90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days Couples That Haven't Called It Quits Yet
If you love the wonderful world of reality dating shows as much as we do, chances are you've seen "90 Day Fiancé." The first season aired in 2014; since then, there has been no shortage of dramatic moments and plenty of memorable quotes. Fans love this show so much that it's inspired a whopping 18 spin-offs. While "90 Day Fiancé" features folks in long-distance relationships in the process of getting their K-1 visas, the spin-off, "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days," shows couples who haven't yet begun the visa process. While plenty of the "Before the 90 Days" couples never actually make it to the 90 days, some have stood the test of time.
Couples on "90 Day Fiancé" never have it easy. Not only do they go through the typical struggles associated with a long-distance relationship, but they also often have to fight through a difficult immigration process. Despite the struggles, though, the truth about "90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days" is that some of these relationships really are built to last. There are plenty of couples who have managed to live happily ever after — at least so far.
Gino and Jasmine continue to be part of the 90 Day franchise
What better place to start than with the couple who feels like the quintessential "90 Day Fiancé" love story. Fans of the reality franchise are likely aware that Gino Palazzolo and Jasmine Pineda have become pillars of the show and its spin-offs. The couple first appeared on Season 5 of "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days," followed by Season 6 and "90 Day Fiancé" Season 10. After many televised trials and tribulations, including infidelity, secrecy, and more than a few financial problems, the couple managed to do what felt like the impossible. Pineda made the move from Panama to Palazzolo's home in Michigan, and the couple said, "I do."
The reality stars' wedding was a small family-only affair in June 2023, four years after they originally met online. On Valentine's Day, 2024, Palazzolo announced that he and Pineda would appear on the eighth season of "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?" Whether this long-awaited marriage will, in fact, be a "happily ever after," though, remains to be seen. Around the time of the announcement, Pineda wasn't shy about making subtle suggestions on social media that she and Gino may have called it quits. Pineda's behavior was possibly intended to pique interest in their new season, but whether there was truth to it is sure to come out.
Meisha and Nicola are back to long-distance
"Before the 90 Days" Season 6 introduced fans to American Meisha Johnson and her beau from Israel, Nicola Kanaan. Religion brought this unlikely pair together, and it seems that it may be what's keeping them together to this day. Johnson headed to Israel to finally meet Kanaan face-to-face after spending a whopping seven years communicating only online from across the globe. Despite the lead-up, there were red flags when the pair met in person. It was easy for Johnson and viewers alike to question Kanaan's readiness to settle down and his real interest in Johnson as a long-term partner. Ultimately, he popped the question, and she said, "Yes."
After their time on the show, Kanaan went to the U.S. to be with Johnson, only to later return to Israel due to the conflict in the Middle East. The pair has yet to get married and is back to long distance. It seems, though, that they're still hopeful for their happy ending, and their faith is helping them through. Johnson told a fan, "At this point, sister, it is completely surrendered to the will of God."
Statler and Dempsey seem to have found their happily ever after
On Season 6 of " 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days," American Statler Riley ventured across the pond to unite with her long-distance love, Dempsey Wilkinson. Despite never having met Wilkinson in the flesh before this trip, Riley had every intention of moving to the UK full-time to live happily ever after with Wilkinson. Wilkinson was unaware of Riley's intentions, which ultimately became a point of contention between the two. During the season's "tell all" episode, the couple revealed that they were still together and planning on taking a European vacation together.
It seems that the couple did head out on their planned trip after all. Riley remains very active on her Instagram account, where she gives fans peeks into her relationship with Wilkinson. In Fall 2023, she shared that Wilkinson had visited her in Texas. In January 2024, Riley made a post revealing that the pair was in Sri Lanka, and the following month, she shared more sweet vacation photos. If that wasn't enough proof that the two are going strong post-"90 Day Fiancé," a fan asked Riley on the reality star's 2024 Instagram story AMA, "Are you still together with Dempsey?" Riley replied, "Yes!" with a selfie that showed the lovebirds cooking together.
David and Sheila are patiently waiting for visa approval
Despite their physical distance, a Facebook group brought Nebraska resident David Dangerfield and Sheila Mangubat from the Philippines together. The pair struck up a long-distance relationship that went on for two years before they were finally able to meet in person on "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days" Season 6. Dangerfield headed to the Philippines to meet his love face-to-face, but as "90 Day Fiancé" fans witnessed, they had no shortage of roadblocks that kept their love story from going perfectly smoothly. Not only was there a language barrier, but Dangerfield is hearing-impared, and Mangubat's American Sign Language abilities were a work in progress.
From Dangerfield's surprise at the uncomfortable and unsafe living conditions Mangubat and her son were enduring to the tragic loss of her mother, the couple was forced on a rollercoaster of emotions and difficulties during their season. Despite it all, Dangerfield popped the question. The bad news is that Sheila's visa hasn't yet been approved as of March 2024. But the good news is that this pair is still hopeful, and they're sticking together until they can be in the same place. And that's what "90 Day Fiancé" is really about, after all.
