I just finished reading Bad Mormon, there's not really a lot about Housewives of SLC (I guess she's saved that for the second book) but it's interesting to hear about how she met each of the women and the way in which the show was created & casted. Most of which we know already but..
- Lisa and Meredith recommended Heather. It sounds like she and Meredith were actually pretty good social friends prior to the show and worked together a lot at events like Sundance Film Festival. She speaks really highly of her which I thought was nice. Lisa introduced the two of them. Seems like that's how she met Angie Harrington as well.
- She and Whitney became acquainted after Whitney went to Beauty Lab to have a chemical burn looked at, after that, the latter booked her to do a boudoir shoot. It's so funny in hindsight to think about Whitney doing the whole sHe eXpLOiTeD mY VaGiNAH when there's nothing of the sort in the book nn. I think the latter just wanted a quick little storyline.
- Lisa wasn't happy about Heather suggesting Whitney to casting nn, Lisa thought she was too TLC.
- Jen was introduced after the producers weren't happy about the lack of diversity. Jen was a regular at Beauty Lab which is how Heather knew her and suggested her for the show. Seems like they became fast friends after that.
- The producers already knew of Mary (as we already know) and she & Heather had a mutual dinner with a producer.
- The original five casted for Housewives were Heather, Meredith, Lisa, Jen and Mary. Whitney wasn't in the original line up and her footage from the sizzle reel got cut (a fight she had with Jen where she referred to herself as Whitney FUCKING Rose). A dinner was held between producers, the OG 5 and Whitney and Angie Harrington which is how Whitney eventually made the cut.