Real Housewives Alum Mary Cosby Accused Of Running Cult-like Church With Her Step-grandfather-turned-husband

A shocking new docuseries called The Cult of the Real Housewife has delved into the allegations that Real Housewives of Salt Lake City alum Mary Cosby is running a ‘cult-like’ church.

The three-part TLC series shed light on Faith Temple Pentecostal Church, which Mary runs with her husband, Robert Cosby Sr., who was formerly her step-grandfather.

The Bravo star has been accused of spiritual and financial misconduct. Mary did not participate in the mini-series and has denied the allegations.

The series, which premiered on January 1, included tell-all interviews with Mary’s sister and cousin, who claimed Faith Temple Church is a ‘cult’ and that Mary encourages congregants to treat her as God.

Mary’s grandmother, Rosemary ‘Mama’ Cosby, founded the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church. After she passed away in 1997, leadership of the church was passed to her husband, Robert Sr.

Robert Sr., who was Mary’s step-grandfather at the time, went on to marry Mary only a year later.

At the time, he was 45, and she was 25-years-old. The couple share a 21-year-old son, Robert Cosby Jr.

The Cult of the Real Housewife also features testimonies from former congregants and a cult expert offering insight into how leaders form ‘mind-control cults.’

Mary’s cousin Dan Cosby told Fox News Digital that trust in church leadership has been ‘fundamentally altered’ after his experience in the Faith Temple.

‘How (Robert Sr.) would do it, how he would use his form of authoritarian-style of leadership and how he would talk to other brothers in the church … pitting them against me or against other members,’ Dan alleged in the documentary, per Fox News.

‘I wasn’t the only one. There are others that left because they saw the writing on the wall.’

He also claimed that they also used scripture to make members feel guilty.

In one episode of the docuseries, Mary alleged that her grandmother explicitly stated in her will that she should marry her step-grandfather, Robert Sr., to ensure she inherited the family’s ’empire,’ including the church, their homes and money.

The reality star admitted that their partnership was odd, stating: ‘That was odd to both of us. Marry me? He obeyed what Mama wanted. He wasn’t trying to do anything extra.’

Mary previously admitted that she was unsure about marrying her grandmother’s former husband, telling co-star Heather Gay in Real Housewives that she was hesitant.

‘It took us two years to actually marry. I had to be certain. I started to pray for myself, I started to seek high help for myself,’ she said.

‘When I did that, I felt peace with it, so I married him … I chose what the man upstairs told me to do.’

In the miniseries, Mary’s estranged sister Denise Jefferson Odinaka claimed that their step-grandfather was like a father to her and Mary growing up, leaving the family reeling after they tied the knot.

She explained that Robert Sr. – whom she called ‘Gramps’ – assumed a parental role after their father left when she was five.

‘Robert Sr. was just the father figure that Mary and I never really had,’ she explained. ‘We had to revisit what we were to each other once he married my sister. That’s a different kind of person. The reality set in that I lost him.’

In the new doc, church members also claimed that the culture of the church began to change after Mary and her husband took over in 1988.

According to the Cheat Sheet, attendees alleged that the couple aggressively asked for money, and anyone that didn’t donate were shamed.

They also allegedly installed cameras in the church so they could monitor members when they were out of town.

Some former members also claimed that while Robert was still married to Mary’s grandmother Rosemary, he would make some of the male church members go through rigorous and abusive military-style training exercises.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Mary and the church for comment.