Jen Shah’s Future on RHOSLC: Early Prison Release Revealed

Disgraced Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah is set to get out of prison next month after having her sentence drastically slashed.

With the 52-year-old now just weeks away from freedom, reality TV fans are wondering if she’ll be able to return to the hit show she helped launch.

While the fraudster would certainly bring plenty of drama and big ratings to the Utah series, bigwigs at Bravo aren’t keen to bring her back any time soon.

Frances Berwick, chairman of Bravo and Peacock Unscripted, recently indicated to Variety that Shah being welcomed back to Bravo is slim.

Berwick expressed that Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger, who recently served six months in prison after getting her fourth DUI, is back on RHOP because of audience support and accountability.

‘The audience is with Karen, because they’re rooting for her, because they think and believe that this will profoundly change her,’ Berwick explained. 

‘I took the standing ovation [at Bravocon] as a sign of support for somebody who’s now taken accountability. That’s borne out by what she says to Andy. And then I think that there are things that are less forgivable.’

When asked by Variety if Jen Shah’s crimes were ‘less forgivable’ than Huger’s, Berwick said yes.

‘For me personally, yeah. But you know, again, I have no idea on the level of accountability. But yes,’ she said.

Berwick isn’t the only one to throw doubt on Shah’s Bravo comeback, with Andy Cohen himself recently blasting the Salt Lake City scammer. 

While speaking to fans during a Watch What Happens Live taping, Cohen bluntly said, ‘Jen Shah, I never want to see again.’

Shah was one of the original cast members of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

Homeland Security were famously caught on camera pursuing Shah during season two.

Shah starred on the series for three seasons until going to prison for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.

She was originally sentenced to 78 months, but her sentence was repeatedly slashed for good behaviour until it eventually got down to just 33 months. 

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star has now been granted an early departure date of December 10 by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to People.

Shah was originally sentenced to six and a half years for her crimes back in 2023.

Shah’s manager, Chris Giovanni, says the Bravo star has achieved ‘real growth’ while incarcerated and is aware of the gravity of her ‘mistakes’.

However, despite reports of her December release date, a representative for the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Office of Public Affairs has told Daily Mail that Shah is still projected to be released in 2026.

‘For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss any incarcerated individual’s conditions of confinement or specific release plans. However, we can confirm Jennifer Shah has a projected release date of August 30, 2026, as seen on our “Find an inmate” page,’ they said. 

In a statement obtained by People, Giovanni said Shah’s family are appreciative of the reported early release date as Shah will be able to spend the holidays with them.

‘Everyone’s very grateful for the BOP’s decision, especially because it means Jen will be able to reunite with her family for the holidays,’ her Giovanni told People. ‘It’s a gift she doesn’t take for granted.’

‘Jen’s in a really positive, hopeful place mentally,’ he continued. 

‘She’s done a lot of reflecting and real growth during her time away, and is genuinely not the same woman as she was before. Her focus is on her family and building a healthier, more grounded life,’ he continued. 

‘She understands the seriousness of the mistakes she made and is excited to put this chapter behind her so that she can show everyone the woman she’s worked hard to become.’

A representative for the Federal Bureau of Prisons told the publication: ‘For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss any incarcerated individual’s conditions of confinement or specific release plans.’ 

Daily Mail reached out to Giovanni and the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas for comment but did not immediately hear back.

It’s not yet known where Shah will be headed to after prison, however BOP policy states she will either return to her home or be transferred to a halfway house to finish off the remainder of her sentence with supervision, according to People.

Where she will be headed to will be determined before she is released.

Since 2023, she has been incarcerated at Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas.

The low security prison is home to a number of celebrity jailbirds, including Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell and disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.

Shah began her 78-month sentence in February 2023 after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges tied to the multimillion-dollar scheme, which duped thousands of victims, many of them seniors.

Since leaving The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, the outrageous reality show has become one of Bravo’s most beloved and critically acclaimed programs.

The cast were crowned Reality Stars of the Year by Us Weekly this year, while the series has earned nominations from the Critics Choice Real TV Awards and the Television Critics Association.

The series, currently in its sixth season, still stars original cast members Whitney Rose, Meredith Marks, Heather Gay, Lisa Barlow, Mary Cosby.

Other cast members include Angie Katsanevas, Britani Bateman, and Braunwyn Newport.