Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Whitney Rose has opened up on the show about her father, Steve Lesh, and his struggle with addiction.
Steve had been working to stay sober after facing several relapses in the past. He checked into a sober living facility to help him with his recovery.
During an Instagram Q and A, RealityBlurb reported that a fan asked Whitney about her father and how he was doing.
Whitney responded, “So I actually don’t know how my dad is doing right now, which is breaking my heart and is having me very worried.”
On recent episodes of RHOSLC, Whitney worked on her relationship with her father and did her best to support him through his struggles. The two of them even attended costar Mary Cosby’s church service together.
Her revelation in her Instagram story showed her worry and concern for her father’s wellbeing and the possibility that he may have relapsed once again.
Whitney convinces her father to stay in sober living
Whitney’s revelation that she hasn’t heard from her father comes following the most recent episode of RHOSLC when she and her husband Justin Rose, attended a mediation at Steve’s sober living facility.
The mediation occurred after Steve called Whitney and told her he wanted to leave the program earlier than anticipated. He complained about getting a roommate and said he could not function there appropriately if he didn’t have his own space.
During the mediation, Steve expressed a desire to get a hair salon business up and running. He said he felt ready but couldn’t do it successfully while staying in treatment.
Whitney shared her concern that her father would be looking for monetary support from her and her husband to help him get on his feet. She said she wanted him to be able to take care of himself and not have to depend on her for a place to live, a car to drive, or money to start his business.
After the conversation, Steve agreed with Whitney that it was wise for him to continue his progress at sober living while making a plan to make money at the same time so that he could be self-sufficient.
Steve demands Whitney pay for his rehab
The conversation that occurred during mediation was difficult for Whitney.
She opened up about how her father felt entitled to her monetary support simply because she was his daughter. She also revealed he demanded her to pay for his rehab in the past.
During a confessional interview, Whitney admitted, “The first time that I took him to rehab, he wanted me to pay for it. He made a list of everything he had paid for in my life. My education, dance, sports, car, tickets. He even remembered some stupid fender bender I was in, saying that because he chose to have me as a child, now I owe him 30 grand for rehab. In that moment I was like ‘f**k you’…but then I still paid for it.”
After Whitney stood her ground with her father during their mediation, he apologized for the burden he’d placed on her in the past and hoped to move forward and be more self-reliant.
While the mediation provided hope for Steve’s future, Whitney’s comments on her Instagram story seem as though he may be struggling once again. Steve’s current status continues to remain unknown.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo.