As Bravo viewers well know, stars of the Real Housewives get their dirty laundry aired out whether they like it or not. For Jen Shah, this means her arrest for fraud and money laundering charges was fair game in Season 2 of the Salt Lake City, as well as the fallout of it with the other ladies. However, the reality star is now attempting to block the show’s footage from impacting her upcoming trial.
Jen Shah Snubs Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City In New Court Filing
So far as we know, the star's trial is slated for March 22 in New York. But there’s also been talk of a pretrial hearing taking place on Tuesday, February 22. Whatever the case may be, the Bravo alum made a preemptive move to mitigate the reality series’ impact on any legal outcomes. She, as a matter of fact, filed documents in court, per People, that request Real Housewives of Salt Lake City clips not be shown as evidence. Her lawyers said in the docs:
There is no circumstance under which a clip of Jen Shah from her appearance on the RHOSLC should be used in court as these clips do not have any of the indicia of reliability.
Throughout the second season, several major claims were leveled against Jen Shah by her castmates, which makes it understandable why she’s trying to prevent it from airing out in court. Most notably, her co-star, Meredith Marks, alleged in Vale that one of Shah's former employees stole from her boutique. Shah has flat-out denied culpability in the incident, but it doesn’t bode well for a fraud trial.
Bravo Show Gets Slammed As “Fake” By Jen Shah's Legal Team
The court documents would go on to say that the Bravo alum's behavior on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (which might be used against her at the trial) was “molded by requirements” of reality TV. Her lawyers also allege that the footage is “highly curated and edited to satisfy.” In other words, the drama could sway a potential jury against her. Additionally, they stated:
The women and their lives are both real and fake and it is impossible to tell where reality ends and fantasy and outright deception and fakery begins.
As Vanderpump Rules’ Lala Kent recently revealed, Bravo stars are indeed rewarded for playing up conflict. But unfortunately for Jen Shah, the RHSLC shenanigans are already out there for any viewer to see – even potential jury members.
Several Efforts Have Been Made To Dismiss Jen Shah’s Charges
It isn’t known as of yet if the judge in the case has made a decision about the show’s footage. However, there have been several other rulings – and not in the reality TV star's favor. The Salt Lake City alum has tried twice now to have the fraud charges thrown out completely. In the most recent one, there were claims that the Hulu documentary about her troubles would “jeopardize” a fair trial. Her efforts were denied both times.
Needless to say, it's all coming down to the wire now. The Season 2 finale of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City premieres tonight, Sunday, February 20 on Bravo at 9 p.m. EST, and then Jen Shah’s court dates will follow soon after.
