Mercedeh “MJ” Javid Reveals Who From ‘Shahs Of Sunset’ Is Still Close With Mike Shouhed After His Domestic Violence Charges

Shahs of Sunset might’ve been canceled in 2021 after nine seasons, but the drama persisted even after the cameras went down. OG star Mike Shouhed was the subject of domestic violence allegations after a 2022 argument with his then-fianceé, Paulina Ben-Cohen, who filed a lawsuit against her ex in 2024. While Shouhed’s string of controversies etched him out of a spot on The Valley: Persian Style—which stars Mercedeh “MJ” Javid, Golnesa “GG” Gharachedaghi, and Reza Farahan—it sounds like Shouhed is still hanging around some of their group.

When Javid stopped by DECIDER’s studio ahead of The Valley: Persian Style‘s premiere, she revealed that she was not actively in contact with Shouhed, who settled his lawsuit with Ben-Cohen late last year and had many of his 14 charges dismissed after completing a diversion program. However, she said he still reaches out to her every now and then.

“I chose not to support Mike in his journey, but I’ve always wished him well and sent messages of love and healing,” Javid said. “That sounds corny, but I really, really do.”

“He checked in with me when my news of the divorce and the separation came into the media,” she continued, referring to her decision to file for divorce from Tommy Feight in October 2025 after seven years of marriage. “He’s still friends and talks all the time with Reza and also with Shervin [Roohparvar].”

According to Javid, Shouhed recently confronted her for dodging his calls when she was on FaceTime with Roohparvar, who ran into him at the gym.

“He grabbed the phone and he was like, ‘Why can’t you call me back?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t feel like I owed you a call,’” Javid said. “It’s just like that bond is there.”

Gharachedaghi also shared that she is no longer friendly with Shouhed — and hasn’t been since he attempted to sleep with her while he was dating his first wife, Jessica Parido, in Season 4.

“I stopped being close with Mike around … I don’t know what year it was … it was like our Season 4 or something like that when we had a situation and there was never really a full recovery from that,” she told us over Zoom. “But we have very different outlooks on life and very different views. I wish him and his family the absolute best.”

Gharachedaghi, for her part, has also found herself in trouble with Ben-Cohen, who filed a temporary restraining order against the Shahs alum for allegedly attacking her at a Los Angeles mall in March 2025. Ben-Cohen—who is now in a relationship with Gharachedaghi’s ex-husband Dennis DeSantis—claimed the the mom-of-one began hurling “derogatory and offensive remarks” at her before she allegedly “hit [her] in the face” and “grabbed a chunk of [her] hair and yanked it,” per People.

When asked about Ben-Cohen’s accusations, Gharachedaghi said, “I really cannot speak on that vermin, so I will not speak on her. She’s irrelevant from my life and everything.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.

The Valley: Persian Style airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.