"The Cult of a Real Housewife premiered on TLC on New Year's Day. The doc asserts that Cosby, alongside her step-grandfather turned husband, financially and spiritually exploit the members of their Faith Temple Pentecostal church. One person claimed they had lived with the Cosbys for years, working for no pay as a housekeeper. The doc also goes through the church's history, including its founding by Mary's grandmother Rosemary "Mama" Cosby. Mary's sister Denise Jefferson Odinaka and Mary's cousin Dan Cosby both participated in the filming."
"In Bravo circles, the doc was a blip, perhaps because these issues had already been brought up in RHOSLC season two. Former Faith Temple attendee Cameron Williams spoke to Lisa Barlow about Cosby. "Is it a cult? Yes. Does she call herself 'God'? Yes," he said at the time. Williams died in 2021, and Cosby skipped that year's reunion, in part because she didn't want to "talk about this guy who has passed.""
Mary Cosby said she felt hurt that family members participated in a TLC documentary about her and her church, yet said she is resilient after many hardships. The documentary alleges that Cosby, with her step-grandfather-turned-husband, financially and spiritually exploited Faith Temple Pentecostal members and includes claims of unpaid labor. The film traces the church's founding by Rosemary "Mama" Cosby and includes interviews with relatives. Past season coverage and former attendee Cameron Williams raised similar cult allegations; Williams later died in 2021. Cosby suggested Utah reactions stem from unfamiliarity with Pentecostal practices and a Black church presence.
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