Asa Soltan Rahmati Seems to Have No Regrets About Leaving ‘Shahs of Sunset’
Published July 25 2021, 2:03 p.m. ET
Reality series Shahs of Sunset doesn’t have the cast turnover that other Bravo shows do: Nine seasons in, most of the original cast members are still on the call sheet.
But not Asa Soltan Rahmati. Asa left after Season 6 and hasn’t been seen on the show — or elsewhere on television— since her brief reappearances during the Season 7.
So why did Asa leave Shahs of Sunset?
Well, it was all about family, as she revealed on Instagram.
“As you know, last year I gave birth to Soltan Jackson, my beautiful son,” she wrote at the time. “[Boyfriend] Jermaine [Jackson Jr.] and I are completely overjoyed about being parents. Like all parents, we want to provide Soltan with the best possible upbringing, and we believe that is not being raised in front of the cameras. … These early years are very precious, and it’s important for me to be present for as many cherished moments as possible.”
Asa told followers that her family was her “priority,” and her business was her “focus.”
“My plate is currently so full with balancing all the elements of motherhood while also designing and running a successful business that is exploding,” Asa added in that Instagram caption, referring to her Asa Kaftans boutique. “In these joyful yet challenging times, my priorities and focus are clear. Family being priority, and work is my focus.”
And thus, Asa decided to only have a minimal presence in Season 7. “I’ll really miss sharing my life with you this season,” she wrote at the time. “And I will miss the usual shenanigans with my crew. By the way, as any new parent knows, I am dealing with a brand new set of shenanigans in this new Mami life.”
Former costar MJ Javid said she had an “unfortunate dynamic” with Asa.
In an August 2018 installment of Bravo’s podcast The Daily Dish, two of Asa’s former Shahs of Sunset costars reacted to her departure from the show.
Shahs’ Mercedes “MJ” Javid, for one, said that her relationship with Asa had become strained on the show. “It was just an unfortunate dynamic,” she explained. “I’m so open, and I’m not passive-aggressive; if something bothers me, I want to talk about it, and if you try to have a friendship with someone who’s closed off and secretive, then it just eventually lands on its face.”
But fellow Shahs star Reza Farahan said that he “totally” respected Asa’s decision to fly the coop. “She’s focused on her man and her baby and her business. And I don’t think it was a right fit for her anymore. She didn’t feel super open to the group, and she has her own new, smaller group now that she’s about.”
Now Asa is living in her own “life lane,” but she thinks her time on ‘Shahs’ was an “amazing chapter.”
When Bravo Insider’s Life After Bravo caught up with Asa this May, the entrepreneur said that Shahs of Sunset was an “amazing chapter,” but she shared no desire to go back.
“For me, I’m living my life,” she said. I’m working hard. I’m being a mommy. I’m definitely in my own life lane, too. … I think the day Shahs isn’t happening anymore, then I’m sure I could connect to a couple of the people and kind of laugh about the experience and maybe have a glass of wine or a scotch or a tea.”