everyone let their guard down and had a great time together. Don’t worry, there was still some drama. But there were a lot of special moments there. 

Photo: Getty Images

I’m not sure if you saw, but John Oliver was recently praising The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and gunning for Andy Cohen to bring Jen Shah back after she’s done with prison. What do you think of that?

He loves the show. He is not someone I would imagine that would watch the show, but it’s so cool that he does. To me, I just show up to work and deal with whatever comes my way, and that’s who I am. Being a business owner, I know that I just have to show up and do my job. I’m in a very progressive industry and I’m very forward thinking. And sometimes I think when you go backwards, it’s not always the greatest place to go. We’ve moved forward and I think the show’s doing amazing. So, I question going backwards. There’s a reason that we’ve moved forward and the show’s at an all time high. I don’t know if hitting the rewind button is a good thing. But, like I said, I just show up and report for duty. 

I am so excited to see you on WWHL with Demi Lovato. Are you a fan of hers?

Okay, I can’t believe I get to meet her. My husband and daughter are here and my daughter’s also excited to meet her … I’ve always had the best pairings on Watch What Happens Live. I just thought, “How can I ever top who I’ve had?” And when they announced Demi Lovato, I just thought, “Wow, I am so blessed.” She’s a doll. And I think it’s going to be a great episode. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.