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Former Jen Shah clothing designer Koa Johnson says he remained “traumatized” after a 10-month stint with the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star.
After an alleged audio leak from Shah berating the designer on Friday, Johnson told Page Six that the incident happened on November 6, 2020, five days before the season 1 premiere of “RHOSLC.”
“It was a very, very stressful time,” said Johnson – who was responsible for designing her outfit for the premiere. “I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t taking care of myself physically and mentally, but I was still running on adrenaline.
He added: “It was like the most traumatic months of my life.”
Although Johnson claims he does not know who leaked the audio, he is glad someone recorded it.
He also claimed that the incident was actually Shah’s fault because she caused the delays in getting the outfit – which she wore on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” that night – together.
“There was a delay on the fabric, which was his part,” he says. “I was waiting for her to collect all the money transferred to the credit card for it to be purchased. This process even delayed him further.
Johnson says he was finally able to make the purchase on Nov. 9, but only had 5 to 8 hours to turn around and make the two-piece suit for her.
During her short spell with the 47-year-old reality TV star, Johnson designed around 12 looks for her, including her Biden-Harris dress, cast photo dress, and reunion dress.
“I really felt like she was a sister and I was her brother in a similar situation,” he said, adding that they were both of Polynesian descent. “We come from the same blood, the same race.”
However, Johnson also alleges that Shah neglected to pay him for most of his work, claiming on Instagram that he was last paid “in September, although I continued to work until January”.
“A big part of the reasons I continued to work with her [despite] these circumstances [was] because I really cared about her, ”he told us. “How we prove it to our brothers and sisters or our sisters, our people we admire, is that we do things because we show our love.”
Shah’s representatives did not respond to us immediately.
Johnson – who also designed Heather Gay’s reunion dress – says he quit working for Shah on Jan. 11, after recording the “RHOSLC” reunion. The last straw for him was when Shah didn’t give him a cry.
“I watch everyone say who they’re wearing,” he recalls, “and Heather said to me and then when it was up to Jen I expected her to say the same and say my name and she doesn’t have it and it hurt me.
He added: “It hurt me so much because it was the last dress I was going to make for her for season 1.”
Johnson is hopeful that talking about what he would have been through will help others in similar situations.
“I have to speak my truth and hope that if there is someone else working in a hostile work environment that they will come out and talk about it,” he said, adding that he wanted Shah to see him and “take responsibility for his actions and behavior.”
“I know it was a problem in his season 1 not to take any responsibility or anything because I was there for the witness. I really wish her the best of luck for Season 2 – she will need it.
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