Amir Boroumand’s late first wife is Lauren M. Dorfman Boroumand, who died on 11 October 2016 at age 30 after a five-month battle with adrenal cortical carcinoma. The couple were married from 5 July 2014 until her death.
Early Life and Education
Lauren was born on 20 October 1985 in Brooklyn, New York, to parents Risa and Dan Ruben. She attended Beverly Hills High School, graduating in 2003. She then studied visual communications and merchandise marketing at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, earning an Associate of Arts in Merchandise Marketing in 2008.
While at FIDM, Lauren assisted backstage at the annual student fashion show and volunteered for Susan B. Anthony’s fashion show. She worked part-time as a sales associate at Diane Von Furstenberg’s West Hollywood store.
Career and Marriage
After graduation, Lauren worked full-time in sales at Diane Von Furstenberg. In 2012, she became an assistant bookkeeper at an entertainment management firm in California.
Lauren and Amir Boroumand got engaged in June 2013 and married on 5 July 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Their outdoor wedding incorporated Persian elements to celebrate their heritage. The couple did not have children.
Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
On 14 May 2016, Lauren went to UCLA’s emergency room with severe heartburn. A CT scan revealed a 6.5-inch (16.5 cm), 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) mass on her left adrenal gland, pressing on her pancreatic tail and spleen. Surgeons removed the mass and several lymph nodes on 19 May, saving part of her kidney.
An initial pathology report was inconclusive, but a second report on 2 June 2016 confirmed adrenal cortical carcinoma, a rare cancer occurring in about one in a million people. A PET scan on 7 July showed the cancer had spread to her lungs and other areas.
Lauren sought secondary opinions at the University of Michigan and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre. She began chemotherapy at UCLA on 2 August 2016. After two cycles, scans in September revealed further progression. She started immunotherapy with Opdivo on 6 October 2016.
Three days later, she developed chest pains and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, where scans showed extensive progression. According to the Lauren Dorfman Memorial Charitable Foundation, Lauren passed away at home on 11 October 2016, five days after discharge.
Amir Boroumand’s Reflections
Amir Boroumand, a tax attorney and star of Bravo’s The Valley: Persian Style, has spoken openly about Lauren. In a confessional recorded on Bravo TV’s TikTok, he said: “I think about Lauren all the time. When I first started dating Natasha, it felt weird being back in a relationship. I would sort of have these flashbacks internally.”
During a guys’ night on the show, he shared: “Yeah, my first wife, she passed away. She was young. She had cancer. It just came out of nowhere.” He added that she died days before their joint birthday party, which she had been planning. The couple were born less than a week apart.
In season 1, episode 5 of The Valley: Persian Style, a medium delivered messages from Lauren to Amir and his current wife, Natasha Kashanian. Amir also revealed that he visits Lauren’s grave annually.
Legacy
Lauren’s family established the Lauren Dorfman Memorial Charitable Foundation, which supports children in need. She is buried at Eden Memorial Park in California. Her parents keep her memory alive through social media and a digital memorial.
