Fans of the short-lived The Real Housewives of DC series often wonder what happened to winery owner and husband of Michaele Salahi, Tareq Salahi, after the White House scandal, and there are many interesting updates. The business owner was not well-liked in the series. His unpopularity stems from constantly dragging his wife into schemes to boost his fame. This controversial former reality star has had problems since he joined The Real Housewives of DC many years ago. In that respect, he’s much like Erika Jayne’s estranged spouse, Tom Girardi, who was accused of embezzlement by former clients.
The Real Housewives of DC only lasted for one season, and it premiered back in August 2010. Bravo’s fifth Real Housewives series tried to follow the huge success of the Orange County, New York City, Atlanta, and New Jersey franchises. However, that success was elusive. RHODC cameras followed the lives of several women who lived in the nation’s high-powered capital. This franchise never really caught on with viewers, and didn’t get a second season, even though the network went on to have many other successful spin-offs. RHODC ended up being reintroduced as The Real Housewives of Potomac which just ended its eighth season.
Back in 2009, President Barack Obama was about to have his first White House State dinner. The forty-fourth president was set to host a dinner to honor Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and the event was the talk of the town. Tareq and his wife Michaele believed they had been invited to the function due to a polo connection.
According to Bustle, Michaele and Tareq were able to get passed two security checkpoints: a name-checked guest list and a metal detector. Many members of the press, including The Washington Post’s Roxanne Roberts, recognized the couple from the Bravo series, but nothing was ever done about their presence there at the time. However, The White House security was alerted, and it was confirmed Michaele and Tareq were not invited to the event. The couple infamously crashed the party and shared pictures with Joe Biden and Katie Couric on their Facebook page.
Following the incident, Michaele and Tareq were invited by the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee to a hearing about the breach in December 2009. Michaele insisted they were invited to the event and weren’t just “party crashers.” While the Secret Service didn’t charge them with any criminal charges, theirpersonal and professional lives were greatly impacted by the scandal.
After his short-lived moment in the spotlight, fans learned that Tareq’s winery failed. He expressed he was having issues with his mother and money on the show, but fans noted that the winery never seemed to produce anything. He even decided it was a good idea to rent out his home as an Airbnb and market his party-crasher personality.
Guests could buy T-shirts that read, “I CRASHED AT THE WHITE HOUSE PARTY CRASHER’S PAD!” However, this hotel side hustle didn’t last. His marriage also failed since he was a player, and the marriage did not end on good terms. However, at his home, guests have reported that there are stickers placed over pictures of Michaele’s face.
In September 2011, Tareq filed for divorce from Michaele, citing that she cheated and abandoned him. According to a People article from September 2011, Michaele left Tareq for Journey guitarist Neal Schon in Tennessee. Tareq thought Michaele was missing when she was, in fact, on tour with the band. Neal had allegedly sent Tareq a photo of his private area in an email, which promoted the divorce.
In January 2016, according to the Washington Post, Tareq married his business partner, Lisa Spoden. The two currently run a charter company called Hotels at Sea. Tareq also frequently updates his Instagram page, showing that he often enjoys polo matches and hanging out with his beautiful wife and their friends. It seems Tareq has made the best of his new normal following the infamous White House scandal.
Many feel that he was and always will be a con artist. While Washington is a town filled with fakers and fame-seekers, most viewers did not feel there was a place for the Salahis in the franchise. In the end, The Real Housewives of DC was not renewed, leaving Tareq to fend for himself. Nonetheless, Tareq has done well for himself and can leave the past behind him once and for all.
Source: The Washingtonian, Tareq Salahi/Instagram, Bustle, People, Washington Post, Tareq Salahi/Instagram