Former “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah is getting candid about how her reported crimes had a major impact on her two sons, Sharrieff Jr. and Omar.
Jen Shah was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison in 2022 after pleading guilty to her role in a telemarketing fraud scheme that left a number of elderly and vulnerable victims emotionally scarred.
Why Jen Shah Had Her Two Sons Write Impact Letters To Her While She Was In Prison
Speaking with PEOPLE in her first interview since being released from custody, Shah, 52, stated that she took many steps to fully understand how her reported crimes affected more than just her.
To start, the former Bravo star said that she asked her family, Sharrieff Shah, and their two sons to write impact letters to her, detailing how her reported actions made them feel.
“I needed to know how I hurt them,” Shah said. “I needed them to be honest with me and tell me everything. I needed to hear that raw feedback, because that’s the only way you grow and heal. You can’t get better if you don’t know what you did.”
Jen Shah Said Her Children Were Apprehensive About Writing Impact Letters To Her
Shah explained that her sons, who were showcased in the first three seasons of “RHOSLC,” didn’t feel comfortable telling their mother about how she hurt them.
“They were like, ‘Dad, I don’t want to hurt mom’s feelings,’” Shah said, later revealing that she had second thoughts about what she was asking of them.
However, Shah’s husband, known as “Coach” to Bravo viewers, told their children that being honest about their feelings was for the best.
“And Coach told the boys, ‘You’re doing this for Mommy,’” she said.
Jen Shah Cried Many ‘Tears’ After Hearing What Her Sons Had To Say To Her
Shah eventually received her sons’ impact letters and got the chance to hear them aloud during a group session.
According to her, hearing their confessions was an emotional experience. “… there were a lot of tears,” she said, describing the moment as “hard.”
“But I needed to hear it,” she continued. “And I think that’s one of the reasons that we have grown closer as a family — because we had those difficult conversations, and I have faced those things head-on. I knew that there was hurt and pain, but you kind of wanted to be like, ‘Let’s sweep it under the rug.’ But I chose to tear that scab off and that wound and pour salt in it, if you will.”
Shah’s Victims Spoke Out About Her Reported Crimes In 2023
Shah’s children weren’t the only ones impacted by her reported crimes.
The reality star’s victims spoke with Good Morning America in 2023 about the scheme and revealed the heartbreaking ways the scheme upended their lives.
One elderly victim said she invested more than half of the savings she had for retirement, about $47,000, into the fraudulent program Shah’s team sold her.
A 44-year-old Iowa resident said she filed for bankruptcy after charging more than $40,000 on multiple credit cards.
Ralph Hallock, a World War II veteran, died by suicide after losing more than $100,000 in the scheme.
US Attorney Damiian Williams called Shah a “key participant” in a nationwide scheme that offered victims services of no value.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York claimed Shah was “not ignorant” of what was going on behind the scenes.
They went on to say that Shah “directed others to lie,” delete text messages and electronic documents, and claimed she even “moved some of her operations overseas and she tried to put computers and other evidence beyond the reach of the investigation.”
Shah Apologizes To Victims In First Interview Since Her Release
During her interview, Shah addressed her victims directly, admitting she was “wrong” for her role in the scheme.
“I made wrong decisions. I should have done things differently. I should have been more diligent. And I’m deeply remorseful and sorry for my actions and for my part. I take full responsibility,” she said.
At another point during the conversation, Shah said she was “sorry,” adding that her public interview was a step toward “accepting responsibility.”