Real Housewives' Michaele Salahi and Her New Man, Neal Schon, Sued by Her Ex for $50 Million

Former Real Housewives of D.C. hubby Tareq Salahi claims he lost out on TV gigs when wife left him for Journey rocker

By Natalie Finn Feb 15, 2012 9:08 PMTags
Tareq Salahi, Neal Schon, Michaele SalahiKevin Mazur/WireImage; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

His wife may have been the Real Housewife, but Tareq Salahi isn't ready to give up on what reality-TV had to offer.

After filing for divorce from wife Michaele Salahi when she cut, run and hooked up with Journey rocker Neal Schon, the former Real Housewives of D.C. hubby is suing Michaele and Schon for $50 million, claiming the breakup cost him lucrative TV digs.

So, how does he figure, considering Bravo had already canceled the D.C. installment of its Real Housewives franchise before the Salahis' marriage fell apart? Were they really going to do Dancing With the Stars?

According to the suit, filed Feb. 13 (happy early Valentine's Day!), in Warren County, Va., Tareq states that he and Michaele weren't just any old couple—they were a brand.

"Through their concerted efforts [they] held themselves out as not just Husband and Wife but as business partners and further, a brand," the suit reads. "They wrote a book together, made countless appearances together and were essentially inseparable in both their personal and business lives."

"During the summer of 2011 the Salahis were informed they had been cast for Dancing With the Stars for 2012 and would need to relocate to Australia temporarily for the show," the complaint continues. "Michaele and Tareq were to receive $150,000 each for their participation on the show."

Oh, OK—Dancing With the Stars in Australia. Gotcha.

But before they could take the brand Down Under, Michaele took off to be with Schon in September, prompting Tareq to get the police involved in the search for his wife, a search that ended within a day after she was located at a Journey gig in Memphis.

And, according to Tareq, Schon rubbed the extramarital liaison in his face (for lack of a better term). He alleges that Schon texted him a photo of his penis and someone at least identifying himself as Schon called Tareq to inform him, "I am f--king your wife."

"Rather than being satisfied with stealing his wife, Neal Schon intentionally and maliciously began a public campaign to demoralize, embarrass and defame [Tareq] by publicly demonstrating that he could better provide material items for his wife," the suit contends, noting a shopping spree that was chronicled by Entertainment Tonight.

After Michaele left, it continues, their talent agent dropped Tareq, informing him that DD Entertainment would from then on "be representing Neal Schon and Michaele Salahi."

So, in addition to lost earnings, that $50 million represents, in Tareq's eyes, damages for his ex and her new man's "tortuous conduct." The lawsuit alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress, conspiracy to defame, interference with a contract expectancy, unjust enrichment and defamation.

Schon is also being sued by his ex, onetime Playboy Playmate Ava Fabian, who claims that they were living as husband and wife (and had swapped vows in a commitment ceremony in Paris) when the musician got together with Michaele and that she's owed big-time for devoting her life to him for a year.

—Reporting by Baker Machado