In the first 30 seconds of the Shahs of Sunset pilot, Mercedes Javid, known as MJ, gets out of her (what else?) Mercedes coupe, pulls out a pink stroller for her Chihuahuas Julio and Pablo, and tells viewers that she never wants to get married. Fast forward to May 2021, a week after Shahs of Sunset Season 9 premiered... MJ is at home in Los Angeles, with her husband, and her son, and things have changed.

"That first scene in Season 1, I was struggling to get out of my Benz to pop open a stroller for my two dogs," MJ tells The Dipp. "I was never getting married, never having kids, just wanted to sell a house and go to the next music festival. That was where I was when we started."

Almost 10 years later, the Shahs cast is still bringing the drama, the friendships, and did I mention the drama? Yeah, I thought so. Read on to hear what MJ says about this season's relationships, Mike's iCloud hacking, Tommy's affirmations, and who stirs the pot the most.

The Dipp: How did filming change during the pandemic?

Mercedes Javid: I'll speak for myself... I felt so grateful because I had a lot of feelings, and a lot of emotions that were pent up since Shams was born, so it was a lot of heartache and a lot of like, "God, I just want to do this. I just want to move forward. I want to heal. I want us to turn the page."