ET has your first look at what went down just before Mercedes Javid and Reza Farahan's much-teased face-to-face encounter.
She's baaaaaaaack!
Mercedes 'MJ' Javid returns to the Shahs of Sunset fold this week, and ET has your exclusive first look at the moments leading up to her and Reza Farahan's much-anticipated face-to-face encounter. FYI, the episode is called "Pool Party Massacre."
Up until now, MJ has only appeared via home video, phone call or confessional interview this season -- she hasn't interacted with the group at all in person. Even so, she's been embedded in the drama that's unfolding, with multiple members of the group alleging that MJ orchestrated a "take down" of Reza and his marriage via her friend, Ali Ashouri. Ali told Destiney Rose about some suggestive text messages he received from Reza's husband, Adam Neely; Destiney, in turn, took that information to Mike Shouhed, who told Reza… who then confronted Ali over it. Meanwhile, Golnesa 'GG' Gharachedaghi claimed that Ali told her that MJ had masterminded the whole thing. Reza confronted MJ -- his friend of 30 years -- about it via phone call, but she hung up on him. For what it's worth, she was in the ICU at the time after suffering complications from child birth.
Anyway, cut to the gang gathered at season eight newbie Sara Jeihooni's place for a pool party. Nema Vand shows up late with a surprise guest in tow, MJ. As soon as they clock her, Reza and GG announced that they're leaving.
"I'm not at a place where I'm ready to talk to MJ," Reza admits. "All of that betrayal is all in my heart and right here [pointing to his neck]. I need a little time to process s**t."
Nema chases after Reza and GG, pleading with them to give MJ a chance. Watch it play out here:
"She could've texted me and said, I'm really sorry that I sent that queen for you, to come and get you…'" Reza tells Nema, before Nema cuts him off to say that MJ "has a different perspective and a different side."
"Honestly, Nema, you rolling in with her says a lot right now, bro," GG then proclaims. "That's just as f**ked up for you to do that and not tell everybody."
"I'm trying to be peacemaker," Nema tells the group, to which GG asks, "How is ambushing a bunch of people being peaceful?"
Back inside the party, MJ is catching up with Mike -- and going in on Reza.
"That b***h just ran like the b***h that he is, didn’t he?" she says. "Yeah! I wonder why. 'Cause he's scared?"
"How dare you?" she goes on to say in a confessional. "Where the f**k do you think you’re going? This is a person who I have been loyal to for 30 years."
And that's when Mike flat out asks MJ, "Did you instigate s**t between him and Ali?" Fans will have to tune into the episode to see what MJ says, but judging by what Destiney told ET last week, MJ isn’t owning up to any part of the so-called plot.
"I can't trust everyone," she shared. "And so, I'm learning this as time goes, that I have to be extremely aware of my surroundings at all times. And that's what I'm learning right now."
Destiney has maintained that she never spoke directly with MJ about this alleged plan, but heavily hinted that MJ is behind everything by referencing her issues from the past -- including with GG and former cast members Lilly Ghalichi and Asa Soltan, who both exited the series after heated encounters with MJ.
"The beautiful thing is history, OK?" she added. "And if you really analyze the history and the whole pattern of certain things that have gone on in the past seasons of Shahs, there's a pattern, there's a repetitive pattern. I will say that I was oblivious to a lot of things."
Shahs of Sunset airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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