Mary Cosby Husband: Inside Her Relationship With Robert

Mary Cosby’s husband, Robert Cosby Sr., was a bishop and religious leader who became closely connected to the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star through both marriage and the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church.

Their relationship has drawn significant public attention because of its unusual beginning. Robert had previously been married to Mary’s grandmother, Dr. Rosemary Redmon Cosby, who founded the church. After Rosemary’s death, Mary married Robert in 1998 as part of an arrangement that she said was tied to her grandmother’s wishes and the future of the family’s religious and business holdings.

The couple’s marriage has remained a major part of Mary’s story on and away from RHOSLC. It has also come under renewed scrutiny following the 2026 TLC docuseries The Cult of the Real Housewife, which examines allegations made by former members of the church.

Who Was Mary Cosby’s Husband?

Robert Cosby Sr. was Mary Cosby’s second husband. He was a bishop and religious leader associated with the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church in Salt Lake City.

Robert was previously married to Mary’s grandmother, Dr. Rosemary Redmon Cosby. Rosemary founded the church, and her family remained closely connected to its leadership.

After Rosemary’s death, Mary and Robert married on September 28, 1998.

The unusual family connection between the two has been discussed publicly by Mary herself. She has explained that her grandmother wanted Robert to marry one of her granddaughters so that he would continue to be cared for and the church would remain within the family.

Mary has described the arrangement as strange and unusual, but she also said she followed through with the commitment.

How Did Mary Cosby and Robert Cosby Sr. Get Married?

Mary’s marriage to Robert did not begin like a conventional romantic relationship.

According to the details provided, the arrangement was connected to Mary’s grandmother’s wishes. Rosemary wanted Robert to marry one of her granddaughters after her death, partly so that he would be cared for and partly to keep the family’s church and other interests within the family.

Mary said the inheritance of the family’s churches, homes and businesses was tied to the arrangement.

The situation was complicated by the fact that Robert had been Mary’s grandmother’s husband.

Mary has acknowledged that the circumstances were “weird” and “odd” for both of them. Nevertheless, she decided to honor what she understood to be her grandmother’s wishes.

Their age difference also attracted attention, with the two separated by roughly two decades.

Despite the unconventional circumstances, Mary and Robert went ahead with the marriage.

When Did Mary Cosby and Robert Cosby Sr. Marry?

Mary and Robert married on September 28, 1998, following the death of Mary’s grandmother.

The timing of the marriage also became part of the story because Mary had previously been married to Dana Harris.

According to the supplied details, her divorce from Harris was finalized only 19 days before she married Robert.

Mary later described her relationship with Robert as evolving from its unusual beginnings into a partnership.

The couple remained together for decades, making their marriage one of the most discussed parts of Mary’s personal history.

Robert Cosby Sr. and Mary Cosby Had One Son

Mary and Robert had one child together, Robert Cosby Jr., who was born in 2005.

Their son has appeared on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, giving viewers glimpses into the family’s private life.

Although Robert Sr. generally stayed further away from the reality television spotlight, his family became increasingly connected to the show through Mary and their son.

Mary has also spoken about the importance of her family while navigating difficult circumstances surrounding her son.

In October 2025, according to the supplied information, Mary described Robert Sr. as her “rock” as they supported their child through personal and legal challenges.

What Happened to Robert Cosby Sr.?

The supplied material states that Robert Cosby Sr. died in 2006 at the age of 74.

This point creates an important issue with some of the other details in the source material, which refer to Mary and Robert as having been married for more than 27 years as of January 2026 and describe Robert as currently supporting their son.

Those claims cannot all be true at the same time.

Because the provided source contains conflicting information about Robert Cosby Sr.’s status and timeline, it would be inappropriate to present the later claims as established fact without additional verification.

For an article based specifically on the supplied material, the clearest documented timeline is that Robert and Mary married in 1998 and had a son in 2005. The statement that Robert died in 2006 should also be treated separately from the later claims in the source.

What Is Faith Temple Pentecostal Church?

Faith Temple Pentecostal Church is central to Mary Cosby’s family history.

The church was founded by Mary’s grandmother, Dr. Rosemary Redmon Cosby. Robert Cosby Sr. became associated with its leadership, and Mary later became closely involved as well.

