'Shahs of Sunset' Fans Are Wondering Why "OG" Mike Shouhed Isn't on 'The Valley: Persian Style'

When the new Bravo spin-off, The Valley: Persian Style, premiered in early January 2026, one of the original Shahs of Sunset stars was notably absent. Fans wondered why Mike Shouhed, who was part of all nine seasons of Shahs of Sunset, is not in the new show.

The Valley: Persian Style is a spin-off of The Valley, which is a spin-off of Vanderpump Rules. The show description says it follows a "tight-knit group of Persian friends who have traded Beverly Hills for suburban life in the Valley."

Reza Farahan, Golnesa “GG” Gharachedaghi, and Mercedes “MJ” Javid will continue to document their lives in the new show, but Mike Shouhed, Destiney Rose, Nema Vand, and Shervin Roohparvar will not, according to Ok Magazine.

In 2022, Mike faced allegations of domestic violence and criminal charges. The reality TV commenter Up And Adam! 2 said a video surfaced of Mike physically fighting with his partner, Paulina, and "dragging her" around the house. He said that Mike threatened Paulina as well, but that was not caught on tape. Mike did a program that got most of his 14 charges dismissed, according to Up and Adam.

Many fans theorize that the allegations and charges against Mike are the reason he is not included in the new show. However, a source told Ok Magazine that that is not the case.

The source said that Mike was "not even included in the first reboot that was discussed when Shahs was canceled," and that this all happened "way before the Paulina Ben-Cohen stuff came to light."

However, they also added that "production was privy to a lot of stuff" and "saw the writing on the wall and where things were going" with Mike. The source added, "He was never mentioned [for the new show] ... He’s like persona non grata. It’s as if he was never around."

The day The Valley: Persian Style came out, Mike posted a photo of himself on Bravo and wrote, "Can not be duplicated #OG." A fan commented on the post and asked whether he would appear on the show. He responded with a simple "no."

During a podcast appearance, Reza was asked what he thought about Mike's response to not being included in the new show, and Reza said Mike's reaction was tame compared to what he would have done.

"I would move to Uganda. I would be out of here. I wouldn't be able to tolerate it," Reza said lightheartedly. "It would feel like I was losing something that was so special to me, and everyone else was still getting to experience it," he added.

"I would be in ... an insane asylum, I'd be medicated. That was tame compared to what I would have done," Reza concluded.

As for cast members Nema Vand and Destiny Rose, Nema moved to New York City, and Rose moved to Las Vegas, which obviously made it difficult for them to appear in the new series, per Ok Magazine.