Heather Gay just savagely slated her ex on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City – but who is he?
She didn't hold back
Heather Gay isn’t holding back this season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. During season six episode two, she spilt some seriously raw truths about what life was like with her ex, and let’s just say, it doesn’t sound like much of a partnership.
From doing the heavy lifting as a parent to reflecting on her divorce years later, Heather’s words were nothing short of savage. And rightfully so…
Heather explains what parenting was like for her
Heather got real about raising her three daughters almost entirely on her own. She admitted during RHOSLC:
“I look at that era, it was really, really, really hard… I acted like it was perfect and normal… and I was so fine… But I was gritting my teeth the whole time.”
According to Heather, her ex never once had custody of the kids. “My husband never had custody of the children,” she said. “He never had them overnight. I had them 100 per cent of the time. And his involvement was fun dad visits once a week.”
She also opened up about the pressure she felt from her Mormon upbringing, where raising “perfect” kids was seen as her responsibility.
“The kids can’t get screwed up… that would be my fault,” she explained. It’s clear Heather was carrying the entire load, even after their separation, and she reflects on just how much she sacrificed during those years in episode two.
This season is especially emotional as Heather’s youngest daughter, Annabelle, prepares to leave home.
The milestone forced her to look back at her journey as a single parent and acknowledge both the exhaustion and strength it took to hold everything together.
She explained to Bronwyn Newport: “I’m really exhausted and I can’t wait for Annabelle to graduate.” Heather also said: “Annabelle actually said it to me. She said, ‘I feel like you’ve been in fight or flight since dad left.’ And I have been.”
So, who is Heather’s ex, Billy?
Heather’s ex is Billy Gay, AKA Frank William “Billy” Gay III. The pair were married for 11 years before divorcing around 2015. According to Us Weekly, “Heather and Billy tied the knot just three and a half months after they began dating.”
Billy comes from what Heather described as “Mormon royalty,” with deep family ties and a super wealthy background, but she has been clear that none of that translated into actual support in their marriage.
“The Gay family is worth billions, so I basically married into Mormon royalty,” she explained per Life & Style.
She’s previously said that despite being married, Billy never took the kids overnight and instead played more of a “fun dad” role. Meanwhile, Heather was left to juggle everything.
That apparently included work, parenting, and maintaining the image of perfection expected in her community.
Now, years later, Heather isn’t afraid to call things out as they were. She was also transparent during a Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen episode back in 2020 when asked what her ex thinks of her being on RHOSLC.
Heather said: “He’s been supportive in his own way. But, when it first came out, the trailer, he said ‘real classy’ thumbs down emoji…”
Five years ago, she also told Bravo more details about her ex. Heather explained how he felt about the show: “He’s a devout Mormon, and it’s a huge departure from his core values.
“He’s nervous about how it’ll affect me as a mother and our children. But you know, he’s letting me do it.
“He supports us financially and emotionally, but I raise the kids and they’re with me 100 per cent of the time. So, it’s more like he’s just laughing, silently judging from afar…” she said.
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