The church is particularly important to understanding Mary’s public story because her religious role has been discussed on RHOSLC and in the 2026 TLC docuseries The Cult of the Real Housewife.

The church’s leadership and the family’s inheritance were also reportedly part of the reason Mary’s grandmother wanted Robert to remain connected to the family.

That makes the institution more than simply a place of worship in the Cosby family story. It was also connected to their family structure, property and business interests.

What Is The Cult of the Real Housewife About?

The 2026 TLC three-part docuseries ** The Cult of the Real Housewife ** examines allegations surrounding the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church and Mary’s leadership.

The series premiered on January 1, 2026.

According to the supplied material, former members made allegations involving spiritual, financial and emotional abuse. These are allegations made by former members and should not be presented as proven facts.

Some former congregants alleged that members were pressured to make substantial financial offerings. One allegation claimed that as much as $100,000 could be demanded within a short period.

A former assistant, Rosalind Enoch, described her five years of unpaid work in extremely harsh terms, comparing the experience to a “slave plantation.”

Mary’s cousin, Dan Cosby, also made allegations about Robert Sr., claiming that young men were subjected to punishments resembling military discipline.

Mary has also faced allegations concerning her conduct as a religious leader. Former members accused her of using the pulpit to criticize and publicly humiliate congregants.

These claims form part of the documentary’s investigation and should be understood as allegations from people describing their experiences rather than established findings.

Mary Cosby’s Role in the Church

Mary’s involvement with Faith Temple Pentecostal Church has long been part of her public identity.

Her connection to the church dates back to her grandmother, who founded the institution.

After marrying Robert, Mary became closely associated with its leadership and inherited a prominent position within the family religious structure.

Her role has been particularly controversial because of the unusual circumstances surrounding her marriage to Robert and the family’s church leadership.

The documentary has brought those old questions back into public discussion, giving former members an opportunity to describe their experiences and revisit allegations surrounding the church.

Robert Cosby Jr. Has Also Faced Legal Problems

Mary and Robert Sr.’s son, Robert Cosby Jr., has also become part of the family’s public story through RHOSLC.

The supplied material states that Robert Jr. revealed during season 4 that he had secretly married in August 2022.

He later became involved in legal proceedings stemming from incidents in late 2025.

According to the provided information, Robert Jr. pleaded guilty in November 2025 to eight charges, including assault on a peace officer, criminal trespassing and multiple violations of a protective order.

The charges reportedly involved incidents connected to his father-in-law’s home.

The source also states that his wife, Alexiana Arian Smokoff, filed for divorce in November 2025.

Robert Jr. has previously spoken publicly about substance abuse and entered a 30-day rehabilitation program in 2024.

These events have added another difficult chapter to the Cosby family’s story, although they are separate from the allegations examined in the documentary about the church.

Mary Cosby and Robert Cosby Sr.’s Complicated Legacy

The story of Mary Cosby’s husband is closely tied to the history of her family and church.

Robert Cosby Sr. was not simply a spouse who appeared alongside a reality television personality. His previous marriage to Mary’s grandmother, his position within the church and the circumstances surrounding his marriage to Mary all became important parts of her personal history.

Their marriage began through a family arrangement that Mary herself acknowledged was unusual.

At the same time, the later documentary allegations have brought renewed attention to the religious institution they were associated with.

It is important to separate documented family history from allegations made by former church members. The documentary presents claims and personal accounts, but those accounts should not automatically be treated as proven findings.

Mary Cosby’s Family Story Continues to Attract Attention

Mary Cosby became a familiar television personality through The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, but her life outside the show has always been closely connected to her family’s religious background.

Her marriage to Robert Cosby Sr. is one of the most unusual parts of that story.

The pair married in 1998 after Mary’s grandmother’s death, following a request that Robert marry one of her granddaughters. Mary later described their relationship as developing into a partnership, and they had one son, Robert Cosby Jr.

The family’s church has since become the subject of renewed scrutiny through The Cult of the Real Housewife, where former members have made serious allegations about its leadership and practices.

Because the supplied material contains a significant contradiction about Robert Cosby Sr.’s reported death and later references to his involvement in the family, his timeline should be independently verified before publication if the article is intended as a current biographical profile.