RHOSLC Star Bronwyn Newport Learned of Her Ex's Death on Facebook When Their Daughter Was 2

Bronwyn Newport's motherhood journey has been anything but easy.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star shared the heartbreaking story of how her daughter's father abandoned her after she got pregnant as a teenager while in college at Brigham Young University during the Bravo series' Oct. 16 episode.

"I got pregnant with Gwen when I was 19, turning 20," Bronwyn recounted in a confessional, "and her biological father was not involved and passed away shortly after when she was turning 2."

During a spa day with costar Lisa Barlow—who was shocked to learn she is actually close friends with his parents—Bronwyn shared how his family shunned her over the pregnancy.

"It wasn't a pleasant conversation with them," she told Lisa. "I took a fair amount of the blame, which is words that I won't repeat, but you know what the connotation is, right? They were not supportive, I can just say that. But it was a conversation that deeply hurt me. I think that what they would have preferred was if I said I was doing a study abroad and went and just quietly had my pregnancy and had the baby adopted."

And when Lisa asked, "Did they come right out and say that?" Bronwyn nodded her head in confirmation.

"I left there knowing I was going to have to do this by myself," Bronwyn added. "I think he decided this was something that he wasn't gonna be a part of."

While Bronwyn noted her Mormon family was also embarrassed by the pregnancy, her ex's parents made her feel "awful and damaged and disgraced and shameful."

And 18 years later, Gwen has had zero contact with her paternal grandparents, even after her father's untimely passing.

"When Gwen was 18 months or 2 at the time, I found out on Facebook," Bronwyn recounted, "I saw someone had commented on an obituary with a picture of Gwen's dad on it."

Lisa surprisingly revealed she actually comforted his parents at the time of his death and recently reached out to his mom to try to encourage a relationship with Gwen and Bronwyn.

"I said, 'What are the chances?' and she's like, 'It's time,'" Lisa shared. "I think there's regret and hurt there. They were like, 'We want to be a part of Gwen's life and she wants to be a part of our life, we really want it.'"

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. And keep reading to learn more about season five and to see the new cast photos.

Mary Cosby is back full time with her fiery remarks and 2003 Dom Perignon. Mary re-immerses herself in the group, making amends with Whitney and Heather after her name calling, and a deep and unexpected friendship develops with Angie. Although she has a new ally and confidant, Mary and Meredith’s longstanding friendship is on thin ice as they struggle to see eye-to-eye. 

Heather Gay is a ride-or-die girl with a new, unexpected allegiance to Lisa. She and Whitney continue to make strides and strengthen their foundation. Tensions with Mary reach an all-time high when they both throw quips about body positivity. Heather introduces her friend Britani to the group, but when Britani repeatedly puts her foot in her mouth, Heather can’t continue to defend her. 

Bronwyn Newport is passionate about couture, art and a first-class lifestyle. Raised Mormon, Bronwyn was excommunicated from the church when she got pregnant while attending BYU. While raising her daughter, Gwen, as a single mother, she worked in finance before marrying Todd, who’s 26 years her senior. Although she and Lisa have been friends over the years, she quickly learns that her old friend may not support her in the way she wants.

Meredith Marks is excited to celebrate and reaffirm her Jewish faith by having a bat mitzvah, ultimately bringing her and Seth closer together. The bathwater continues to muddy with Whitney because of their overlapping business plans to create bath products. When Meredith repeats something she heard about Whitney’s business, the game of telephone lands her in hot water.  

Whitney Rose finds herself at odds with many of the women. When harmful rumors about her jewelry line circle the group, she confronts the women to find the source. As tensions rise, the husbands get roped into the women’s fights, causing things to get heated between Justin and John. Whitney introduces the women to her friend Meili, who quickly gets thrown into the fire when Lisa shares a rumor about her shopping habits. 

Lisa Barlow enters the season with strong bonds, but her friendships quickly flip on their head. Meredith and Lisa promise to have each other's backs, but her relationship with Whitney is permanently threatened after Whitney makes a series of hurtful remarks about Lisa’s status as the group’s villain. Lisa retaliates with claims about the authenticity of Whitney’s business practices. With Jack away on his mission, Lisa is especially hurt when Angie questions how good of a mother she has been. 

Back with props and larger-than-life sunglasses, Angie Katsanevas and husband Shawn put last year’s rumors and nastiness behind them as they celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. She and Mary are thick as thieves, but her friendship with Lisa is unstable as the two go head-to-head over how good a friend they’ve been to one another. 

Britani Bateman jois season five as a friend of the cast.

Meili Workman jois season five as a friend of the cast.

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)

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