Shahs of Sunset Alum Mike Shouhed Sued for Alleged Domestic Violence by Former Fiancée

Sunset Chess alum Mike Shouhed is facing a lawsuit from his ex-fiancée over an alleged domestic violence incident in 2022.

In a court document filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, obtained by PEOPLE, Paulina Ben-Cohen is suing the 45-year-old former Bravo star for alleged assault and battery, gender-based violence and intentional infliction of emotional pain.

The lawsuit details a March 27, 2022 incident at Ben-Cohen’s Los Angeles home, in which she claims her ex-fiancé “viciously, brutally and repeatedly assaulted and beat her” in a bedroom and children’s playroom.

She is seeking unspecified damages and punitive damages in the lawsuit.

Mike Shouhed and Paulina Ben-Cohen. Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty ‘Shahs of Sunset’ Mike Shouhed faces 14 criminal charges from domestic incident with Paulina Ben-Cohen

After Ben-Cohen put her children to bed, she says she started smoking a hookah without tobacco — which is “very common” in her culture — when, she claims, Shouhed started an argument and called her a “terrible mother,” ” f —ing w—-,” and a “piece of s—,” the complaint states.

After the alleged outburst, Ben-Cohen told Shouhed her feelings about their relationship and said he should leave the home, but he reportedly refused. She then began packing his belongings and asked him to “not make this any more difficult than it already was,” according to the complaint.

That’s when Ben-Cohen claimed in the complaint that Shouhed “forcefully grabbed her by the hair and shoulder and forcefully threw her to the ground” as she tried to take his clothes off the clothes rack. The incident was documented on screenshots of the security footage in the submission.

Mike Shouhed. ‘Shahs of Sunset’ Mike Shouh was vacationing in Mexico with fiancée Paulina after his recent arrest

Ben-Cohen alleged that Shouhed bent over her as she lay on the ground and “punched her in the face, then put his hand over her face and tried to suffocate her as she writhed on the ground struggling to breathe.”

Shouhed also allegedly threatened to kill Ben-Cohen and told her he “had a killer who was going to lock her up,” the lawsuit said.

The argument continued in the children’s playroom and Ben-Cohen tried to call 911.

“Almost four minutes after [Shouhed] launched his series of vicious and brutal attacks on the plaintiff, this harrowing incident finally came to an end…” the complaint states. “After Shouhed went upstairs to retrieve one of his firearms, the police were called, came to the residence and arrested Shouhed.”

Paulina Ben-Cohen and Mike Shouhed. Paulina Ben-Cohen Instagram ‘Shahs of Sunset’ star Mike Shouhed arrested after alleged domestic violence

Shouhed was arrested on March 27, 2022. According to arrest records reviewed by PEOPLE, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) West Valley Division took him into custody at 1:05 a.m. the next morning. He was released the same day on $50,000 bail.

After the arrest, Shouhed’s attorney, Alex Kessel, denied any wrongdoing on his client’s part.

“My own investigation reveals that my client did not commit any acts of domestic violence,” Kessel said in a statement to PEOPLE. “I have no doubt that Mike will be acquitted. Please respect the presumption of innocence.”

Shouhed was charged with 14 criminal charges after the incident. According to documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time, former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer charged the reality star with various misdemeanors on July 20, 2022, including eight counts of domestic violence, battery and unlawfully attempting to deter a victim from filing a complaint.

In addition, Shouhed also faces six weapons charges, including criminal possession of a loaded firearm and possession of an assault weapon.

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Ben-Cohen then confirmed to PEOPLE through his attorney Joshua Ritter that she is the “victim in the case.”

“Pauline’s primary focus is on protecting herself and her children,” Ritter said in a statement on behalf of his client at the time. He supports the work of the police and the City Attorney’s Office and continues to cooperate with them and looks forward to leaving this sad situation behind him and moving on with his life.

Following her arrest, Ben-Cohen also addressed the issue via a statement from her attorney to E! News: “We are working with the authorities to find a just and fair outcome to this sad situation. The family appreciates your space and respect for their privacy during this time.”

In October 2022, Shouhed entered a diversion program to close his case, according to TMZ.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education