Jen Shah is under fire after leaked audio revealed her poor treatment towards her Shah Squad and fashion designer at The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reunion. Now, the designer is coming forward and detailing the “stressful” work environment he claims Jen forced him into. He also shared how “traumatized” he is by the entire experience.
Ten minutes worth of audio recently surfaced online and reflects a different side of Jen that wasn’t seen on the show. While viewers watched as Jen shouted and acted out against the other housewives on the show, she didn’t film any scenes belittling her employees. However, all that changed at the reunion show. There had been reports that her dress almost didn’t make it to the show on time. It turns out Jen was backstage letting her team have it due to her frustration. In two leaked audio files, Jen can be heard shouting at her entire team and even one who lives with her. “Get your s**t b***h I don’t care…you have a f***ing place to lay your f***ing head because you’re in my house,” she screams. In the second audio file, she can be heard shouting at the designer Koa Johnson. “How many f***ing hands do you need,” she yells. “I’m gonna beat the s**t outta you in like two seconds.”
Now, Johnson is speaking out and sharing his “traumatizing” work experience with the Bravo star. “It was a very, very stressful time,” Johnson told Page Six. “I wasn’t sleeping. I was not taking care of myself physically and mentally, but I was still operating on adrenaline.” He noted that his time working with Jen “was like the most traumatizing months of my life.” While he doesn’t know who leaked the audio, he said he was happy someone was brave enough to do it. He went on to explain the melee that caused her dress delay and said it was Jen’s fault as to why the dress almost didn’t arrive on time. “There was a delay on the fabric, which was on her part,” he said. “I was waiting for her to get all the money transferred over to the credit card for it to be purchased. That process even delayed it more.”
He quit working for Jen on January 11, the day the reunion was filmed. In addition to Jen’s reunion dress and 12 other looks he created for her throughout the season, he also designed Heather Gay’s reunion show dress. He says the final straw for him was when Heather shouted him out on the show as her designer. but Jen refused to. “I’m watching everybody go around saying who they’re wearing,” he recalled, “and Heather said me and then when it went to Jen, I was expecting her to say the same thing and say my name and she didn’t and that hurt me.”
His hope is to inspire anyone else experiencing workplace abuse to speak up. Johnson also wants Jen to “take responsibility for her actions and behaviors.” He went on to note how she was called out by the other housewives for lacking accountability. “I know that’s been a problem during her Season 1 is not taking any responsibility or whatever because I was there for the witness,” he added. “I really do wish her the best of luck for Season 2 — she’s going to need it.”
