90 Day Fiance: What You Don't Know About The Show's Stars
TLC's 90 Day Fiancé has introduced fans to dozens of couples over the course of several seasons and numerous spinoffs, each sharing a similar situation: one of them is an American citizen, the other a foreigner visiting the country on a 90-day K-1 visa. Within that three-month period, the couples must decide whether they want to make the commitment and head to the altar — because, if they don't, the foreign member of the couple will be forced to go home.
Some couples have gone on to settle into lives together, starting families and deepening their bonds, while others have split up, sometimes under dramatic circumstances.
Meanwhile, viewers of 90 Day Fiancé – one of the worst shows on TLC, despite its entertaining nature – who haven't been keeping tabs on the whereabouts of the show's former cast will likely be surprised by what they've been up to since their respective times on the show ended. From competitive bodybuilding to auditioning for American Idol to serving time in prison, these 90 Day Fiancé stars have had a lot going on.
90 Day Fiance star Danielle began selling these products
During the second season of 90 Day Fiancé, the short-but-turbulent marriage (and subsequent divorce) of Mohamed Jbali and Danielle Mullins Jbali, one of the worst 90 Day Fiancé couples, was well documented. After their experience on the show, Mullins Jbali attempted to cash in on her fame by selling autographed photos of herself, in addition to revealing her plans to go to nursing school. "All autographs will be out by Monday December 17," she wrote in an Instagram post in late 2018. "I have been working on them between my jobs and school."
She also began selling t-shirts and mugs featuring some of her 90 Day Fiancé phrases, particularly her alleged line, "I want my sex tonight." She also shared a photo on Instagram of herself smiling and wearing a t-shirt that reads, "I am going to guarantee I'll get your a** deported."
Meanwhile, she told In Touch in May 2019 that she had a new boyfriend. "He had reached out to me and Mohamed both during our first season of 90 Day Fiancé," she revealed. "We stayed in contact after me and Mohamed split. He was there for me and my kids after Mohamed left."
90 Day Fiance star Mohamed joined YouTube... and went on the road
Since his split from Danielle Mullins Jbali in Season 2 of 90 Day Fiancé, Mohamed Jbali produced motivational videos that he posted on his YouTube channel. In his first vlog, posted in December 2017, he explained the videos would "be about me and my daily life, and what I think about products, companies, [and] equipment..." As of this writing, the last video on the channel was posted in October 2018.
Meanwhile, in December 2019, Jbali apparently had a new job on the horizon as a long-haul trucker. "Me and this guy are about to become homeless soon!" he wrote on Instagram, accompanying a photo of him walking his dog. "Not that we have no place to stay but we choose to go after big money so we gonna give up on everything and be on the road driving an 18 wheeler and help America transport food and other important things to stay [great]." He added, "So I'm not sure how this boy is gonna hold up waking up in a different state everyday!"
Molly launched a music career and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! after 90 Day Fiance
Viewers watched the doomed romance of Molly Hopkins and Luis Mendez play out in the sixth season of 90 Day Fiancé, with the pair ultimately splitting up and going their separate ways. Since then, Molly revealed in an Instagram post that she was revisiting some old musical ambitions she had let fall by the wayside before turning her attention to her lingerie business.
"My brother and I are going to get back in the studio — we've got some surprises coming for you guys," Hopkins told her followers on Instagram live, as reported by In Touch Weekly. "For anybody that doesn't know, before I did bras, I was in school for music. So, it's been missing. It's kind of part of rediscovering myself." She followed up with an Instagram photo of herself and her brother, revealing they were heading into a recording studio. She wrote, "Just wait until these cats come with a banger!! Stay tuned! Studio sessions in full effect."
In December 2019, Hopkins received an invitation to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where she was interviewed by 90 Day Fiancé superfan and guest host Brie Larson about her experiences.
90 Day Fiance star Chelsea came out as bisexual
Chelsea Macek married Nicaraguan boy band singer Yamir Castillo during Season 2 of 90 Day Fiancé, with their marriage coming to an end by the end of 2016. The couple issued a joint statement to Radar Online in 2017, indicating they were "not interested in giving details of our personal lives." While Castillo is apparently still pursuing his music career, Macek has made some big life changes in her life.
According to her Instagram, Macek revealed her residence in Colorado Springs, Colo. and has embraced a variety of ventures, one of which appears to be within the state's legal cannabis industry. She's also opened her own business, Moonhollow Mercantile, selling "mystical goods for magical beings."
