Jen Shah reported to the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, Friday February 17, 2023 to begin her 6.5 year sentence. Jen will have plenty of time to reflect on the poor decisions that got her incarcerated at the minimum security female prison.
The former Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star clearly got a headstart on processing her remorse because Jen shared a statement on Instagram.
Page Six reported that Jen acknowledged her debt to society. She labeled jail time as, “the price I must pay for the bad decisions I made.”
She continued, “People got hurt because of my decisions. While incarcerated, I will work to make amends and reconcile with the victims of my crime.”
The post directed followers to a “link in [her] bio” to watch a YouTube interview with Jen. The video clip outlined a “release plan.” The plan is meant to show her “commitment to work toward overcoming bad decisions I made during a personal crisis.”
White Collar Advice spoke with Jen about why she waited so long to accept responsibility. In the video, Jen gets candid about “lying to herself” and denying the reality that she committed a serious crime because she didn’t want to “believe” it.
Contrast this tone to what we saw on RHOSLC. Jen spent all of Season 3 proclaiming her innocence only to plead guilty in July 2022.
Jen pleaded for the public to acknowledge her growth since the March 2021 arrest. “In time, I pray that people will judge me for the way I responded to this sentence, rather than only for the decisions that led me to prison,” the mother of two continued. “I am a believer in earning freedom, and I’ll work toward the goal by making things right with the people I hurt.”
She wrote that she plans to “publish” her “work” in order to allow “others to hold me accountable.” Jen’s social media will be handled by “an administrator.” It is also worth noting that the comment section was turned off on her post.
Echoing the sentiment of remorse, Jen’s lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, released a statement on behalf of her client. Apparently, the disgraced former Utah resident is “prepared to face challenges” of her sentence.
RELATED: Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City Star Jen Shah Gets Two Tattoos Before Reporting To Prison
“Jen Shah’s resolve to make her victims whole and to turn her life around is unyielding,” the attorney claimed. “She is committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose, fueled by her desire to make amends for the hurt she has caused and to help others in her new community,” she added.
Jen had a lavish dinner with friends after her sentencing on January 6, 2023. That action could be seen as a contradictory to her current words. Remorse can hit anytime. Better late than never.
That day in court, Jen addressed the judge and admitted to creating her “own fractured reality.” She said, “I want to apologize by saying, I am doing all I can to earn the funds to pay restitution.” She added that “longstanding untreated mental issues” were the cause for her poor decisions.
Jen’s reality these days includes working and keeping her cell tidy.
TELL US-WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JEN’S STATEMENT? DO YOU BELIEVE SHE IS REMORSEFUL?
[Photo Credit: Randy Shropshire/Bravo]
