Draft:Shiva Bagheri

Shiva Bagheri

Shiva Bagheri is an American small business owner, fitness instructor, and conservative activist based in Beverly Hills, California. She is known for her political candidacies in the 2022 Beverly Hills City Council election and the 2024 California State Assembly election for District 51, as well as her role in organizing the Beverly Hills Freedom Rallies.

Early Life and Career

Shiva Bagheri, a half-Iranian single mother, resides in Beverly Hills, California, with her teenage daughter. She owns and operates Shiva’s Dance & Fitness, a small business providing dance instruction, fitness training, and personal training services. Bagheri is also a certified CPR professional and has worked as a dog walker, pet sitter, and house cleaner to support herself financially. Additionally, she has pursued acting and dancing, with a profile on Backstage describing her as a multifaceted professional in these fields. Prior to her activism, Bagheri had no significant background in political organizing but voted for Barack Obama in 2008 before supporting Donald Trump in 2016.

Acting and Modeling

Bagheri, credited as Shiva Gordon, pursued a minor acting career in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She is known for her role as Pit Deadite #1 in the 1992 dark fantasy comedy film Army of Darkness, directed by Sam Raimi, where she appeared in a supporting role as a demonic creature in a pivotal scene. She also had small roles as Abby Gaspar in a 1989 episode of the TV series A Brand New Life and as a Girl in Class in a 1990 episode of Doogie Howser, M.D.

Bagheri’s modeling career is primarily tied to her fitness and dance background. She appeared on the cover of Ms. Fitness magazine in 2000, reflecting her status as a fitness competitor. She has earned titles such as Ms. Fitness Inland Empire, Northern California, California, Las Vegas, and Nationals 1999, with placements of 5th in Ms. Fitness USA (1999), 8th in Ms. Fitness World (1999), 6th in Ms. Fitness USA (2000), and 9th in the Fitness America Pageant (2000). These competitions were televised on Fox Sports and ESPN. She has also appeared in fitness and health-related magazines such as Oxygen, Fit Mag, and Ironman.

Political Career

2022 Beverly Hills City Council Campaign

In February 2022, Bagheri announced her candidacy for the Beverly Hills City Council in the June 7, 2022, election, competing for one of three open seats against 11 candidates, including incumbents Bob Wunderlich, Lester Friedman, and John Mirisch. Her campaign raised approximately $2,800 and spent over $1,000. Bagheri’s platform focused on protecting small businesses, supporting religious freedom, and providing hiring incentives for the Beverly Hills Police Department to enhance public safety. She also criticized the city’s leadership for prosecuting her over her activism, claiming it was an abuse of power targeting her political beliefs. Bagheri received less than 3% of the vote and did not win a seat.

2024 California State Assembly Campaign

In 2024, Bagheri ran as a Republican candidate for the California State Assembly in District 51, challenging incumbent Rick Chavez Zbur. She participated in the primary election on March 5, 2024, but was defeated by Zbur. Bagheri outlined her platform, emphasizing a “tough on crime” approach inspired by Rudy Giuliani’s “Broken Windows Theory,” addressing homelessness, advocating for parental rights, and prioritizing national security. She also criticized Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, alleging his policies contributed to rising crime rates.

Political Activism

Bagheri founded the Beverly Hills Freedom Rallies in June 2020, initially to oppose COVID-19 public health measures and lockdowns, which she described as “tyrannical.” The rallies, held weekly at Beverly Gardens Park, grew from dozens to thousands of attendees, peaking at an estimated 4,000 before the 2020 presidential election. They attracted Trump supporters as well as counter-protesters, leading to occasional violence and unlawful assembly declarations. Bagheri faced three misdemeanor charges for holding unpermitted rallies on November 28, 2020, January 6, 2021, and January 9, 2021, each carrying potential fines of $3,500 or six months in jail. In July 2021, she reached a judicial diversion agreement with the City of Beverly Hills, completing 20 hours of community service and agreeing not to organize unpermitted gatherings for six months to avoid prosecution.

Bagheri continued her activism, opposing mask and vaccine mandates at various locations, including grocery stores, malls, and schools. In April 2021, she organized a protest at Hawthorne Elementary School against mask policies, where protesters handed out flyers and encouraged students to remove their masks, drawing criticism for intimidating children. In January 2021, she led a group of anti-mask protesters through Westfield Century City Mall and a Ralph’s supermarket, chanting “No More Masks” and “M-A-G-A,” resulting in verbal and physical altercations.

In 2022, Bagheri was involved in canvassing for Rick Caruso’s Los Angeles mayoral campaign, earning $30 per hour alongside fellow activists Paul Onaga and Ashley Jeffery. She livestreamed a Caruso campaign event at The Grove on September 26, 2022, but claimed she stopped working due to scheduling conflicts, denying reports that she was fired. The Caruso campaign later confirmed that Bagheri, Onaga, and Jeffery were terminated after their controversial backgrounds were publicized.

In April 2025, Bagheri participated in a #WalkAway campaign rally in Beverly Hills as part of the 'American Restoration Tour', which featured conservative figures like Matt Gaetz, Jairo Tomico and Cherrie Currie, it was organized by Brandon Straka, a convicted January 6 rioter. The event resulted in a counter protester being arrested.

Personal Life

Bagheri, a Beverly Hills resident for over eight years, has also lived in West Hollywood, Burbank, North Hollywood, and Las Vegas, Nevada. She may be related to Kenneth Mitchel Sunshine and Darius A. Bagheri, according to public records. Bagheri identifies as a Christian conservative and constitutionalist, maintaining an active social media presence to promote her fitness business, self-defense advocacy, and political views.

Controversies

Bagheri’s activism has been polarizing. Her 2021 protest at Hawthorne Elementary School, where she and others confronted students and parents over mask-wearing, was widely criticized for intimidating children, with some reportedly left scared or in tears. Bagheri’s comparison of mask mandates to “child abuse” and “rape” during the protest drew significant backlash. Additionally, a report by The Daily Beast alleged she struck a cancer patient during a protest at a breast cancer treatment center, though no legal charges or convictions were documented.

Her association with far-right groups at the Beverly Hills Freedom Rallies, including the Proud Boys and Three Percenters has drawn scrutiny. Bagheri’s brief employment with the Rick Caruso campaign in 2022 also sparked controversy due to her history of confrontational activism, leading to her termination.