(Source: California Post)
An Iranian heiress has been accused of shielding millions of dollars in assets from her husband in a $200 million divorce battle, according to new court filings in California.Setareh “Star” Bral, the daughter of a late real estate tycoon said to have links to the former Shah of Iran. She is alleged to have transferred control of her company, Star Pacific Properties, shortly after separating from her husband, UCLA doctor Ryan Aronin.Court documents obtained by The California Post claim Bral handed over control of the business to her brother, Sean Bral, in October 2024. Her husband said this was done to limit his access to marital assets.Ryan Aronin alleges that the property management firm was valued at around $15 million and was moved out of his wife’s direct control after the couple’s separation, which he says occurred in March 2022. But Bral says they separated in April 2024.“Setareh took deliberate actions to reduce her income on paper and restrict her access to funds,” the documents said, adding that her brother allegedly “does not have an ownership interest” in the company.Star Pacific Properties owns and operates two commercial buildings in the Los Angeles area, with tenants including Starbucks, Panda Express and 7-Eleven. These generate substantial annual revenue.The dispute is mainly about the SYB Family Trust, which Aronin says is worth about $200 million and comes from Setareh Bral’s family.Aronin alleges that his estranged wife has attempted to distance herself from the trust to reduce her reported income and avoid financial claims in the divorce.“She willingly abdicated responsibility to administer the SYB Family Trusts, likely an attempt to distance herself from control over discretionary trust distributions,” court documents state.He also claims Bral continues to benefit from trust-related rental income. He cited an instance in which she allegedly advertised a property for lease at about $4,950 per month in April 2026.According to the New York Post, social media posts show Bral marketing a luxury two-bedroom apartment in West Los Angeles, writing: “Hello I’m Setareh and something to know about me is that I need a good tenant.”Court filings describe a wealthy lifestyle during the marriage, including going to high-profile Los Angeles events and residence in a $6 million Beverly Hills home funded by the family trust. The couple married in 2014 and have two children.The case also includes allegations of hostile exchanges between the pair, including a message in which Bral allegedly wrote, “people treat their dogs better than you treat me,” as well as claims of surveillance footage showing her throwing her husband’s clothes off a balcony.Aronin claims Bral’s personal wealth is no less than $19 million, with potential annual income exceeding $700,000 from trust investments.
