'Didn't think I'd make it through': RHOSLC’s Jen Shah recalls 'horrible nightmare' before surrendering to prison
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: Reality star Jen Shah has given a detailed firsthand account of her time in federal prison. 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' fame had her husband Sharrieff update fans through her Instagram handle on Thursday, March 9. This was also her first journal entry since she reported to Bryan Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Texas. Shah’s partner also explained why it took a little longer for her to share the journal. "There are individuals that review every single email and physical letter that goes out of that facility as well as comes in" at "most federal facilities around the country." And because of that, he noted it "takes just a little time for inmates to send their correspondence."
The journal entry talks about her emotional trip to the prison and teary goodbyes with her family. "Two miles from Bryan Federal Prison Camp, I could not breathe and my hands went numb. I knew I was having an anxiety attack," Shah wrote. "I made the coach pull over because our reception was poor while driving and I was not able to FaceTime my oldest baby. We finally connected, I saw his face and I cried so hard until he reassured me that it would be okay. I didn't think I'd make it through [the day]."
READ MORE
How much did Jen Shah get for 'RHOSLC' Season 3? Bravo star's hefty paycheck revealed
Jen Shah asks followers to subscribe for her 'true story,' fans joke 'imagine giving her your email'
'This would be the last time I hugged him for a while'
The 49-year-old said, "We approached the gates and were told to pull into a parking stall next to a white van. It all happened so fast. A guard was waiting outside of our SUV and two more officers approached, who I later found out was the captain." "I leaned over to the seat next to me and hugged Omar as tight as I could and cried as I buried my head in his chest and held him as tight as I could not wanting to face [the] reality that this would be the last time I hugged him for a while," reported People.
"Sharrieff opened the back passenger seat and I turned to embrace him, hugging him as if holding him harder would somehow erase this horrible nightmare," she continued. "I wanted to remember his embrace, his smell, his touch. I held his face in both of my hands. As [I] looked into his eyes, tears streaming down my face, I told him he is the love of my life and I love him more than anything."
Why is Jen Shah in prison?
Shah reported to prison on February 17 to serve 6.5 years after being arrested two years earlier for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme. She initially pleaded not guilty, but reversed her plea in July 2022, following her assistant Stuart Smith’s confession in November 2021.