Larry and Jenny are loving married life in Florida
Larry Passariello and Jenny Torres were featured in Season 1, and these lovebirds have certainly stayed the course. During their time on "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days," Passariello flew from his home in Florida to the Philippines to unite with Torres, whom he'd met online. Upon taking their internet romance into the real world, the pair was quickly confident in the solidity of their bond. Even so, it took a year for Torres to get her K-1 visa.
The couple then said "I do" during a small wedding ceremony in 2018. Along with their love story, the pair's "90 Day Fiancé" journey has continued, too. Passariello and Torres were featured on the franchise's spin-offs, "90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined" and Season 3 of "90 Day Fiancé: What Now?" The couple now lives together in Florida, sharing plenty of updates about their life as husband and wife via social media.
Rachel and Jon have a long-distance marriage
Rachel and Jon Walters met in a truly unorthodox way: singing together on a karaoke app. During the long-distance relationship that followed, Rachel discovered that she was pregnant with her third child before she ever met Jon in person. She traveled to England to meet Jon for the first time on the second season of "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days" with her new baby, Lucy, in tow. While Lucy's biological father is Rachel's ex-boyfriend, Jon was enthusiastic about raising her and embracing Rachel's family with open arms.
Unfortunately, since Jon had a criminal record, the visa process didn't go smoothly for this happy family. The couple said "I do" in England in 2018. Yet, as of early 2024, there have been no updates that Jon has been able to make the move to New Mexico. In December 2023, Rachel shared a post on Instagram saying that the couple had "hit a roadblock regarding the visa." She explained that they would need to wait "probably another eight or nine months for an answer." When asked in the comments why she hadn't moved to the UK instead, Rachel explained that shared custody of her children with her ex prevented her from moving. Still, it appears that the couple is still together, and they are looking forward to good news in the future.
Avery and Omar have happily settled in the U.S.
If there's one couple from "Before the 90 Days" that seems like the franchise's ultimate success story, it's the third season's Avery Mils and Omar Albakkour. After converting to Islam, Ohio resident Mils took to a Muslim dating app to find love with someone whose views aligned with her own. Mils had no intention of falling for someone across the globe, but everything changed when she met Albakkour, who lived in Syria. The pair were engaged before ever meeting in person. They finally met in Lebanon in an attempt to avoid the conflict in Syria, and they got married during the trip.
Despite the ease with which Mils and Albakkour fell in love, their path wasn't exactly smooth. When the newlyweds sought a spousal visa to bring Albakkour to the U.S., they were told there was a "less than 5 percent" chance of approval. On "90 Day Fiancé: What Now?" season 4, they shared that they were still hoping to live together in the United States but had a list of backup countries to move to together if the visa process failed them. When they appeared on "90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined," they explained that the COVID-19 pandemic had further postponed the process. They moved to the U.A.E. together in 2020, and in 2021, they made it to the U.S. Albakkour was subsequently certified to practice dentistry in the U.S., and the couple shares plenty of updates on social media.
Benjamin and Akinyi have an adorable family
Fans likely remember Benjamin Taylor and Akinyi Obala from "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days"' third season. The pair met on a dating app and married in Kenya in 2018. On "90 Day Fiancé: Self Quarantined," the couple chronicled the struggles that followed. The pandemic had thrown a wrench in their plans to get Obala to the United States, and they found themselves in a long-distance marriage. Thanks to a K-1 visa, Obala ultimately made the major move from her home in Nairobi, Kenya, to Phoenix, Arizona, to unite with Taylor. They then tied the knot in the U.S. in 2021 and were able to live together in Phoenix with Taylor's son from his previous marriage.
Taylor and Obala opened up about married life on "90 Day Diaries." The couple struggled with buying a house as well as fertility issues. Despite their ups and downs, it's easy to see that married life is treating these two well. They frequently post adorable family photos and updates on Instagram to keep fans in the know.
Rebecca and Zied are still going strong
Like so many "90 Day Fiancé" love stories, Rebecca Parrott and Zied Hakimi's romance started online. On the third season of "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days," 51-year-old Parrott left her home in Georgia to fly to Tunisia, home of her 29-year-old beau. The couple, who originally met by chance on Facebook, had their fair share of struggles while spending time together in person for the first time, especially while being filmed. Despite being separated, Parrott was still legally married to her ex-husband. This, along with the couple's insecurities and major age gap, made their future seem unclear. Still, they managed to work past their issues.
In 2020, they appeared on "90 Day Fiancé" Season 8, and fans got to watch the happy couple say "I do." The couple appeared on one episode of "90 Day Diaries" in 2022, and they have made it very easy to stay up-to-date with their life as a married couple. They live in Canton, Georgia, and share their story online.