Controversial Real Housewives of Salt Lake City villain Monica Garcia shocked fans by announcing that she's expecting her fifth child on Thursday.
And now Dailymail.com can reveal that Monica's baby daddy is outdoor enthusiast Braxton Knight - who at just 29, is a decade younger than the 29-year-old mom of four.
Braxton currently works as the general manager of Wasatch Excursions in Utah.
He first met Monica when she filmed scenes for The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City with co-star Heather Gay last year.
Discussing how she met her younger beau on Nick Viall's podcast The Viall Files on Thursday, Monica admitted that Braxton was 'dating' another woman at the time, but insisted that the romance was 'not exclusive'.
![Controversial Real Housewives of Salt Lake City villain Monica Garcia shocked fans by announcing that she's expecting her fifth child on Thursday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/83519055-13298211-image-m-13_1712853069422.jpg)
Controversial Real Housewives of Salt Lake City villain Monica Garcia shocked fans by announcing that she's expecting her fifth child on Thursday
![Monica's mystery baby daddy is outdoor enthusiast Braxton Knight (pictured) - who at just 29, is a decade younger than the 29-year-old mom of four](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/83518303-13298211-Monica_s_mystery_baby_daddy_is_outdoor_enthusiast_Braxton_Knight-a-8_1712854363201.jpg)
Monica's mystery baby daddy is outdoor enthusiast Braxton Knight (pictured) - who at just 29, is a decade younger than the 29-year-old mom of four
![Braxton first met Monica when she filmed scenes for The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City with co-star Heather Gay last year. (The couple are pictured together)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/83518297-13298211-Braxton_first_met_Monica_when_she_filmed_scenes_for_The_Real_Hou-a-34_1712854460217.jpg)
Braxton first met Monica when she filmed scenes for The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City with co-star Heather Gay last year. (The couple are pictured together)
![Braxton currently works as the general manager of Wasatch Excursions in Utah](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/18/83519083-13298211-image-a-37_1712855337286.jpg)
Braxton currently works as the general manager of Wasatch Excursions in Utah
'When we had a break [from filming] I went over to him and I was like, "Do you have a girlfriend?"' she told Viall.
'And he said, "No, I'm dating someone." I said, "Yeah, I heard you're courting! But you're not exclusive?" And he's like, "No."
'He handed me his phone and I put my name and number in there.'
Monica went on to say that she kept the relationship under wraps for more than a year.
'I have not even — I've been dating him for a year and no one even knows who he is,' she explained.
The reality TV villain was surprised by her pregnancy, saying that she went to urgent care and that's when the doctors told her she's seven weeks pregnant.
'I literally just found out. … I have not told one f***ing person except for my best friend,' she continued.
![Discussing how she met her younger beau on The Viall Files, Monica admitted that Braxton was 'dating' another woman at the time, but insisted that the romance was 'not exclusive'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/83518309-13298211-Discussing_how_she_met_her_younger_beau_on_The_Viall_Files_Monic-a-33_1712854460066.jpg)
Discussing how she met her younger beau on The Viall Files, Monica admitted that Braxton was 'dating' another woman at the time, but insisted that the romance was 'not exclusive'
!['When we had a break [from filming] I went over to him and I was like, "Do you have a girlfriend?"' she told host Nick Viall](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/83519089-13298211-_When_we_had_a_break_from_filming_I_went_over_to_him_and_I_was_l-a-9_1712854363311.jpg)
'When we had a break [from filming] I went over to him and I was like, "Do you have a girlfriend?"' she told host Nick Viall
'I should not be [pregnant],' she said. 'I literally, I was on the urgent care floor bawling my eyes out.
'Cause I'm like, "I'm 39, there's no way." I'm on birth control. Like, by all means, I should not be pregnant. … It's so scary, but it's so crazy.'
She also shared that Braxton was floored to find out she was expecting because they hadn't planned to start a family together.
'It was so shocking to find out we were [pregnant]. We weren't trying, I was on birth control, it was a complete shock,' she told Viall.
'We didn't ever plan on really having kids. And then the second we found out he just was so protective and so caring.'
She added, 'He was also very much like, "Your body, your choice. Whatever you choose, I'm just here to be your support system and your partner through it."'
![Monica took to Instagram on Thursday where she filmed herself doing a pregnancy test](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/83519061-13298211-Monica_took_to_Instagram_on_Thursday_where_she_filmed_herself_do-a-35_1712854460228.jpg)
Monica took to Instagram on Thursday where she filmed herself doing a pregnancy test
![The reality star looked shocked to discover that she was expecting her fifth child](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/83519059-13298211-image-m-26_1712853272133.jpg)
!['Yes. I already have four girls. No. I was not planning on being 39 and going through the baby stage again, but unexpectedly here I am,' she captioned the video](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/83518287-13298211-image-a-27_1712853280394.jpg)
The reality star looked shocked to discover that she was expecting her fifth child
Garcia is already a mother of Bri, 18, Jaidyn, 13, West, 7, and Kendall, 6, with ex-husband Mike Fowler.
