Jen Shah has broken her silence on her ongoing legal drama.
As we’ve been reporting, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star was arrested for her participation in an alleged telemarketing scam. On Friday, Jen appeared virtually in court to plead not guilty to charges of fraud and money laundering. Previously, her only statement on the matter seemed to be fashion statements, as she was pictured on Instagram getting seriously glammed up with the hashtag “#unarrested,” which, as we know, wasn’t strictly true.
Related: Jen Said Her Assistant Would ‘Do Anything’ For Her Months Before Their Arrest
Now, the television personality has returned to her IG account to express gratitude for her supporters amidst the scandal. Over the weekend, she reposted some of her fans’ “#FreeJen” content, adding a caption to one:
“Thank you for being loyal, believing in me and not believing the hype. This journey has showed me who my true friends are. All my love. #ShahSquad.”
Meanwhile, sources have alleged that her fellow RHOSLC cast members were blindsided by the situation. An insider told E! News:
“The other Housewives are just finding out about this. Many of them had questions about Jen’s business, but no one saw these arrests coming.”
Another source for Us Weekly agreed:
“Jen was filming with a few of the other women present when she was arrested. The women were completely shocked when Jen was taken away… Jen’s future this season remains unclear. If she will go back to filming or not, no one is really sure, she hasn’t resumed filming yet.”
Sources told Page Six that this kind of legal trouble would have been “disqualifying” to join the cast, but nothing out of the ordinary was found during the 47-year-old’s “comprehensive” background check. An insider noted:
“Since this investigation and arrest only happened this week, there would be no prior red flags that would have shown up. Bravo is not the FBI.”
Clearly not. LOLz!
Related: Erika Jayne’s Estranged Husband Allegedly Stole Money, Cheated Clients, & More
The embattled entrepreneur’s lawyer released a statement to the outlet, saying:
“Jennifer Shah is a wife, mother, and lifelong resident of the Salt Lake City area. She maintains her innocence of these charges, and is eager to defend herself in a court of law. She puts her faith in the American legal system. Because of the ongoing legal proceedings, we ask that you respect her privacy, and understand she will not provide any further comments.”
Well, no further comments except for her shout-out to the #ShahSquad, that is!
For a cast that’s still relatively new to the franchise, Salt Lake has really been bringing the drama! We will continue to keep an eye on this situation as it unfolds.
[Image via Bravo/YouTube]
The post <i>RHOSLC</i>'s Jen Shah Speaks Out For The First Time Since Pleading Not Guilty To Fraud Charges! appeared first on Perez Hilton.