Bravo is no stranger to the breakdown of friendships and relationships. The cameras can put a heavy strain on anyone's connection and the friendship between Lisa Barlow and Bronwyn Newport is no exception.
Throughout the course of the fifth season of the reality TV show, these snowflake holders have been caught up in some major cast drama and the jabs they threw at each other came to a head at the season 5 reunion special.
Bronwyn Newport's necklace drama was bubbling under the surface all season
Earlier in season 5, newcomer Bronwyn Newport's husband, Todd, bought her a stunning anniversary gift: a necklace with a $4 million price tag.
Displays of wealth and luxury like this are commplace in the Real Housewives franchise -- in the current season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, friend of the housewives Jennifer Tilly made headlines when she showed off her $33,000 Louis Vuitton boat purse. So why did Bronwyn's extravagant necklace draw in so much attention?
Even before the reunion aired, fans were questioning whether or not Todd had actually purchased the necklace for Bronwyn or if it had just been rented for the show in order to show off their perceived wealth and help the image that Bronwyn had been crafting with her high fashion outfits, like her $15,000 heart-shaped Saint Laurent jacket.
The necklace, whether it was purchased or rented for the show, was obviously more than just a simple anniversary gift from Todd to Bronwyn. With a price point of $4 million, the necklace was equal parts fashion statement by the stylish snowflake holder and also a show of her status as unattainably wealthy and someone who truly belongs on a franchise that so regularly showcases wealth and extravagance.
During the first episode of the season 5 reunion special, that drama and speculation was brought offline and directly into the show when Lisa Barlow claimed that she had spoken directly to Emma, the jeweler that Todd and Bronwyn allegedly purchased the necklace from, and that she confirmed that the necklace had actually not sold.
Does it really matter if Lisa Barlow contacted the jeweler?
On its face, the fact that Lisa Barlow reached out to the jeweler to get proof that the necklace featured in the show actually hadn't been purchased by her co-star is a sign of the lack of trust that has been featured throughout the whole season.
Considering this is the first post-Monica Garcia season of the show, the lack of trust is no surprise to fans and the way that the entire Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast can be so skeptical of each other and suspicious of each other's motives.
But the lack of trust extends far beyond the cast members. As a new snowflake holder that just joined the show in season 5, Bronwyn Newport has made a name for herself as someone who is fun, somewhat relatable despite the glitz and glam of her wardrobe, and a breath of fresh air and authenticity.
If the necklace was simply rented for the show in order to sell an image to fans the way Lisa Barlow claimed on the reunion special, then Bronwyn loses that sense of authenticity to fans and becomes nothing more than a highly produced piece of reality TV fodder that is there for entertainment and not for the connection and sense of a real person that people come to unscripted shows to see.
Though viewers are aware by now that a lot of reality TV is, at least on some level, pieced together by clever editing and producer input, viewers are smart and know when they're being blatantly fed a storyline. They reject having the cast crafting and trying to control a narrative that puts forth a certain image of them, as shown in the "leaky pigeon" saga of The Real Housewives of New York City.
But it's this same issue with control that has some viewers siding with Bronwyn Newport on this issue and saying that Lisa Barlow went too far by reaching out to the jeweler.
While Lisa Barlow has been on RHOSLC since the first season, many fans have been drawn to Bronwyn during her freshman season on the show because of her humor, her style, and her ability to stand up for herself and not back away from the petty drama of the show.
According to some fans, Lisa Barlow reaching out to the jeweler to ask whether or not Bronwyn had actually purchased the necklace she showed off on the series was a step too far and instead of being a curious co-star, it was reality TV villain behavior and she set Bronwyn up by asking why she didn't wear the necklace to the reunion in order to tear the new fan favorite down a notch and used a private conversation between a retailer and a customer to further herself on the show.
Ultimately, whether or not Bronwyn owns the necklace she and Todd showed off on the show and the fact that Lisa reached out to the jeweler doesn't really matter... Except when it does.
Who's in the right, who went too far trying to control her image on the show, and who should be called out is entirely in the eyes of the viewer. As always happens with drama on Bravo shows, people have chosen their sides and to them, there is no other way to think. Their snowflake holder of choice was correct and to think otherwise is unfathomable.
The first part of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City season 5 reunion special is now streaming on Peacock.