Credit: Bravo
Mary Cosby’s 23-year-old son, Robert Cosby Jr., has died.
On Monday, following a years-long battle with addiction, which has been discussed on recent seasons of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Robert Jr. reportedly passed away in Utah after suffering a potential drug overdose.
According to a February 25 report from TMZ, Robert Jr.’s cause of death is unclear. However, police in Salt Lake City, including fire and paramedics, responded to a call about a potential overdose, sharing that someone reported that a young man was in “full arrest” and having a “medical emergency.”
Robert Jr.’s death comes just months after his wife, Alexiana Arian Smokoff, filed for divorce, and just weeks after he was released from jail following a months-long stay stemming from a series of arrests last year.
As RHOSLC fans may have seen, Robert Jr. returned to Instagram on February 6, declaring to his followers and supporters, “I’m back :).”
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Earlier this year, amid the RHOSLC season six reunion, Mary offered an update on Robert Jr., admitting that she wasn’t worried about him being behind bars since it meant he was sober.
“I know he’s somewhere where he’s not using,” she reasoned at the time. “At some point, I have to step back so that he can learn and he can make his own decisions, and unfortunately, he’s learning the hard way. But I’m OK with it.”
“It’s just, you don’t want to see your kid suffer, but I know it’s good,” she added. “And I’d rather him be there than dead, you know?”
Following the news of Robert Jr.’s death, Mary took to her Instagram page to offer a statement.
“Our beloved son Robert Jr. has been called home to the Lord. Though our hearts ache, we take comfort in God’s promise and in knowing he is finally at peace. We are grateful for your prayers and trust in the Lord to carry us through this time of sorrow,” she shared.
She captioned her post with the hashtags, “#Godfirst #love #❤️.”
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is expected to go into production on season seven this week.