Lisa Barlow is clearing the air about her absence from the season six premiere of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.” In the episode, the cast went camping without her—sparking speculation about whether she skipped out to dodge drama with Bronwyn Newport or to avoid conversations about her ongoing legal battles.
Why Lisa Barlow Skipped the RHOSLC Season 6 Camping Trip
“I was working, I’ve always been someone that works since season 1,” Lisa, 50, told Decider on September 16. She explained that she was in Austin, Texas, attending two major film premieres at South by Southwest: Ben Affleck’s “The Accountant 2” and Blake Lively’s “Another Simple Favor.”
“For me, this felt important for me to get back to feeling like me,” Lisa shared. “These are the things that make me, me. I’m a true [Sagittarius]. I like to be busy. I define myself by my accomplishments. So, it felt good to be doing something like two premieres in Austin instead of being in an RV. I didn’t miss out.”
Lisa admitted she was “surprised” to see her name become a topic of conversation during the trip. “I was kind of surprised that I wasn’t in anything and that I was the topic of conversation. I was like, ‘This is ridiculous,’” she said.
RHOSLC Season 6 Tequila Feuds and Lawsuits
While Lisa’s absence stirred chatter on-screen, her feud with Angie Katsanevas is heating up online. Angie, 51, recently flaunted her new partnership with tequila brand Codigo, which directly competes with Lisa’s Vida Tequila.
“I take Codigo everywhere,” Angie said on Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea,” later reposted by Bravo Snark Side. “I am known to be a shade assassin. It’s part of my brand. Just like Codigo. And it’s not about who did it first. It’s about who does it better.”
Lisa quickly fired back on Instagram, via Bravo Snark Side, labeling Angie “obsessed with me.” She added, “I make the best tequila so you don’t have to be thirsty.”
The drama doesn’t stop there. During the premiere, Angie suggested Lisa skipped the trip to avoid talking about her legal issues, even comparing her to former castmate Jen Shah. Meredith Marks, however, was quick to defend Lisa.
“I didn’t know very much about these legal cases prior to that moment,” Meredith told Parade. “Lisa had told me about it. I hadn’t read anything, so I couldn’t really speak very intelligently about the case itself because I didn’t know what they said. But what I do know is a civil case is very different from criminal charges.”
Lisa’s business disputes, including the Carlson lawsuit in which former friend Bart Carlson claimed she owed him six figures, are expected to remain a topic of conversation throughout season six. Still, some lawsuits have already been dismissed, and Lisa insists she’s focusing on moving forward.
“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” season six airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
