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Reza Farahan said he wants Mike Shouhed to film for The Valley: Persian Style in some capacity, and addressed Mike’s shady post. Reza also addressed being “triggered” by a replay of his pool fight, and hinted at his fractured relationship with Mercedes Javid’s estranged husband Tommy Feight.
For The Valley: Persian Style – a Shahs of Sunset spinoff – Mike and many original costars were not asked to film. As it premiered, Mike wrote a post shading the reboot and hinting that Shahs of Sunset can’t be duplicated.
Speaking to ET, Reza shared that he wants Mike – and other former costars – to film in some capacity.
“If it were up to me, Shervin, Mike, Lilly, and Destiny would either be ‘friends of,’ making cameos, appearances,” said Reza. “I would love it because Mike is organically in my life. Shervin is organically in all of our lives. Lilly’s organically in my life and in Golnesa‘s life. Destiny has been a dear friend and has stayed a dear friend for all these years. So to see them back with us, showing the audience where we’re at, and our relationships would be very fun for me.”
Reza was then asked whether any former castmates were hurt by not being invited to the party in season 1.
“So Mike posted a photo of himself in the Watch What Happens Clubhouse, and he said something about [how Shahs of Sunset] can never be duplicated, hashtag OG,” Reza explained. “And it came across very bitter to me, but I put myself in his shoes, and if I were the Mike and he was the Reza, I would move to Uganda. I would not be able to handle being here with my old cast moving on and having a new show. So I can’t blame him, but I don’t think it landed the way he thought it was gonna land.”
Later on, Mike was asked if the replay of his shocking pool-party fight reopened old wounds.
“It reopens the wound,” he answered. “I can smell the air, I can taste the food. It triggers me. I hate it so much. And it reminds me of a very dark and painful period. But I force myself to stay in that feeling to remind myself where we were and to never, ever, ever go back there again.”
He then addressed his fractured relationship with Tommy – amid a recent scene in which Tommy turned down Mercedes’ suggestion that he and Reza meet.
“It’s hard,” said Reza, “but I also can’t want something that someone else doesn’t want … I don’t want to spoil what transpires in the season, but it’s way more shocking than the scene that you saw of him not responding. What ends up happening is 10,000 times crazier to me than the scene of him not acknowledging his tearful wife.”