Everything We Know about Mary Cosby's Son Robert Jr.'s Ex-Wife Alexiana, Who Filed for Divorce Just Months before His Passing

At first glance, it looked like a whirlwind love story kept mostly out of the spotlight. But behind the scenes, a quiet marriage was unraveling in ways few could have predicted.

Mary Cosby's son, Robert Jr. Cosby, kept much of his marriage private until arrests, rehab, and a sudden divorce filing changed everything. Here's what we know about his ex-wife, Alexiana Arian Smokoff, and the months leading up to his passing.

Long before headlines about arrests and rehab surfaced, the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" viewers were already catching glimpses of tension inside Mary's home.

Who Is Alexiana Arian Smokoff?

Alexiana Arian Smokoff quietly entered the Bravo orbit. According to a report from TMZ, Robert Jr. secretly married Alexiana in August 2022 during a courthouse ceremony, a decision that reportedly blindsided his famous mom.

The revelation became part of Mary's storyline during Season 4, as she learned her only child had tied the knot right under her nose. It was a twist that set the tone for what would become an increasingly complicated chapter.

When Things Started to Shift?

The U.S. Sun reported that viewers saw a more troubling side of Robert Jr.'s behavior during a particular season of the show. Mary told the cameras, "Robert is currently at home right now. He's not in college. Robert does ask me for money, and no, he's not working."

She added, "But I just feel like he's very sheltered, and I feel like that's my fault, and so, that's why I don't mind him staying at home."

In one episode, Mary found Robert Jr. and Alexiana eating in bed, appearing lethargic and slurring their words. "Something's going on with Robert Jr., and I'm concerned. He's typically very ambitious but lately, he's just not. He's not doing anything," she confessed.

A Marriage That Looked Different Online

On social media, though, the tone was much lighter. On September 16, 2021, Robert Jr. captioned an Instagram post, "Ima lil angel tho." In the comments, Alexiana replied, "sexiest man I know."

Years later, on March 10, 2025, in an Instagram post captioned "Hayley Williams Appreciation Post ❤️ #ifykyk," Alexiana again gushed in the comments, writing, "legit the coolest man I know."

The sweet remark painted a very different picture, one of admiration and closeness. But as later events would show, appearances were deceiving. And those later events came fast.

The First Signs of Legal Trouble

In September 2025, Robert Jr. was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing, assault, failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, and three counts of violating a court order, per booking records reviewed by People. Mary later reflected on that arrest.

"It was for his good," she told the outlet. "I think he needed that. He's never encountered anything like that. He's never been through anything like that. I don't mind it. It hurt me at the time."

She added, "I was devastated, I was worried, I was scared. But some things happen for a reason to show you the path you're on. I feel like he needed that and that he understands that that's the wrong journey."

Robert Jr. also shared that he was taking life "day by day" and that he's "not where I want to be, but I'm certainly not where I used to be." He added, "I will get there!"

The Arrests That Changed Everything

But September was not the end. On November 9, 2025, Robert Jr. was arrested again and charged with violating a pretrial protective order, a Class A misdemeanor in Utah, according to the publication.

He was also charged that same day with property damage or destruction, assault on a peace officer, failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, interfering with a peace officer, and criminal trespassing.

He was booked and remained incarcerated in the Salt Lake County Jail. Just weeks later, on November 24, 2025, Alexiana filed for divorce in Salt Lake County District Court.

Court documents required that both parties not "harass, intimidate or disturb the peace of the other party, by any means, including electronically."

The filing also prohibited either party from committing domestic violence or abuse, using the other party's name or likeness for financial gain, canceling services, or modifying insurance policies.

"Today Robert Cosby took responsibility for the mistakes he has made and the pain he has caused his ex-wife and her family," his attorney Clayton Simms told People in an exclusive statement.

The attorney added, "Robert was slow to recognize that his marriage was over. He continued to make contact with his ex-wife in an effort to reconcile. He now realizes that the relationship is over and he must move on."

Rehab and a Hopeful Reset

By December 2025, there appeared to be a glimmer of hope. According to another report by People, Mary shared during an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" that her son had completed a month-long stay in rehab.

"He did go to rehab. He stayed for a month," she said. "He completed it. He did an excellent job. He came out a new person."

She also revealed that Alexiana had gone to rehab and was "still in there." Mary added that her son “is doing so good. I am so proud of him. So proud of him." At the time, it sounded like the beginning of a fresh start.

The Final Chapter

In the end, the most startling detail wasn't the secret wedding, the on-camera tension, or even the arrests. It was that Alexiana had quietly filed for divorce just months before Robert Jr.'s passing, a legal step that confirmed the marriage was over, even as he reportedly struggled to accept it.

Behind the affectionate Instagram comments, the courthouse vows, and the reality TV moments was a relationship that had fractured long before the public fully understood it.

And in hindsight, the timeline tells the story all by itself. That divorce filing would become one of the final chapters in a story that had been unfolding for years. 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.

When He Started Using

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 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.

In the end, what played out across headlines and television screens was never just drama; it was a young man battling demons in plain sight.

Behind the storylines, court dates, and social media posts was a family holding on to hope. And now, with Robert Cosby Jr. gone at 23, the timeline reads less like reality TV and more like a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile second chances can be.