RHOSLC’s Mary Cosby Says Son Robert Jr.’s Sobriety Journey Continues to Be ‘a Hardcore Road’: ‘It’s Tough to Watch as a Mom’

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City‘s Mary Cosby is providing an update about her son Robert Jr.’s sobriety journey.

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the Bravo star appeared on SiriusXM’s Reality Checked radio show and told co-host Dorinda Medley that her 22-year-old son is “doing as good as he can” following his decision to become sober.

His journey was documented during an episode of RHOSLC season 5, when he and his mother had an emotional conversation. Mary, 52, suspected something was going on with her son, and during their conversation, Robert Jr. confessed to abusing a variety of substances.

During Mary’s appearance on Reality Checked, she emphasized how “it’s his journey,” and explained that she told her son, “If you don’t make your mind up, then this is all for nothing.” 

“And if it just takes a made-up mind to do and execute whatever you are trying to do, but you can’t do it if your mind’s not made up,” she continued. “And I can’t make it up for him.”

As she candidly discussed Robert Jr.’s journey, she noted, “I can just only push him, encourage him and love him. And that’s what I’m doing. That’s kind of where we are.”

“But he’s still on that road and it’s a hardcore road,” the Bravo star added, confessing that “it’s tough to watch as a mom.”

She also said that her husband, Robert Sr., “is most of the time devastated” by their son’s ongoing journey.

“But at the same time, I have hope and I believe in him. I know that his ability, I mean, I raised him, so I know he’s got all the tools and he’s got all the will, the willpower that he needs and the support,” she said, before concluding, “He just needs to make up his mind.”

Mary’s update comes nearly a year after Robert Jr. revealed to her that he had suicidal ideation and addiction struggles, which included the use of Heroin, Xanax, acid, Molly, cocaine and OxyContin.

She later said in a confessional that “it’s really hard” to navigate her son’s substance struggles.

“Just as a parent, you can feel like you failed, and there’s nothing that nobody can do,” she said. “I don’t have help, I don’t have a mom, I don’t have a grandma, I don’t have nobody I can call and say, ‘Help me. My son is going through this. Help me. What can I do?’”

She continued: “But it’s my responsibility to make sure if he comes to me and if he says he wants help, it’s my responsibility to make sure he gets it. And whatever I have to do to do it, I’m gonna do it.”

Mary has since shared that Robert Jr. went to a drug rehabilitation program. She confirmed during an episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in December that he “completed it” and stayed for a month.

“He did an excellent job. He came out a new person,” she said at the time. “I am so proud of him. So proud of him.”

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The reality star later revealed during the RHOSLC season 5 reunion that it was Robert Jr.’s decision to go to rehab.

“I still worry because I feel like once you go to rehab, you have to change your friends,” she explained, saying he spends more time at home and “for the most part” isn’t friends with the people he used to spend his time around. “He goes to those classes, AA classes, he does those frequently and he has friends he has met from there.”

She also expressed how proud she was that Robert Jr. was open and honest about his struggles.

“He’s worthy, you know. And I want him to believe that,” Mary said. “I feel like we are our worst critic, we’re really hard on ourselves. And I see that through him and that he is really hard, and I just don’t want him to be like that, and I wish I could change it.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.