Unpacking the RHOSLC Rumor: Whitney Rose’s Jewelry and Alibaba Allegations Revealed

Whitney Rose, one of the standout stars of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, has always been known for her free-spirited nature and creative drive. As a determined entrepreneur, Whitney built her company, Wild Rose Beauty, from the ground up, making it a household name. Throughout the series, her beauty brand has often been in the spotlight, with Whitney hosting glamorous launch parties to celebrate her success. However, Season 5 has taken a dramatic turn for the business mogul, as accusations have surfaced, questioning the authenticity of her products. Here’s what you need to know about the controversy surrounding Whitney Rose.

What’s Happening at Wild Rose Beauty?

Last week, Real Housewives cast member Meredith Marks fueled the rumor mill, suggesting that Whitney had been stealing jewelry designs from Alibaba, passing them off as her own, and marking up the prices. Although Meredith didn’t provide concrete evidence, Dana Wilkey, a former cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, added her own perspective to the situation. In a video, Dana pointed out that Whitney was charging $49 for a gold zodiac necklace, which allegedly matched an Alibaba listing that priced the same necklace at just $3.

Dana went on to show additional comparisons of other jewelry pieces, including a protection cross, a truth necklace, and a lucky girl pendant, all of which appeared to share the same stock images as those found on Alibaba. With such a significant price markup, Dana couldn’t help but question the legitimacy of Whitney’s business practices.

While these accusations spread, Whitney’s website, PRISM, emphasized a different narrative, stating, “Whitney & Amber-Lee bonded over the desire to inspire women to honor their healing journeys and to spread the message that when you heal yourself, you heal the world!” Dana sarcastically commented on the “luxury vibe” Whitney’s brand promotes, noting, “China makes some great stuff.” For Dana, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. But is Whitney being unfairly targeted?

AliExpress Isn’t Always Trustworthy

What Dana and others may not realize is that sites like Alibaba are notorious for using images from legitimate businesses, often without permission. As a platform for bulk buying and selling, Alibaba has gained a reputation for this unethical practice. A quick search on Google reveals numerous reports of Alibaba stealing stock photos, with many legitimate businesses falling victim.

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Alibaba even has a department specifically for dealing with photo theft. The site states, “In accordance with the Copyright Law of the People’s Republic of China and its implementation rules, all types of works that appear on the Platform, such as literary, artistic, photographic, audiovisual works, models, and computer software, are protected by copyright.”

The platform’s policies also include consequences for businesses caught violating these rules. While first-time offenders may not face severe penalties, repeat offenders can face fines and the closure of their store if they accumulate enough violations. Given Alibaba’s reputation, it’s entirely possible that Whitney is merely an innocent victim of photo theft, but now she’s left to defend her name and her brand as the rumors swirl.

Whitney Rose Fires Back at the Lies

In Episode 4, Whitney learns about the accusations from her friend Heather Gay, who shares, “I was talking to Meredith yesterday at the casino, and she said that people are talking about PRISM and your business. Basically, that you’re white-labeling jewelry from China and everybody’s talking about it.”

Whitney wasted no time setting the record straight in her confessional. “There is a social media account accusing me of buying my jewelry from Alibaba, and that is not true. We buy from curated vendors; that’s called commerce. It’s not like Meredith is out there in the ocean diving for her caviar. Whoever said that, that’s f*cked up.”

Clearly frustrated with her friend Meredith, Whitney expressed her disappointment, saying, “I think she’s so pissed off that I started a jewelry company. She comes from a place of gatekeeping and fear. She doesn’t come from a place of abundance. She’s never supported my business. Every time I’ve ever done something for my business, she has not shown up.”

Is There More to the Story?

From an outsider’s perspective, it’s easy to see why Whitney is so upset. She’s worked tirelessly to build her brand, and these rumors could tarnish her hard-earned success. While Dana and Meredith may have raised questions, it seems like Whitney is the victim of misunderstanding and misplaced accusations.

Honestly, I’m on team Whitney here. It’s hard to believe she would risk her entire business by selling knockoff jewelry. If she’s still selling those zodiac necklaces, I’ll take an Aquarius one, please!