Shahs of Sunset Star Mike Shouhed Settles Assault Lawsuit with Ex-Fiancée

In a significant development regarding the legal dispute between “Shahs of Sunset” reality TV personality Mike Shouhed and his former fiancée Paulina Ben-Cohen, the parties have reached a settlement agreement that will lead to the dismissal of her assault lawsuit. This resolution, exclusively reported by Us Weekly, comes just days before the former couple was scheduled to face each other in court. According to court documents filed on September 11, Ben-Cohen’s legal team informed the court about the settlement, noting that the lawsuit would be formally dismissed once all terms of the agreement are fulfilled, with a planned dismissal date of December 9. Shouhed’s attorney, Reza Sina, expressed relief about the resolution, stating, “We are happy to have worked together to resolve the final piece of these unfortunate events and move on,” signaling what appears to be the conclusion of a difficult chapter for both parties.

The lawsuit, which Ben-Cohen filed in March 2024, stemmed from an alleged violent incident that occurred two years earlier in March 2022. In her legal complaint, Ben-Cohen described a disturbing confrontation at their shared home, where she claimed Shouhed verbally abused her with profanities and derogatory language while one of her children was nearby in the residence. According to her account, when she requested that Shouhed leave their home and attempted to pack his belongings after he refused, the situation escalated dramatically. The lawsuit alleged that Shouhed responded by grabbing her hair and forcefully throwing her to the ground, after which he allegedly struck her in the face and attempted to suffocate her as she struggled beneath a collapsed clothing rack. Ben-Cohen’s legal filing included what were described as screenshots from security footage inside the home, presented as evidence to support her claims about the nature and severity of the alleged assault.

Ben-Cohen’s lawsuit further detailed that the altercation continued in another area of the home, with additional allegations that Shouhed grabbed her wrist, covered her mouth, and suffocated her for several seconds before shoving her onto a bicycle on the floor. According to the legal documents, the incident lasted nearly four minutes in total and ended only when a nanny, whom Ben-Cohen had been calling for help, came to her assistance. The complaint claimed that when the nanny asked Shouhed to leave until he calmed down, he became more agitated, stating the house was his and that he would never leave. In perhaps the most alarming allegation, Ben-Cohen claimed that after Shouhed went upstairs to retrieve a firearm, police were called to the residence, resulting in his arrest. The lawsuit also included a claim that Shouhed had threatened to hire a hitman “who would put her away,” adding another troubling dimension to the already serious accusations.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Shouhed maintained his innocence, denying all allegations of wrongdoing in his formal response to the lawsuit. His defense strategy included arguing that Ben-Cohen’s own actions prevented her from seeking damages and suggesting that any injuries she sustained resulted either from her own behavior or from other entities unrelated to him. The reality TV star had previously faced thirteen criminal charges connected to the alleged assault but managed to avoid jail time through a plea deal with prosecutors. As part of that agreement, Shouhed was required to complete anger management classes and perform community service hours, requirements that presumably addressed the legal consequences of the incident from a criminal perspective while the civil lawsuit continued separately until this recent settlement.

The resolution of this lawsuit marks a significant personal and professional turning point for both individuals, particularly as it relates to their public personas and careers in entertainment. In May, Bravo announced a new program called “The Valley: Persian Style,” conceived as a spinoff of the popular “Shahs of Sunset” series that originally featured Shouhed. Notably, network announcements about the new show did not include Shouhed among the returning cast members, suggesting that the legal controversy may have influenced casting decisions or his willingness to participate in further reality television programming. The settlement comes at a time when both parties appear ready to move forward with their separate lives, though the specific terms of their agreement remain confidential at this time.

The case highlights the complex intersection of reality television fame, personal relationships, and legal accountability. For viewers who followed the couple on “Shahs of Sunset,” the allegations presented a stark contrast to their on-screen relationship, underscoring the often significant gap between reality TV narratives and the actual lives of cast members. While the settlement does not represent a legal determination of the allegations’ validity, it does provide both parties with a resolution that allows them to avoid the additional emotional and financial costs of a public trial. As Ben-Cohen prepares to formally dismiss the case in December, both she and Shouhed appear positioned to close this challenging chapter in their lives and move forward, albeit separately and likely forever changed by the experience and its very public nature.