Jen Shah opened up about her fraud crimes and her 6.5-year jail time period in an interview performed simply earlier than she surrendered to jail final Friday.
Hours earlier than the beginning of her sentence, the Actual Housewives of Salt Lake Metropolis solid member admitted to feeling a way of aid as she launched into her time away from her household, together with husband Sharrieff “Coach” Shah and sons Sharrieff Shah Jr. and Omar Shah. She additionally appeared again on the second she realized she had executed improper and teased her potential return to leisure.
“What I worry that the majority is that transition of not with the ability to hug and kiss my husband and my boys daily, and my mother,” Jen revealed throughout her February 17 interview with White Collar Recommendation. “However on the identical time … I additionally really feel hopeful and motivated to do a superb job and profit from my time away.”
In response to Jen, she skilled “a lot ambiguity” all through the investigation in opposition to her. So, now that she lastly is aware of what’s “occurring tomorrow,” she feels “a way of aid.”
“I’m going to have the ability to put the previous behind me and eventually begin actually therapeutic and forging a brand new path,” she defined.
Recalling her March 2021 arrest, Jen stated her speedy response was, “They should have the improper particular person. They should have this all improper. I didn’t do something.”
“I used to be in full denial at the moment and for a very long time all through the method as a result of I actually believed and was telling myself that I’m not responsible of this stuff that they’re accusing me of,” she admitted. “It was like I used to be on this tunnel and I used to be solely seeing what I needed to see.”
“I used to be mendacity to myself as a result of I didn’t need to settle for that I had executed this stuff or that I had harm anyone,” Jen continued. “I used to be mendacity to myself and telling myself what I needed to listen to … That wasn’t imagined to be my actuality and that pondering fostered extra unhealthy choices for me all through the authorized course of.”
Whereas Jen spent over a 12 months in denial, she finally fessed as much as her errors with a responsible plea in July 2022, simply earlier than she was set to go to trial.
“The largest factor for me was seeing an precise record of sufferer names,” she shared. “It grew to become a actuality for me at that time that there have been really folks harm from this … And that’s after I needed to make the toughest determination of my life … I needed to sit there and say, ‘I’ve to do the appropriate factor now.’”
Wanting again, Jen stated pleading responsible “was the toughest determination,” explaining that it took her so lengthy to take action as a result of her expertise was “actually a journey and a course of.”
“Due to the lie I used to be telling myself, and till I might come out from below that lie and see it, I couldn’t change the rest and I used to be by no means going to carry myself accountable or admit guilt,” she famous.
As she ready to start her sentence, Jen stated she was bringing simply two issues together with her to examine in: the Koran and an 18-page launch plan that can assist her “keep on monitor.”
“I’m going to be documenting and updating, [and] journaling my course of. I need folks to carry me accountable. I plan on publishing components of the discharge plan [and] sharing it with everybody on the web site,” she revealed. “I plan on spending the early morning time writing, studying … doing e-book studies … I’m attempting to learn to achieve worth and apply it, exercising, engaged on the discharge plan.”
Along with wanting to provide again and assist different ladies, Jen stated {that a} massive a part of her launch plan is repaying the victims.
“It’s voluntary. However for me, I needed to make it obligatory,” she said. “I put an quantity in that I’m going to be paying and I put it in there as a result of as soon as it’s in my plan, that’s going to carry me accountable.”
Jen additionally hopes to proceed working with the Nationwide Tongan American Society and return to leisure.
“[I’m hoping to get] again to the place I’m again within the leisure business and doing it in a method the place I’m affecting optimistic change and aligning with the objectives that I’ve laid out,” she defined.
In closing, Jen stated, “I’m sorry for letting the victims down and I need to, from this level ahead, show worthy. I need to make every sufferer complete. I need to show worthy of the help that Sharrieff and Omar and Sharrieff Jr. and my mother, my brothers and sisters, have proven me all through this journey.”
“It’s not simply speak. I’m going to indicate you thru my actions and thru onerous work,” she added.
The Actual Housewives of Salt Lake Metropolis season 4 reportedly started filming earlier this month.