Real Housewives of Miami Season 7 newcomer Stephanie Shojaee is pretty polarizing. Real estate maven Stephanie was officially introduced in episode 4 of the new season. She was brought onto the show as a replacement for fan favorite Dr. Nicole Martin. Since her introduction, Stephanie hasn’t shied away from the drama. And she has a pretty bold personality. While some RHOM fans welcomed Stephanie, others are more hesitant. Here’s why the Season 7 newbie has the audience divided.
Stephanie Shojaee is one of the most divisive RHOM cast members
At this point, the cast of RHOM is pretty well-established. Which means viewers already have set opinions about the Real Housewives and friends of. Sure, stars like Larsa Pippen are polarizing, but fans know what they’re getting with her at this point. With only several episodes so far, viewers are still getting to know Stephanie. She’s extra divisive because fans may change their opinions on her multiple time within one episode.
Also, Dr. Nicole was a fan favorite. By replacing her in the group, Stephanie also joined the cast with big shoes to fill. And there were bigger expectations on her shoulders. Some also may be hesitant to warm up to her because they still miss Dr. Nicole too much.
We’re sure opinions on Stephanie will continue to change over time. This often happens with first year Housewives. For now, here are some reasons why she’s extra divisive.
Stephanie isn’t afraid to call out her RHOM co-stars, but does she go too far?
Fans, and RHOM cast members, cheered when Stephanie called out Lisa Hochstein’s infamous tardiness. When Lisa was two hours late for a Sprinter van, she asked Lisa point blank if she thinks her time is more valuable than others. While they had a big fight, it was the first time someone really called out Lisa’s tardiness. Lisa was hours early for her Watch What Happens Live appearance, so maybe Stephanie got through to her!
Next up, Stephanie will start feuding with Alexia Nepola. We still have to see what causes this fight. But from the previews, we know Stephanie stands her ground.
Many fans love a newbie who isn’t afraid to go toe to toe with the established cast. But some wondered if Stephanie piled on Lisa at Alexia’s party. Others were turned off when Stephanie said Guerdy Abraira should get over the infamous drink throw.
Stephanie brings the wealthy lifestyle, but is she too obsessed with money?
Stephanie literally made her RHOM debut in a Shoma branded private jet serving caviar. She claims to wake up in the middle of the night thinking about how they need to make even more money. She has more Chanel suits than Marge Simpson could dream of. And her scenes frequently feature tours of the luxury Shoma apartments.
Luxury is a foundation of the Real Housewives franchise. But some fans wonder if Stephanie has a personality outside of her obsession with wealth. After Lisa branded her “boss baby,” the nickname stuck, with some tiring of Stephanie’s girlboss attitude.
When new housewives show off their wealth, some viewers get skeptical if there’s more to the story. This skepticism probably comes from stars like Erika Jayne, who bragged endlessly about being loaded, only for fraud charges and bankruptcy to follow. There’s zero indication of this so far, but it’s making some longtime viewers wary.
Why some RHOM viewers question Stephanie’s family feud storyline
Stephanie is bringing a lot to her freshman season. And despite her massive displays of wealth, she’s not pretending everything’s perfect. Stephanie also talks about her feud with her two sisters. We haven’t learned the full backstory yet, but she keeps referencing it had something to do with her sisters working for Shoma.
While it’s good that Stephanie came prepared with storylines, using her family leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths. Stephanie’s parents appeared in two episodes, but we don’t know if her sisters will show up this season. If they don’t, people are going to wonder about their side of the story. And if they’re not okay with Stephanie airing out this drama on TV.
It’s not okay to call Stephanie a gold digger, but fans are skeptical about her relationship’s past
There are some justified criticisms of Stephanie, but it is absolutely not okay to brand her a gold digger. Or to undermine her success with sexist comments. Stephanie already had a career before she met her husband. Her father worked in real estate, so she was raised in that world. Given how driven and success obsessed she is, she would be a boss even if she wasn’t Mrs. Shojaee.
Some fans are looking sideways at her marriage for other reasons. Mostly because of rumors floating around online. The timeline between Masoud’s divorce and his marriage to Stephanie seems short, but there’s no concrete evidence of an affair. We don’t know all the details of when Masoud’s first marriage ended, or when he and Stephanie began seeing each other on a personal level.
The biggest thing that bothers fans is the relationship between Stephanie and Masoud’s ex-wife and daughters. There was even a lawsuit filed against Stephanie. And she didn’t mince words on how she feels about them in a recent Q & A. We’ll have to keep watching RHOM to see if more details come out.
Real Housewives of Miami is available to stream on Peacock and on Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
TELL US – DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY STEPHANIE SHOJAEE IS A DIVISIVE RHOM STAR? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HER SO FAR?
