Salt Lake City, Utah has had a spotlight put on the city in recent years. And thanks to reality shows on Bravo and Hulu, the attention is ongoing. One of Bravo’s latest hits, Sold on SLC, put real estate in the “City of Saints” on display. The show’s breakout star, Tyna Edwards, is quick-witted and unapologetically herself.
In its inaugural season, Edwards showed she could balance life as a single mother with selling a variety of property from starter homes to ultra high-end properties. She was bold in her decision to leave the Mormon church and come out as part of the LGBTQ+ community, and with her two daughters, purchased her dream home and invited her partner, BJ, to move from California to join their modern family. As with any reality show, she had to combat a few rumors, but she did so in stride.
While she wasn’t new to reality television, having previouly appeared on The Real Houseiwves of Salt Lake City, she’d never been a principal cast member on a show, and putting her life on the forefront could have been a daunting task, but she took it in stride. Following her first season, Edwards chatted with Collider about transitioning into reality television full-time, and how she broke the mold.
Tyna Edwards Says She Was Genuine Throughout Filming ‘Sold on SLC’

COLLIDER: So there’s been a lot of an increase in attention and interest in Utah. What do you think about the state of Utah and the cities makes it such an attraction site and why people are so interested in it?
TYNA EDWARDS: I honestly think it’s because of the Mormon LDS religion and culture. I think it’s fascinating to people because it’s so different from probably a lot of other religions, and the culture is a lot different too. So I think people hear rumors about what the LDS Church is like, or what Mormons are like and what Utah is like, and they’re just intrigued by that.
COLLIDER: So we know that you had a connection to Bravo previously obviously with The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. How were you approached about this specific show and why, at this point, did you decide to participate in reality television on a larger scale?
TE: Yeah, that’s a good question. So, I did film a few episodes of Housewives as a guest of and although I love those ladies, the vibe was just a little bit different for me. It’s just a different vibe with our show where it’s a little bit more based on real estate, which is more of my life. And so I just thought it would be a better opportunity for business to be a part of this project. And I was actually approached right after I filmed Housewives. And for the longest time, because I am such a private person, I didn’t know if this is something that I would want to be involved with. But the way it was presented to me as being different, I figured I’d try it out. I figured, what harm could it do?
COLLIDER: How would you rate your first season?
TE: Honestly, I haven’t even had time to really process it. I would say as far as me personally, I feel like I was a 10 out of 10 because I was just my authentic self. I wasn’t acting. What you see is what you get on screen and in person, so I’d say personally 10 out of 10.
Showcasing Black Life Was Tyna Edwards’ Top Priority

COLLIDER: What were you excited about highlighting in the inaugural season of the show, and if you guys come back for a second season, what are you looking to expand upon?
TE: So I was really excited to just highlight being a single mom, a boss babe in real estate, a woman in Utah, and how I just navigate being a minority in this business, as well as how I navigate relationships with other agents with different backgrounds. I really wanted to use this as a platform, to let other Black women know that it doesn’t matter the environment that you’re in, you can still thrive and be successful. So that was what I was hoping to come from this too.
COLLIDER: Now speaking of being a minority in this element and even in Utah, when we think of Utah, the first thing that we think about is not necessarily diversity. Did you feel like you had a certain responsibility on the show?
TE: Oh, absolutely. I felt like it was my responsibility to show something different. I think there are so many stereotypes out here about what a Black woman is or what it means to be a Black woman, especially in a business setting. And I just felt it was my responsibility to show that even though we’re bombarded with these stereotypes, we’re still out here doing the damn thing. We’re out here succeeding, we’re out here being top dogs, we’re out here doing what we need to do to be successful.
COLLIDER: How would you say that reality television has fared? I know that there are pros and cons. Do you like being a part of reality television? Obviously, the downside can be opening up your life to scrutiny or attention.
TE: I mean there is that downside, you’re right about it, especially because I’m a private person, so it was a little bit scary opening up and being like, ‘OK, this is who I am. Welcome into my life.’ Because I have kind of kept that under wraps. But I feel like there are some good parts of it too. I feel like I was able to reach certain audience members, and again, be that shining light so that whoever is watching can say, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Release Date

November 11, 2020