Andy Cohen isn’t sure how to react when Jen Shah pleaded guilty more than a year after being charged with conspiracy to commit telemarketing fraud.
“I don’t know what to make of this, Jen Shah pleads guilty,” Cohen said on Tuesday’s episode of “Radio Andy” on Sirius XM.
The 54-year-old Bravo producer also said he was hesitant to label the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star as “guilty.”
“It just means she’s changing her plea,” he said of Monday’s legal bombshell.
Cohen went on to explain that he was even more surprised by the plea change, as Shah had just sent his 2-month-old daughter, Lucy, a gift.
“I was like, ‘Jen Shah, with everything you’ve got going, that you thought you were sending Lucy a present…’ I just thought that was so nice of her,” Cohen — who is also the father of the 3-year-old son Ben — added.
However, theater actor John Hill, who co-hosted Tuesday’s radio show with Cohen, sided with the victims of the reality star’s alleged telemarketing scheme.
“If you say you’re guilty of something, maybe that means you’re guilty,” he argued.
A caller weighed in on the situation, comparing Shah to “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice, who pleaded guilty to fraud in 2014 and spent 15 months in federal prison as a result.
“We have supported [Teresa] years,” the caller said, pointing out that Shah would have the same loyalty from fans.
Hill and Cohen pointed out that things were different, however, as Shah’s actions reportedly affected people, many of whom were over 55.
Cohen said: “What I’ve found in regards to viewers’ reaction to some of these moments that happened [is that] some viewers are more outraged when there are – you know, if you look at Tom Girardi and what he looks like – there are real victims for you to look at.”
(Girardi, the estranged husband of “RHOBH” star Erika Jayne, is being charged with alleged misappropriation of settlement funds intended to serve the victims of Lion Air Flight 610).
“If you look at Joe Giudice cheating the government with some tax money, I think you end up getting even more upset when you know there are victims,” he continued, referring to Teresa’s ex-husband, who was also found guilty of fraud in 2014.
Shah was arrested in March 2021 for allegedly defrauding hundreds of victims in a telemarketing scheme. She initially pleaded not guilty to all charges and repeatedly defended her innocence in the months that followed.
She shocked fans on Monday, however, when she filed a last-minute motion to change her plea to guilty just days before the trial was set to begin.
Shah’s lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, told Vidak For Congress that the “RHOSLC” star “accepts full responsibility for her actions” changed her plea because she “wants to pay her debt to society and put this ordeal behind her and her family.”
Shah’s sentencing is set for November 28.