Mayor Sepi Shyne began her campaign for Congress this week by sharing the story of her struggles growing up as an immigrant from Iran and queer woman of color.
But while Shyne’s captivating narrative might be familiar to WeHo voters, it’s not how her mom remembers things.
A new profile by Ben Kawaller in LAMag features a candid conversation with Parvin Ghafouri, the mayor’s mother, in which she contradicts several of the hallmark claims her daughter has made about her past.
“I was made fun of and beaten up by other kids in kindergarten because I looked different and did not speak English well,” Shyne told Kawaller, a version of the story she has been telling the public for years. “I was bullied by other students and repeatedly called a dyke.”
But her mother recalls a very different coming of age for Shyne, one in which she quickly learned English, made friends and excelled in school.
Kawaller writes about his conversation with Shyne’s mother:
I asked her if Shyne had difficulty adjusting to life with other American children, recalling her saying her childhood dreams in America were no bigger than survival.
“It was so easy for her,” Ghafouri told me. “She was playing with all the kids; she didn’t have any problems.”
I asked if she was bullied at all for being different.
“No.”
Ghafouri mentions that it “wasn’t hard” for her family to flee the revolution in Iran and build a new life in California.
She said her husband had worked for the oil companies, and before fleeing Iran, the family lived in Abadan, a wealthy, modern city back then. Now, in America, the children in the family have become engineers, doctors, and lawyers.
Kawaller’s illuminating piece tackles other aspects of Shyne’s life and career — her New Age-style healing business, her self-professed abilities as a psychic medium — with equal amounts of skepticism and humor.
Wonder why the author Mr. kawaller didn’t ask Sepi’s mother if she considered herself and family “people of color”.
RECALL SEPTIC SHYNE FROM OFFICE! Start a petition, gather signatures, show up at a City Council meeting, and scream OUT until she leaves. That’s not “misogynistic”; that’s confronting a CRIMINAL who has been allowed to get away with far too much, for far too long. GET OUT!
Was Sepi Shyne afraid to surface in Beverly Hills by joining their city council?
Maybe she has the decency to avoid Beverly Hells!
But that is where her Iranian Community lives. Secondly Sepi Shyne has little decency, zero integrity and is ethically challenged.
A very unfair and insensitive attempted gotcha piece on West Hollywood’s Mayor Sepi Shyne, Esq. and, shame on you for NOT being able to reasonably argue about policy differences ❗ Reality is that MOST immigrant parents have a radically different idea as to what “school bulling” and “having problems” are in stark contrast to those born & raised in the US. My parents would of told you I “had no problems” too, hey fighting off klan’s men; gang rapes; stabbings and; shootings is just what non-white kids have to experience everyday. 😎
SEPTIC IS AS BAS AS THAT liar A timeline of Rep. George Santos’ fabrications and controversy. two peas in a pod. LIE LIE LIE and morons believe the LIES.
Let’s get the pop corn and the tea. What a dumpster fire. Oy vey Iz mir.
Why do politicians present themselves as something they are not? Can’t they just be themselves? Guess not……
A politician or aspiring politician should never able to hold office particularly if they are deemed to have misrepresented or outright lied about their past and or credentials. They are there fabricating ways to work for the public or future constituents under false pretenses and will never be accountable. They can never be trusted. George Washington, one of our Founding Fathers said: “Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company”. Apparently Ms. Shyne neglected to study American history or seriously consider the code of ethics… Read more »
This whole article, (or should I say exposé?) had me shaking my head! This crazy grifter actually wants to go to Washington, and be the California Representative to The United States Congress?? God forbid!
One sentence in particular made me laugh out:
“Like most, I would be much more inclined to believe her account of her past if she weren’t selling light rays for people’s cats by phone.”
That one really cracked me up! It’s hard to believe that people would actually buy that BS!
Great job Ben Kawaller! I hope a lot of people read your article!
“woman of color.” Oh God, ANOTHER White woman pretending to be black. A professional VICTIM!
I want the world to know how I suffered growing up. I lived in Southern California, It was Hell having beautiful weather almost every day, and attending the best public schools in the nation. It was super painful that it was generally safe for kids. I was so ashamed of going to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
And, I just can’t even go into how great our universities were…the pain is too great.
After hearing Sepi Shyne’s speech on her campaign direction it reminds one of Bush’s Thousand Points of Light concept. With that type of strategy it nullifies any real focus at all and seems ultimately self defeating by attempting to be everything to everyone. Hard to listen to particularly with her enhanced unnatural enunciation.
Question, was Sepi’s acquisition of Ashleigh Shyne’s last name somewhat diabolical? Maybe Ashleigh should take back complete ownership of her name
Really don’t know what or who she’s trying to represent. And will she be joining the anti Israel “Squad” in Congress?
Looking at this photo and the one of Richard Maggio in his tuxedo , it clearly indicated they believed they were attending a black tie coronation. Not beneath conning her family as well as the residents of West Hollywood. Shameful behavior, not worthy of any public servant and one with the temerity to seek a higher office.