The Bravolebrity was awarded sole legal and physical custody, as well as more than $6,000 in monthly support when her divorce was finalized in October 2023.
Mike was ordered to pay $2,636 a month in child support for his four daughters. He must additionally pay $4,000 a month in alimony, according to the US Sun.
And finally, Monica was granted 'exclusive use and possession of' the former pair's Utah home, but she must pay her ex $130,000 for his share in the property's equity.
Furthermore, Mike was allotted time with the girls on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The exes walked down the aisle in 2009 and Monica first filed for divorce in 2013.
They reconciled, but the Bravo TV star filed for divorce a second time this past June.
Last year, she told E! News that the dissolution of the marriage was not due to her scandalous 18-month affair with her brother-in-law, but rather because she and Mike weren't 'good together.'
She went on to praise her ex-husband as a 'great co-parent' and 'wonderful dad and provider.'
'He calls and checks on me,' she divulged to the outlet. 'I am the mother of his children, and we’ll always love and respect each other because of that.'
![Monika is already a mother of Bri, 18, Jaidyn, 13, West, 7, and Kendall, 6, with ex-husband Mike Fowler.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/18/83521133-13298211-image-m-43_1712856227760.jpg)
Monika is already a mother of Bri, 18, Jaidyn, 13, West, 7, and Kendall, 6, with ex-husband Mike Fowler.
![Three of her four daughters are pictured together in a rare Instagram photo](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/18/83521131-13298211-image-a-41_1712856196092.jpg)
Three of her four daughters are pictured together in a rare Instagram photo
![The reality TV villain is pictured with ex-husband Mike Fowler, who she cheated on with her own brother-in-law](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/18/83521127-13298211-image-a-44_1712856236438.jpg)
The reality TV villain is pictured with ex-husband Mike Fowler, who she cheated on with her own brother-in-law
After appearing on The Viall Viles, Monica took to Instagram where she filmed herself doing a pregnancy test.
'Yes. I already have four girls. No. I was not planning on being 39 and going through the baby stage again, but unexpectedly here I am,' she captioned the video.
'For everyone making hateful comments and judging me as a mother, immediately deleted and blocked. I will not intake the negativity coming at me over a baby. To everyone else, THANK YOU,' she added.
Monica only appeared on one season of RHOSLC before being fired when it was revealed that she had secretly ran a Real Housewives troll account on Instagram for years, which had criticized and exposed things about the show's cast members.
She left the franchise shortly after the Los Angeles Times stated that the mother-of-four had made the fourth season 'unmissable TV.'
![Monica only appeared on one season of RHOSLC before being fired for running a secret Real Housewives fan account that had been used to target other cast members](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/18/80387249-13298211-Monica_Garcia_40_will_not_be_returning_to_The_Real_Housewives_of-a-38_1712855576512.jpg)
Monica only appeared on one season of RHOSLC before being fired for running a secret Real Housewives fan account that had been used to target other cast members
![She left the franchise shortly after the Los Angeles Times stated that the mother-of-four had made the fourth season 'unmissable TV'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/18/80387251-13298211-Her_last_appearance_on_the_series_will_be_during_part_three_of_t-a-39_1712855599430.jpg)
She left the franchise shortly after the Los Angeles Times stated that the mother-of-four had made the fourth season 'unmissable TV'
![Monica was grilled at the season four reunion, which was her final appearance on the show](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/79831727-13298211-Host_Andy_Cohen_revealed_he_was_still_reeling_from_an_explosive_-a-29_1712853668200.jpg)
Monica was grilled at the season four reunion, which was her final appearance on the show
![The other women on the show no longer wanted to film with Monica after the troll account was exposed on the season four finale](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/11/17/79831729-13298211-Lisa_Barlow_center_and_newcomer_Angie_Kastanevas_right_both_said-a-30_1712853671786.jpg)
The other women on the show no longer wanted to film with Monica after the troll account was exposed on the season four finale
She has also claimed that her involvement with the Instagram account was to expose Jen Shah - whom she used to work with in the past.
The former castmate is currently serving a nearly seven-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud back in July 2022.
However, Monica has also alleged that others were involved in posting on the troll page, including her own hairdresser named Tenesha.
During the season four finale, the reality star had told the other women, 'I didn't say s**t about anyone else other than Jen and I will own that to the grave,' while adding that she was simply, 'just telling the truth' when it came to the account.
However, Monica's co-stars, including Heather Gay and Meredith Marks were not too thrilled that she had kept such a big secret from the cast.