From 'Bombings' To Beverly Hills: Asa Soltan Recalls Heartbreaking Escape From Iran
The ‘Shahs of Sunset’ star claims a stroke of luck saved her life.
May 26 2017, Published 9:52 a.m. ET
Asa Soltan lives a life of luxury now, but the Shahs of Sunset star details her heartbreaking childhood in "war-torn" Iran in her new book, Golden: Empowering Rituals to Conjure Your Inner Priestess, and RadarOnline.com has all the details.
“I was eight years old when my family fled our war-torn country of Iran,” she wrote.
“The bombings always happened at night when it was pitch-dark outside,” she described. “I spent those dark nights huddled with my family in the basement of our home, listening to the bombs falling with no idea where they would land.”
“When the borders finally opened again in 1984, my parents didn’t waste any time,” she continued. “We left the next morning with a story about visiting my uncles in Germany for a week. Because we were expected to return to Iran only a week later, our luggage couldn’t hint at the fact that we were really leaving for longer. We had one suitcase each to fill with our belongings, and we had to strategically choose what to pack.”
Soltan, now 41, said that her parents left behind precious family heirlooms and most of their wealth as they fled. The reality star explains, it was “illegal to bring valuables across the border.”
Still, tensions were high as they approached the border. But fortunately for them, the woman in front of them at the airport was trying to smuggle gold.
“The woman with the gold was immediately arrested, and though we felt for her, it was a lucky distraction,” Soltan wrote. “Busy dealing with her, the guards just waved my family through.”
When her family moved to Los Angeles, Calif., they were among the poorest in their Beverly Hills neighborhood, she said.
But, she rose to fame and fortune as a Persian pop princess shortly before Shahs of Sunset premiered in 2012.
Jermaine Jackson Jr.’s wife is now known for her huge gold jewelry. As a result of the experience, she has yet to return to Iran.
Are you surprised by Soltan's childhood? Sound off in the comments!
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