'Shahs of Sunset' star Mike Shouhed accused of domestic violence by former fiancée in lawsuit

“Shahs of Sunset” star Mike Shouhed is facing claims of assault by his former fiancée.

Paulina Ben-Cohen filed a lawsuit against Shouhed in Los Angeles County Superior Court Friday, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY Wednesday. Shouhed is being sued on charges of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and gender violence, stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident in 2022.

In the 20-page filing, Ben-Cohen claims she was “viciously, brutally, and repeatedly assaulted and battered” by then-fiancé Shouhed following an argument at her home in Encino, California. The alleged dispute began when Ben-Cohen prepared a hookah to smoke after putting her children to bed, which led to Shouhed calling Ben-Cohen a “horrible mother.”

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The couple’s argument escalated over text message, per the complaint, as Shouhed allegedly made additional “verbally abusive comments” to Ben-Cohen. The reality TV star’s fiancée concluded the conversation by asking Shouhed to move out of her home.

While packing up some of Shouhed’s clothing, Ben-Cohen was purportedly attacked when Shouhed “ran into the room, forcefully grabbed (her) hair and shoulder and violently threw her to the ground,” according to the lawsuit. Surveillance photos included in the filing appear to show a struggle between Shouhed and Ben-Cohen inside a bedroom with a clothing rack.

Standing over Ben-Cohen, Shouhed then allegedly struck Ben-Cohen in the face and attempted to smother her by placing his hand over her face as she lay on the ground, per the complaint. Ben-Cohen later attempted to call police but was “violently confronted” by Shouhed, who told Ben-Cohen he “had a hitman who would put her away.” The woman was allegedly thrown to the ground again after attempting to push Shouhed away in self-defense.

The filing states that Shouhed’s alleged assault of Ben-Cohen continued inside the playroom of Ben-Cohen’s children. Ben-Cohen claims Shouhed continued his attempts at suffocation by repeatedly placing his hand over her mouth and also forcefully held her head “down towards the ground.” Surveillance photos included in the complaint appear to show a fight between the couple inside a playroom area.

The altercation reportedly ended shortly after Ben-Cohen called her children’s nanny for help, according to the lawsuit. While Shouhed was retrieving a firearm in a room upstairs, police were called to Ben-Cohen’s home and Shouhed was subsequently arrested.

“At no time during the course of the events that occurred on the evening of March 27, 2022, did (Ben-Cohen) pose any reasonable or credible threat of injury to harm to Shouhed, nor did she do anything to justify the acts of vicious and brutal acts of violence Shouhed committed against her,” said Ben-Cohen’s attorneys in a statement in the filing. “Those acts were unreasonable, unnecessary, not used in defense of self or others and without any justification.”

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USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Shouhed for comment.

A few months following his arrest, Shouhed was reportedly charged with 14 criminal charges, including eight counts of domestic violence, battery and unlawfully attempting to dissuade a victim from making a report, according to People magazine. Many of the charges against the television personality were dismissed after Shouhed reportedly agreed to complete a diversion program to close out his case, per TMZ.

Shouhed starred on the Bravo series “Shahs of Sunset,” which centered on the affluent lifestyles of a group of Persian American friends in Los Angeles, during its nine-season run from 2012 to 2021. Ben-Cohen’s lawsuit also contains claims of physical violence and threats by Shouhed during the show’s production in 2021, including an alleged incident in which Shouhed held a gun up to Ben-Cohen’s head.

As compensation, Ben-Cohen is seeking a series of general damages, special damages, and punitive and exemplary damages from her ex. Ben-Cohen is also requesting a trial by jury.

A case management conference for the proceeding is scheduled for July 22 in Van Nuys, California, according to the Los Angeles County Superior Court website.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, The National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org) allows you to speak confidentially with trained advocates online or by the phone, which they recommend for those who think their online activity is being monitored by their abuser (800-799-7233). They can help survivors develop a plan to achieve safety for themselves and their children.

Safe Horizon's hotline (safehorizon.org) offers crisis counseling, safety planning and assistance finding shelters (800-621-HOPE (4673). It also has a chat feature where you can reach out for help from a computer or phone confidentially.