Though initially a divisive addition to the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast, fan favorite Angie Katsanevas has fully earned her snowflake — without taking anyone down.
“I think it was a natural evolution of being able to become more authentically myself on camera,” says Katsanevas, 51, who — along with costars Lisa Barlow, Heather Gay, Meredith Marks, Mary Cosby, Bronwyn Newport and Whitney Rose — graces the cover of Us Weekly’s Reality Stars of the Year issue, on stands now. “It takes a minute to really be your true self when cameras are around.”
For Katsanevas, the key to finding her footing as a Housewife was “forming strong friendships” that felt genuine. “I didn’t do it in a negative way. I didn’t try and ruin anyone’s life. I didn’t try and expose anyone or get in their private business,” she tells Us. “I did it by being a good friend … and the viewers finally got me.”
Since her debut on the Bravo hit in 2023, reality fans have grown fond of Katsanevas for her vulnerability, Greek pride and penchant for enormous shades. She eventually stepped away from the sidelines and claimed center stage — but she didn’t “hurt anyone” to get there.
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“I think the biggest thing that I am proud of is I didn’t have to do anything mean or negative. … I feel like I brought a lot of light to the show,” Katsanevas adds.
It’s likely not all of her costars can say the same. Once close friends, Katsanevas’ bond with Barlow, 50, has splintered. When season 6 began in September, Katsanevas even went so far as to compare Barlow to fallen costar Jen Shah, who is currently serving out a prison sentence after pleading guilty to fraud charges in 2022.
Katsanevas and Barlow went toe-to-toe at the latter’s “clarity lunch” — where Katsanevas delivered the instantly quotable diss, “You do french fries, I do franchise.” Katsanevas credits the clash to their “strong personalities.”
“We both don’t want to back down,” she explains. “And I think when things get heated, we both puff our chest, and it’s like we get in each other’s face more. … We’re both strong, competitive women. We want to win the conversation. We want to win an argument. We both want to prove our point.”
Though she’ll always have “love” for Barlow, the women have their walls up during season 6. “We both got louder and probably meaner with each other,” Katsanevas admits.
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The drama came to a head when Katsanevas claimed Barlow encouraged her to dig up information on Marks, 53, who wondered whether Katsanevas was simply adding more unnecessary fuel to the fire.
“That was not my intention,” Katsanevas insists, arguing that Barlow has done the same thing with all of their friends. “I would like to see Lisa move differently in the group. Stop with going behind people’s backs and saying, ‘I know this about them’ — that is not what this show should be about.”
Katsanevas tells Us she has higher hopes for the ladies of Salt Lake City. “There’s so much more interesting things in the group than trying to dig up information or making up lies about people in the group. I mean, those things become unforgivable at some point, and it will ruin our show,” she says. “And that’s not what I want for the show.”
In Katsanevas’ eyes, Barlow — an OG cast member — needs to go on her own healing journey. “You’ve been doing this for six years, find a new way to move through the group,” Katsanevas continues. “You don’t need to try and hurt people. You don’t need to try and expose people.”
For Katsanevas to “move forward,” she wants Barlow to put her on an even playing field. “[Lisa] gets braggadocious at times, and we’ve laughed about it. She’ll admit it, but sometimes I wish she could be a little more humble and less, like, trying to prove things … I feel like that would strengthen our friendship,” Katsanevas explains.
In her own interview with Us, Barlow seemed less open to repairing the pair’s broken bond. “I have fought for you. I’ve defended you. I’ve been a great friend to you. … [Angie] opened the door for people to think I do things I don’t do,” Barlow claims.
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Barlow isn’t the only friend finding herself on unstable ground with Katsanevas, however. This season of RHOSLC also stirs up drama between Katsanevas and Cosby, 52, whose connection has warmed fans’ hearts through the years.
“We’re both working on being better friends,” Katsanevas tells Us. “And we love each other and we are like sisters, truly. So honestly, in a marriage or in a relationship over time — relationships evolve, right? And ours is just evolving to the next level, and with that comes more honesty. … We do deeply love each other.” (Cosby, meanwhile, hints Bravo fans will have to “stay tuned” to see how the situation plays out.)
Along with her ever-changing bonds with the other women, viewers have also been given a glimpse into Katsanevas’ actual marriage to husband Shawn Trujillo, her right-hand man at their shared Lunatic Fringe salons. The couple, who are parents of teen daughter Elektra, weathered a blizzard in season 4 when rumors emerged about Trujillo cheating on his wife with other men. Katsanevas applauds her husband for how he dealt with the speculation.
“It didn’t offend him, because we’ve been friends and family of the LGBTQIA+ community for over 30 years,” she tells Us. “So you know, those rumors that the girls were throwing out there, it’s like the low-hanging fruit. … For him, he was more offended that people were questioning him being faithful to his wife.”
Katsanevas says her husband’s response to the rumors “spoke volumes to his character,” as does his support of her reality TV career despite all of the drama it brings.
“Out of a bad situation, good can come and light can come from it,” Katsanevas says. “And for me, that was it — just how he handled it, how we handled it and how we moved through it as a couple. We just kept moving forward as a couple and as a family. And the truth prevails.”
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Stream old episodes anytime on Peacock.
For more from Katsanevas and more Reality Stars of the Year, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
