01-05-2025
'Real Housewives of Miami' Newbie Stephanie Shojaee Has Complex Backstory
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Stephanie Shojaee, the latest addition to Bravo's Real Housewives of Miami, has a complex backstory, including ties to a former housewife and a recently settled lawsuit.
Why It Matters
Shojaee will be joining five returning full-time housewives for the show's seventh season. Bravo unveiled the trailer for the new season on Wednesday, teasing another drama-packed season including a cast trip to Seville, Spain.
Returning housewives include Alexia Nepola, Larsa Pippen, Lisa Hochstein, Guerdy Abraira and Julia Lemigova. Adriana de Moura, Marysol Patton and Kiki Barth will be back as friends of the housewives.
Who Is Stephanie Shojaee?
Shojaee is the president of the Shoma Group, a Miami-based real estate development group, and the newbie "isn't afraid to give the women a run for their money," according to her cast biography.
"Radiating in luxury and working hard for it, she's happiest jet-setting with her husband and dogs. One thing's for sure, she won't be trading Birkins for bibs and bottles anytime soon," her cast biography reads.
The Shoma Group made headlines earlier this year after a lawsuit accused Shoma Group CEO Masoud Shojaee, Stephanie Shojaee's husband, of failing to pay an $8 million loan on a condo in Coral Gables, Florida. The complaint was filed on January 6, 2025, and dismissed by January 24, 2025, when the parties reached a confidential settlement.
"We have never missed a payment for any of the loans we have with them and the payments are current as of today," Masoud Shojaee told The Real Deal in January. "We were informed in the fall via emails from our bankers that the bank would be renewing our line of credit, which is collatarized by different assets."
Newsweek reached out to the Shoma Group for comment via email.
Shojaee also has ties to former Miami housewife Dr. Nicole Martin, a fan favorite who opted not to return to the show after giving birth last year. Shojaee previously dated Anthony Lopez, Martin's fiancé.
Martin is set to make a guest appearance in the new season, per the trailer, which shows her discussing meeting Shojaee. In an Instagram story last year, Martin wrote that she had never met Shojaee but could "totally see why they wanted her on the show."
"There have to be some similarities if the same man liked us both," Martin said.
In the trailer, Shojaee is seen arguing with Nepola, an original Miami housewife who has appeared in every season of the show. She was initially announced as the latest Miami housewife at Bravo Fan Fest last year.
When Is Real Housewives of Miami Returning?
The Real Housewives of Miami is set to return June 11 at 9 p.m. ET, Bravo announced Wednesday.
"Real Housewives of Miami" stars Alexia Nepola, Marysol Patton and Lisa Hochstein, all of whom are returning for the latest season of the show, celebrate Nepola's birthday in Miami on May 7, 2021.
"Real Housewives of Miami" stars Alexia Nepola, Marysol Patton and Lisa Hochstein, all of whom are returning for the latest season of the show, celebrate Nepola's birthday in Miami on May 7, trailer also teases drama involving Hochstein and Pippen about Hochstein's boyfriend Jody Glidden, as well as Abraira and Lemigova, who were close friends throughout the past few seasons of the show.
The Real Housewives of Miami initially premiered in 2011 and ran for three seasons before a yearslong pause. It returned in December 2021 with the additions of Abraira, Lemigova, Martin and Barth. Shojaee will be the first new housewife since the show's reboot.
What People Are Saying
X user @xTeddyNOIRx: "Our girls are back, finally and we get to see Dr. Nicole!! I've heard a lot about Miss Stephanie so I'm looking forward to seeing what she's all about. Overall looks like amazing season!!
Housewives fan account Queens of Bravo wrote: "Nobody does cast trips like the #RHOM The bar they set each season, at this point, is simply out of reach from everybody else."
What Happens Next
Currently, The Real Housewives of Atlanta is the franchise's only show airing. The Real Housewives of Orange County and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City have both been filming over the past few months and are both expected to return later this year.
