Dark Secrets Of The Cast Of Shahs Of Sunset

"Shahs of Sunset" is just one of the many hit reality shows on Bravo. It premiered in 2012 and immediately captivated viewers with its groundbreaking cast of Iranian and Iranian-Americans living and working in Los Angeles. The second season even took Bravo executives by surprise by nearly doubling in the views it garnered. Fans got an inside look at the glamorous lifestyle of this group of close friends. Some of the cast have known each other since high school, while others have even hooked up in the past. 

With nine seasons under their belt and a few new faces added since its premiere, the show is still capturing attention with shocking revelations and non-stop drama. Over the years, the cast has had dark secrets play out in front of the Bravo cameras, in the press, and in social media. Let's take a look at some dark secrets that you may have missed.

Jessica Parido's relationship with Mike Shouhed was just one of the few love stories documented on "Shahs of Sunset." Viewers witnessed the two fall in love, get married in a lavish wedding, and then unfortunately divorce in the messiest of ways. The two were very open about their relationship troubles as they tried to attain their Happily Ever After. One detail that many viewers don't know is that Jessica Parido was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 14. The young Parido was shocked by the news and was even told by doctors that she had a 20% chance of surviving. 

Even though she was young and her life changed overnight, Parido was determined to not give up, telling People, "My mind just completely accepted it, and I said, 'I'm going to beat this. There is no way I'm dying.'" She received a bone marrow transplant from her younger sister and spent the next eight months recovering in an isolated hospital room. "It was daunting to be alone for hours on end," she says. "I became very spiritual and very in tune with myself and my emotions." Parido even spent her 15th birthday in the hospital. However, the love and care from her nurses and caregivers is something Parido never forgot. It even inspired her to become a registered nurse herself.

Asa Soltan was always a fan favorite on "Shahs of Sunset." Viewers loved how she balanced the rest of the over-the-top cast with logic and humility. In many of the explosive arguments on the show, she was the voice of reason. However, in Season 6, a rift occurred between Soltan and the cast. Her reluctance to discuss her seven-year relationship with Jermaine Jackson Jr. irked the rest of the oversharing cast. The tension between the co-stars boiled over when Soltan appeared pregnant on the show and refused to discuss her IVF journey. Cast member Mercedes Javid felt betrayed by her secrecy and angrily referred to Soltan's unborn child as a "bastard."

When the rest of the cast didn't jump to her defense, Soltan no longer felt comfortable within the group and left the show after Season 6. She found home in a new group -– the legendary Jacksons. Her baby shower was star-studded with the Jackson family attending, including La Toya Jackson and Paris Jackson. Notably absent was the rest of the "Shahs" cast. She revealed that she no longer keeps in touch with the cast, and the treatment she received during her pregnancy is partly the reason. "The fact that I was eight months pregnant and my child was called that disgusting name," she told Bravo in 2021. "It was one of the most difficult things I've ever experienced in my life."

Seasons 8 and 9 of "Shahs of Sunset ” chronicled the falling-out between longtime friends Mercedes Javid and Reza Farahan. The duo went from close friends to enemies when Farahan accused Javid of spreading rumors about his husband being unfaithful. Javid then went on social media and claimed that none of the cast, including Farahan, visited her in the ICU after giving birth. This battle of words led to an angry confrontation at a pool party where the two went at each other, and Farahan screamed at Javid, "Your uterus exploded 'cause you had ten abortions" in front of party guests. In retaliation, Javid's husband visited Farahan's house and allegedly damaged property, resulting in his arrest and Farahan filing a restraining order. 

In Season 9, the two friends took baby steps in mending the relationship, but Javid's husband has not been on board. In the Season 9 finale, his wife handed him an apology letter from Farahan –- which he quickly ripped up before reading. Javid and Farahan's friendship rekindling is still something the two don't agree on. "He threw his ring," she told E! News' Daily Pop. "He was not OK with it but that was a long time ago, and now I really believe in my heart that I'm so optimistic. Even if it's unrealistic, my goal is for us to do this again, for Tommy and Reza to be able to like [come together] because it's really important."

