Bravo Cancels Long-Running Reality Series After 9 Seasons
The sun has set on Shahs of Sunset. Bravo canceled the reality series after nine seasons, production sources told TMZ Thursday. The show has been a magnet for criticism during its run, especially among members of the Iranian American community who felt it reinforced stereotypes. The cancellation news also comes a few days after star Mike Shouhed was arrested for alleged domestic violence.
Production sources told TMZ Bravo felt the show "ran its course" after 12 seasons. However, a few cast members, including Reza Farahan, Mercedes "MJ" Javid, and Golnesa "GG" Gharachedagi, are in early talks with Bravo to star in spinoffs. Bravo has not commented on the report.
Shahs of Sunset debuted on Bravo in March 2012 and focused on Persian Americans living in and around Beverly Hills. The original cast included Farahan, Gharachedaghi, Shouhed, Javid, Sammy Younai, and Asa Soltan Rahmati. During the show's run, others featured include Lilly Ghalichi, Asifa Mirza, Shervin Roohparvar, Destiny Rose, and Nema Vand. Ryan Seacrest is among the executive producers.
Almost immediately after the show premiered, critics worried that Shahs of Sunset would present the Iranian American community in a poor light. "I never thought Iranian Americans could get any press worse than what is on the news every night," Funny in Farsi author Firoozeh Dumas told the Los Angeles Times in 2012. "But now, Americans have a chance to see a slice of materialistic, shallow, and downright embarrassing Iranian culture. I just want to shout, 'We are not all like that!'" Seacrest defended the show as "escapism" and told the Times it was "meant to be entertaining and fun."
Last week, Page Six reported Shouhed was arrested for domestic violence in Los Angeles. He was arrested on March 27 after police responded to a call that night. Shouhed was booked for corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and held on a $50,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for July 25. Shouhed's attorney said the reality star denies the allegations.
Shouhed is engaged to Paulina Ben-Cohen, but it is unclear if she was the victim. They announced their engagement in August 2021 after Shouhed was accused of sending explicit texts to another woman. He admitted to doing so in May 2021.
"We were going through COVID, being on lockdown, and I let the anxiousness of going through that and just being bored allow me to do things I shouldn't have done," Shouhed told E! News last year. "Looking back, I feel really stupid for allowing myself to engage in that conversation, even though those text messages were for a few hours and one day that those messages happened, reliving it now feels like.. like it was going on for a long period of time."