Lisa Barlow Tears Up Recounting John’s “Traumatizing” Family Discovery: "Worlds Were Shook”
While Lisa Barlow doesn't regret finding John Barlow's biological family, she "probably wouldn't do it again."
On Season 5, Episode 11 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Lisa Barlow shared that her husband, John Barlow, had recently found his roots. However, based on what she revealed during the subsequent episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City After Show, John's ensuing experience with his newly-discovered family didn't go as either of them had hoped or expected.
"John didn't know any of his background, his bloodline, where his biological dad was from, so I was like, 'Hey, you have to take a DNA test," Lisa explained on the After Show.
Fast-forward to Lisa and John getting the test results and discovering that John actually has "a biological half brother" who lives in Arizona.
"I sent him a message first. I was like, 'Hey, can I get your number? I think my husband is your brother,'" Lisa recalled. "He's like, 'He can't be. How old is your husband?' because his mom had a sister that's so much younger, she could never be John's mother. And then literally 24 hours later he wrote back, 'I think John is my brother.'"
John's brother later questioned his mother about the test results, and while she initially denied the notion that she had another son, the truth eventually came out. "So their whole worlds were shook," Lisa said.
As it happened, John was in Arizona on a business trip when his brother asked to meet him. After John said yes, the brother showed up with both their mother and his biological father, who has no relationship to John.
After the dinner, John called Lisa and was "so upset."
Suffice to say, the meeting didn't go well. "He was like, 'Why did I do this?'" a teary-eyed Lisa recounted. "I think it was just traumatizing."
According to Lisa, the hardest part for her was that she thought it would all be "a fairytale situation."
"It wasn't. But his bio mom is very kind, very loving and supportive of John," she added. "He doesn't regret it, but I think he wishes I didn't do it."
John Barlow's family reveal was "taxing" on his marriage to Lisa Barlow
Lisa went on to explain that she believes her decision to get involved with finding John's birth family was "taxing" on their marriage.
"It's like, 'Why did you do this to me?'" she explained. "I don't think regret's the right word, but I do think it would've been better for John if I didn't open that door."
Still, Lisa said that his relatives are "lovely people." And it was cool to find out that he's Eastern European and Russian.
"I think that's funny. I'm very German-Jew and John's German. And Henry has a fixation on Germany, so we're like, 'Maybe that's why. It's in your blood.' But I think it was, like, a lot. And I don't know ... I probably wouldn't do it again," she said.
Hear more from Lisa in the above RHOSLC After Show clip.
