A decade-long friendship is the opposite of the account Arslanian and Menendez gave to the Times’ “Vows” column in which she claimed that they met in December 2018 and she had no idea who he was. “We were introduced by the owner of the IHOP, and I didn’t know at that time that Bob was a senator,” Arslanian said in 2021. “He was very intelligent and had a great sense of humor, and he was very, very hot.” While keeping up a friendship with Menendez, Arslanian enjoyed partying with the stars of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” including Jacqueline Laurita, at venues including Kim “Kim D.” DePaola’s boutique Posche in Allendale, NJ.