In Season 8 of "Shahs of Sunset," newcomer Sara Jeihooni shocked viewers when she revealed that she'd dated singer R. Kelly. She sat down with cast member Reza Farahan and detailed how two federal agents showed up to her front door to deliver a subpoena in the case against him. She reportedly met the singer in 2013 and dated him for three years. She revealed that she was shocked by the current allegations against him because that wasn't what she experienced with him. "Robert was very charming, so kind — definitely not what I would have expected," she told Farahan. When she saw the explosive LifeTime documentary "Surviving R. Kelly," she was left in shock. "I don't speak to him anymore," she continued. "And I've watched the documentary and I'm like, the person I loved is a monster, but I don't know that guy" (per Rolling Out).

Later on in the season, she broke down in tears after the cast accused her of not being transparent about her issues –- including her past with R. Kelly. "None of you really know anything about that experience," she tearfully told them. After the season wrapped, Jeihooni opted to not return and publicly slammed the show. "They're just the most toxic group of people I've quite frankly ever met. They're truly not a representation of Persians. I've never met Persians like them to be honest," she told Us Weekly. "I just feel like this is the only show on TV in this country that shows any representation for Persians and it's just not a true representation."

The city of Los Angeles is a pretty small town, and apparently, all celebrities have been classmates. Nema Vand definitely one-upped his cast mates Reza Farahan and Mercedes Javid (who went to high school with Monica Lewinsky) when he revealed his former classmate -– Meghan Markle. "I grew up with her. We were friends for a long time," he said. "She was a year older than me." He described how well-liked she was amongst their peers and how every guy (including him) had a crush on her. 

After detailing a flirty moment he had with Markle and his friend's short-lived relationship with her on a podcast, Vand accidentally created a media firestorm. During an episode of "Watch What Happens Live," Vand told Andy Cohen, "I had reporters showing up to my house," he said. "My friend, who I had mentioned had dated her, had reporters camping outside of his home for a week. I was getting death threats on Twitter." Vand said he learned his lesson from the Meghan Markle Army and probably won't be telling old stories ever again.

When Nema Vand joined the cast of "Shahs of Sunset" in Season 7, he instantly became a voice of reason in this wild cast. His bubbly personality and neutrality during conflicts made him one of the few people in the crew that was liked by all. Outside of his funny commentary, he began to open up about some of the issues in his life, including his own divorce and the strained relationship he has with his parents, which began after they divorced when he was a child. His mother moved out with his sister, while he stayed with his father. 

On the show, he opened up about how devastating it was to see the breakup of his family. In Season 8, viewers saw an emotional breakthrough between Vand and his father as he opens up about that childhood trauma and reveals that it's partly the reason he doesn't want kids. "I love you to death," he told his father. "I forgive you and I forgive mom. I mean that because I don't want to carry it in [my heart] any more. I can't spend the next 35 years like the last couple of years. I can't do it." Like every other reality show, his vulnerability has been used against him. Cast members like Mike Shouhed have thrown it back in his face during arguments. During Season 8, Shouhed and Vand bumped heads, and Shouhed knew exactly what button to push. "Your dad didn't teach you these things," he sneered. "He didn't teach you how to be a man."

Even though the cast of "Shahs of Sunset" have faced criticism from the Persian community for poor representation, the show still has moments that ring true for many members of the community. In Season 8, viewers had a chance to see the racial profiling many Middle Eastern people experience while traveling. With Bravo cameras rolling, cast members Mike Shouhed, Nema Vand, and Shervin Roohparvar were kicked off a plane while traveling to Los Angeles. The three men described the moment as racial profiling. 

"We're walking to our seats that were saved by another friend. The gentleman, he saw that and ran to take our seats. I was guilty before the flight attendant even came up to me. She already made up her mind that I'm gonna get off the plane. She didn't want to hear our story," Shouhed described. "People who look like me are discriminated against." At the show's reunion, other cast members chimed in with their own experiences at the airport that includes being constantly randomly selected for extra screenings and even being tested for bomb residue. "I think 9/11 changed a lot of things more aggressively," said Golnesa Gharachedaghi. "It happens, we deal with it."