‘RHOSLC’ Star Britani Bateman Opens Up About Her Relationships With Her Co-Stars: “I’m Like A Thorn In Their Shoe That They’ve Learned To Tolerate”

For two seasons now, Britani Bateman has brought a unique, campy energy to The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

Having joined the show in Season 5 as a “friend of” Heather Gay, Bateman was open about her strained relationship with her daughters and her on-again-off-again relationship with Donny Osmond’s nephew, Jared Osmond. Bateman struggled to find her footing within the group, insulting Bronwyn Newport by calling her exclusive designer outfit a “costume,” seemingly implying that Mary Cosby grew up poor, and secretly recording an argument in a sprinter van (though she maintains that she wasn’t intentionally recording the other women).

This season, while Bateman still doesn’t think the majority of her castmates “understand” her, she does feel like they are doing a better job at tolerating her. “I’m just kind of like a thorn in their shoe that they’ve sort of learned to tolerate,” she told Decider in a recent interview, noting that, out of everyone she has upset, she would “love to start over” with Cosby. “I really like her. She just doesn’t like me,” Bateman added.

The singer, known for her ill-timed announcements and for being the recipient of Angie Katsanevas‘ “high body-count hair” insult, stopped by Decider’s studio last week to talk about The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 6, her upcoming one-woman cabaret, and what it was like to star alongside Tori Spelling in The Mistle-Tones. Check out the full interview below.

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DECIDER: I’m such a fan of you and your antics. I feel like it’s only right that I start with this question: are you and Jared currently together or not? Where do the two of you stand?

BRITANI BATEMAN: Oh, my heavens! I mean, define together. What’s the definition? 

Are you dating, talking, seeing each other? 

We talk. Yeah, we talk every day. I don’t know. I mean, we hang out, we talk, we’re friends. We might even be best friends, but together? No. 

Photo: Getty Images

Not romantically. 

Not romantically. And future? I don’t think so. But it’s amicable. Very, very amicable. I care about him. He cares about me. We’ve ended on a really good note. And we still talk every day. And then occasionally see each other. And maybe occasionally kiss. But we’re not together. 

I’ll ask again next week and we’ll see if the answer changes.

Ask me tomorrow and this might be a different answer. 

This is now your second season on the show. What was this experience like compared to Season 5? Do you feel like the women are starting to understand you a bit more this time around? 

I think they’re starting to tolerate me a little bit more. I don’t think anyone understands me. I mean, Heather does. Heather and Whitney are my girls. They ride so hard for me, even to their own detriment. I’m just so appreciative of them. But I feel like everyone else, I’m just kind of like a thorn in their shoe that they’ve sort of learned to tolerate. I don’t feel like that in any of my other friends’ circles. It’s just this particular group of ladies. I started off on the wrong foot and I just can’t seem to get it on the right foot. We’ll see. 

There’s definitely been some tension between you and Meredith, you and Angie, you and Mary, you and Bronwyn, and even you and Whitney over the last couple of seasons. Is there anyone you are really hoping to make amends with, or anyone you were happy to make amends with? 

Yes. Yes. Mary, I really like Mary. I liked her from the second I sat down, but I said something. I was trying to relate to her and just say, “Oh yeah, I grew up rich then poor, then rich, then poor, with lots of siblings as well.” I was just trying to relate. It makes me so sad. If I could just go back and put those words back in my mouth, I would love to start over with Mary because I really like her. She just doesn’t like me. 

Photo: Getty Images

Before we get into this season, I have to ask about that high body count hair scene. Having seen how viral that moment went, how do you look back on it now?

I was so offended. I mean, could you tell? I was so hurt. No one had ever called me [that]. Basically, it’s calling me a slut, or that I look like a slut. And I was just like, “Excuse me?” I’m so conservative in the way I act, what I say, what I do. I’m just very, very careful, so that was such a slap in my face. Very quickly afterwards, I bounced back and I started leaning into it and now I’m just like, “Oh, can I, can I tease this up a little bit? Let’s make some high body count hair.” You know what I mean? I just ruined my own glam. I’m sorry. 

That’s what you have to do in those kinds of moments, especially in shows like this. If someone says something bad, you almost have to make it your own.

One-hundred percent. You have to grow a thicker skin. Otherwise, you’ll just get eaten alive. I did get eaten alive last year. After we stopped filming last year, I just sort of processed it and grew as a person. So this year I’m a lot stronger as a person. 

You are well-known for your announcements, which typically come during interesting times, so I’m very curious about the thought process behind them. How do you decide when and how you’re going to share news with the other ladies? 

Oh, that is such a good question. I think that’s the point of hitting a glass is to sort of stop the conversation. It’s the low-key, “What about me?” I just barely put that together. Like, “Okay, it’s my turn. It’s my turn.” Instead of being like, “Guys, seriously, what about me?” That’s probably what that’s about. I think I learned it at my wedding. I was like, “Why are people chinking their glasses? Oh, that means you’re supposed to kiss.” Oh, okay. Or an announcement. I don’t know. So that’s where it started. I’ve been doing it forever. And now it’s a thing.

I want to get into the most recent episode we saw because it was pretty wild. You and Angie got into it over her house listing. Do you understand why she went with her family friend instead of you as her agent? And as a real estate agent, what do you think Angie’s house should’ve been listed at?

