Key Facts About Mary Cosby's Son, Robert Cosby Jr., Who Passed Away at 23

The TV personality's only son has died at 23. From secret struggles to a chilling on-camera warning, here are the key facts about the RHOSLC star's heartbreaking story.

It didn't happen overnight. The warning signs were there for years, and one moment on camera now feels almost too haunting to revisit.

Now, after Robert Cosby Jr., the 23-year-old son of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star, has died, the timeline of his life tells a story far more devastating than any reality TV plot twist.

According to TMZ, Robert died Monday, February 23, 2026, in Utah. Police in Salt Lake City responded Monday night to a call for a "full arrest/medical emergency" involving the "ROHSLC" star's son. What began as a possible overdose call turned into a death investigation upon arrival. Fire and paramedics were dispatched, and the cause of death remains unclear.

At 11:20 a.m. PT, Mary and her husband, Robert Cosby Sr., shared a statement with TMZ. The statement was also shared on Mary's Instagram page. Mary captioned her own Instagram tribute, "#godfirst #love #❤️." The statement read:

"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."

But to understand why one line from 2024 now feels so devastating, you have to rewind.

He Said He Started Using at 16

In a 2024 episode of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," Robert admitted he began experimenting with drugs at 16, as detailed by a resurfaced TikTok clip.

"I just turned sixteen," he said. What started as what he called "natural stuff" escalated after someone gave him Xanax at a party. "At first I was like, I'm just stick to natural stuff. And then I went to a party, and someone gave me a Xanax. And then I was like, 'I like this.'"

He described experimenting with Xanax, acid, Molly, cocaine, and oxycodone.

"And then I started buying it. Then I, like, started doing Xanax with acid and then Molly with Xanax because I really like Xanax. So I mix it with everything. Xanax and cocaine. You know, the regular 30 milligram oxys, I noticed, like, this is like a turning point for me."

"It was like I was taking 10 at once, and I couldn't even feel it. I couldn't feel it at all." At the time, viewers did not yet know how central that confession would become.

A Secret Marriage and a DUI

In August 2022, Robert secretly married Alexiana Smokoff at a Utah courthouse without telling his mother. The reveal became a major storyline on RHOSLC, shocking Mary and viewers alike.

That same year, he faced legal trouble. In March 2022, he was arrested for DUI after allegedly failing field sobriety tests, despite blowing "triple zeros" on a breathalyzer, according to The U.S. Sun.

He admitted he had "recently in the past taken some OxyContin, Xanax, and smoked marijuana." He later pleaded guilty to DUI, was fined $1,610, placed on 12 months probation, ordered to complete 30 days of home confinement, and required to attend a 16-week substance abuse treatment program.

The cracks were no longer hidden.

Living at Home and Under His Mother's Watch

Through the legal trouble, Robert lived at home with his parents. In a preview for Season 5, Episode 2, Mary explained he was not in college and was not working.

"Robert is currently at home right now. He's not in college," she said, according to Bravo. "Robert does ask me for money, and no he's not working, but I just feel like he's very sheltered."

"I feel like that's my fault," she added. "One day, I'll give him the boot. But not right now." It was a mother trying to shield her son, and perhaps herself, from what she feared.

The Line That Now Feels Prophetic

Then came the conversation that, in hindsight, changed everything. In the raw heart-to-heart that resurfaced widely on TikTok, Robert admitted the depth of his addiction.

"I'll take his Xanax. And then I take adderall to balance out the Xanax." Mary told him, "I won't judge you. I can try to help you, but you've got to help yourself, because I'm not going to support it."

Then she said the words that now feel chillingly prophetic. "You're blessed you wake up every day. You know how many people didn't wake up today? You will die."

At the time, it felt like a desperate attempt to wake him up. Now, it reads differently. Robert's reply was just as heartbreaking. "I wanted to die at the time. I just felt like a stain. I just felt like this world wasn't for me."

In a confessional, Mary later admitted, "I just feel very disappointed with myself. I feel like I let him down somewhere."

Rehab, Hope, and Another Spiral

In December 2024, Mary confirmed on "Watch What Happens Live" that Robert had completed a month-long rehab stay, as reported by Betches.

She said he "did an excellent job" and "came out a new person," calling him her "friend, son, [and] gift." Around the same time, Mary also opened up in a candid conversation with Dorinda Medley about her son's sobriety.

In the interview, she said, "He's doing as good as he can. It's his journey. I told him, '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. And I can't make it up for him. I can just only push him, encourage him, and love him.

"And that's what I'm doing, and that's kind of where we are. But he's still on that road. And it's a hardcore road. It's, you know, it's tough to watch as a mom. It's hurtful to see his dad most of the time devastated.” She continued:

"But at the same time, I have hope, and I believe in him, and I know that. I know his ability. I mean, I've raised him, so I know he is, he's got all the tools, and he's got all the will, the willpower that he needs […] He just needs to make up his mind."

For a moment, it seemed like the warning had worked. But in September 2025, Robert was arrested again on allegations including assault and trespassing after police responded to a domestic violence call, according to TMZ.

Bail was set at $5,000. By December 2025, he pleaded guilty to eight charges, including felony property damage and assault, while six misdemeanor charges were dismissed with prejudice, according to People.

After one jail stint, he posted some photos to Instagram with the caption, "I'm back :)." His wife later filed for divorce.

The Tragedy in Hindsight

Seen in order, the story no longer feels like reality TV drama. It feels like a slow unraveling, one that Mary seemed to sense long before anyone else.

There were warning signs, court dates, confessions, hope, setbacks, and moments when it seemed like things might finally turn around. What once sounded like a mother's worst fear, "You will die," now lands with heartbreaking finality.

Now, after Robert Cosby Jr.'s death at 23, those words no longer feel like a warning. They feel like a heartbreak she feared long before anyone else understood just how serious the struggle had become.

What unfolded on camera was never just a storyline. It was a family fighting something bigger than television, and losing a son in the process.