### Mike Shouhed Ordered Into Mental Health Program After Assault Charges

Mike Shouhed, of "Shahs of Sunset" fame, has been mandated to complete a one-year mental health diversion program following a 2022 assault allegation involving his then-fiancée, Paulina Ben-Cohen. This decision was handed down on Tuesday when Shouhed appeared in court.

The court's ruling also includes a protective order for Ben-Cohen, preventing Shouhed from using or threatening any form of violence against her. The allegations stem from an incident that led to Shouhed's arrest in 2022, where he faced charges of assault and battery.

Paulina Ben-Cohen, who initiated a civil lawsuit against Shouhed earlier this year, shared with the court disturbing video evidence of the alleged assault. Although she had already provided screengrabs from the footage in her lawsuit, the full video, which was given to law enforcement, has only now come to light.

In the video, Paulina is seen pulling clothes from a rack in her closet when a man, identified by Paulina as Mike, grabs her by the hair and throws her to the ground, causing a clothes rack to fall on top of her. The footage then shows the man appearing to smother her face before attempting to seize her phone. Paulina retaliates by tossing objects to drive the man out of the closet.

The confrontation continues in a child's playroom, where the man grabs Paulina from behind and appears to choke her while throwing her around. Paulina counterattacks with slaps and punches to his face. According to Paulina, Mike threatened to retrieve a firearm during the altercation, prompting her and their live-in nanny to call the police, who arrested Mike upon observing visible marks on Paulina.

Court documents reveal that Shouhed had been offered a diversion program in 2022, which included anger management classes, community service, and a gun safety course. However, the city attorney's office appealed some of the initial rulings, causing the delay in him entering the program.

Ben-Cohen claims this was not an isolated incident, alleging that another altercation occurred in 2021 over Mike's supposed communication with another woman. She is pursuing legal action against Shouhed for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and gender violence.

Mike's attorney, George Mgdesyan, has contested the depiction in the video, asserting that it does not show the full context of the events. According to Mgdesyan, the conflict began in the living room, with his client trying to prevent Paulina from yelling out of concern for the sleeping children and requesting she not smoke inside due to a child's health issues. Mgdesyan emphasized that the footage shows Shouhed attempting to deescalate the situation, which, he argues, justifies the court’s decision to opt for diversion.