That’s a good one. I would have to walk through it, and I never got a chance to. I was hoping that she would be like, “Okay, Britani, I mean, you’re the expert. You’ve built and sold homes more expensive than mine, what would you say? What should I list it at?” But absolutely nothing. She could have benefited so much if she would just allow me to help. At first I was like, “Well, yeah, why didn’t you list it with me?” And then I was like, “Okay, a family member, that makes sense.” But that family member, I don’t think did her a service, did her any kindness, because it didn’t sell. To be on the market for 200 days, that’s a long time. So I wish that that wasn’t a thing, but unfortunately, it was a thing. 

Maybe she should call you now!

I know what I’m doing. I’m really, really, really good at selling. I know how to move a luxury product like her house. And she just acted like I was a nincompoop. So it’s her loss, right? 

Not to round back to Jared, but there was some interesting information revealed in the episode. He seemed to insinuate that he’s your meal ticket and that you only use him for meals and vacations. Why do you think he would say that? What’s your response? 

I guess paying for my meal at the end of dinner and taking me on trips and buying bags and buying some clothes, I guess some people consider that a meal ticket, but that’s all it is. It does women such a disservice when … don’t get me started. I have so many thoughts. First of all, I felt like it’s the ultimate betrayal to be telling Whitney of all people or Justin, which is essentially just Whitney, that basically her accusation of me is true. He basically confirmed Whitney’s original accusation of me, and I really didn’t appreciate that. 

You’ve been incredibly open about the strain between you and your daughters. Olivia is here today with you. How is your relationship with them currently? 

I can’t give away too much because hopefully everyone will see it unfold in real time. Oh, gosh, I can’t even tell you how grateful I am that my precious baby is sitting right here. I mean, what more can anyone want? Nothing. I want for nothing. We’re good. You’ll see. You’ll see the complications and you’ll see the ups and downs. But my mom heart is so much better than it was. There’s nothing more important. 

Photo: Getty Images

When the season started, you were very close with Lisa. She told us that the two of you go through a bit of a journey this season. What can you say about that? How is your friendship with Lisa currently?

Oof. At the beginning of the season, I really felt like we were sisters. I mean, I felt really close to Lisa. As you saw in the first episode, I rode so hard for her. Like, more than anybody. I don’t even feel like I got the credit because when she and Heather went to lunch, Heather was like, “Well, I stood up for you.” And I was like, “Where am I? What am I? Chopped liver?” I was disappointed in that, that no one recognized how hard I rode for Lisa. It’s a journey. It’s really kind of sad, that it’s a journey because we were so close. But that’s the nature of Housewives, isn’t it? 

I heard you are launching a one-woman show called What About Me? What can fans expect to see?

Yes! I’m doing a one-woman cabaret and it is on Dec. 5. It will be with some special surprise guests. It’s called What About Me? And tickets are on sale. It’s at 54 Below. I am so excited to get back to my roots; singing, dancing, musical theater, a little bit of pop, some comedy. You know me, I love my comedy. I love to be silly. So I’m so excited. 

I was stunned when I realized that you were in one of my favorite Christmas movies, The Mistle-Tones. What do you remember about working with Tori Spelling and Tia Mowry?

It was so much fun. The fun thing about it was you rarely get to do musicals on-camera. It’s usually on stage. And I had never done a musical on-camera. Now, that wasn’t my voice. I felt like they wanted my character, Stacey, to sing badly. Then they dubbed it. They overdubbed it in LA I’m like, “I could have sung so much worse than that.” That would have been great for me to sing badly. But the dancing was so challenging. We actors were cast, and then they had to trade us out for actual dancers. Some jazz dancers came in from Utah, some dancers came in from LA, and I got to stay because I can actually dance. I have a dance degree. Thank heavens because it was a blast. And Tori Spelling and I were like this (crosses fingers).

Are you two still close?

Yeah. I was on her podcast. We’re supposed to get together, but she and I are super busy. She’s a great person. I really liked getting close to her … It was so fun being a Snow Belle and just being such a snot. My character was such a snot. It was just such a joy. It was such a joy to be a brat. I loved it. 

Photo: Everett Collection

There are quite a few singers on Bravo. If you could collab with anyone, who would it be?

Erika! I would love to collab with Erica. Didn’t she do a stint on Broadway doing Roxie? I would love that. I watched her, and I think she’s really talented. That would be super fun. Plus, she’s just gorgeous and it’d be fun. Let’s put it out into the universe. The Bravo-verse. Maybe I’ll see you at BravoCon, and we can chat about it over a drink or something. 

We were just talking about how you’re close with Jessi Ngatikaura from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. What do you love most about your friendship with her? And what do you think about everything she’s been going through in her show?

Oh, you mean with Jordan? I just saw Jordan at the gym a few days ago. He goes to the gym I go to and was driving her brand new G-Wagon. Have you seen that? It’s almost like a Tiffany blue G-Wagon. We chatted outside. I think it’s rough. First of all, it’s rough to have a relationship. Relationships have ups and downs. But to have your ups and downs be splattered all over national TV and international, I can only imagine. Those are deeper than Jared’s and mine, so I imagine she’s going through a lot. I’ve seen her and she seems great. She’s just such a savvy businesswoman that I think she leans heavily into that. Good job. Hats off to her. But I love her. She has the kindest heart. Kids are adorable. Jordan’s great. I love them both. 

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.