In addition to all that, Macek came out as openly bisexual. In an interview with the Coming Out Sessions website, Macek discussed her marriage to Castillo, explaining that during the five-year relationship she "just knew that something wasn't right." She explained, "There was something that just didn't feel right. And it wasn't him, and it was nothing that he had done; it was something inside of me."
Jorge went to prison after appearing on 90 Day Fiance
Anfisa Arkhipchenko and Jorge Nava were first seen in the fourth season of of 90 Day Fiancé, and were involved in some of the most uncomfortable moments in 90 Day Fiancé history. And things did not go as planned for Nava after the couple's time on the show ended. As People reported, Nava was pulled over by police in February 2018 and arrested for possessing marijuana — and not just a little. In fact, he had nearly 300 pounds of "high-grade" weed stashed in the trunk of his car, leading him to be convicted of a class four felony and sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison (via People).
If there's a silver lining to the situation, it's that his stint in the slammer led Nava to lose a whopping 125 pounds. "I am glad that people are noticing some positivity out of such a negative outcome," he said in an interview with E! News, which was coordinated through his attorney. "Hopefully people can see that I am able to turn things around even though I am at the lowest point in my life."
90 Day Fiance star Anfisa is a competitive bodybuilder
In the midst of Jorge Nava's legal problems, Moscow-born beauty Anfisa Arkhipchenko went on to become a 90 Day Fiancé fan favorite (her Instagram account has more than 675,000 followers). Arkhipchenko also embraced a new passion that's been taking up her time: competitive bodybuilding.
As she explained in a now-deleted Instagram post (via People), she began working out to "fill the void" after Nava's sentencing.
In June 2019, Arkhipchenko competed in her first-ever bodybuilding competition, taking second place in the novice category and "5th place open" at the NPC West Coast Classic bikini competition. After sharing the news on Instagram, she also posted a video of her routine on social media, writing, "Stayed up until 5 am re-watching videos from last night at #NPCwestcoast @centerpodium and reading your comments! So overwhelmed with joy and excitement! Woke up thinking I slept a long time but it's only 7.40am So here's my solo posing from the finals! A little rushed as I was nervous."
Evelyn sang her heart out on American Idol after 90 Day Fiance
While it's not uncommon to see 90 Day Fiancé stars appear on one or more of the show's numerous spinoffs, it is unusual to see them on TV talent competitions. Yet that was exactly what happened with Evelyn Cormier, who first appeared on 90 Day Fiancé's fifth season, alongside then-fiancé (and current husband) David Vázquez Zermeño.
Cormier had made no secret of the fact that she was a talented singer, sharing songs with her followers on social media. In 2019, The Washington Post reported that her musical ambitions led her to audition for American Idol, where she impressed the judges enough to earn a "Golden Ticket" to the Hollywood rounds. She even wound up making it to the top 20!
Not only did she earn the seal of approval from judge Katy Perry ("one of my favorite voices I've ever heard in my life," declared the "Roar" singer), Cormier continued on her musical career path, and she recorded several singles that are available on Spotify and other streaming services.
90 Day Fiance stars Noon and Kyle competed to be Portland's cutest couple
Bajaree Boonma (known to viewers as Noon) appeared with fiancé Kyle Huckabee in the third season of 90 Day Fiancé, and they later got married in a Buddhist temple (via In Touch). Then in 2019, the pair took to social media to urge their followers to vote for them in a Portland radio station's contest to name the city's cutest couple.
Alas, Kyle and Noon didn't win (they didn't even make the top three), but there's no denying these 90 Day Fiancé fan favorites are indeed cute. Also cute is Noon's YouTube channel, which boasts the adorable title of "Noon All Day".
The selection of videos on her channel is nothing if not eclectic, including a demonstration of how she talks to heevelr cat, footage of the couple's road trip to Vancouver and another of the pair chilling in their boho-style bedroom. The two have also listed their services on Cameo, where they'll leave anyone a personalized video message... for a price.
Mark sued 90 Day Fiance
It's no secret that couples' experiences on 90 Day Fiancé are all over the map, but Season 3 participants Mark and Nikki Shoemaker were so dissatisfied that he sued TLC's parent company, Discovery Communications. In the 2016 lawsuit, Shoemaker, who was 58 years old when he brought his 19-year-old bride-to-be from the Philippines (via Cheat Sheet), alleged the show deliberately made him come across negatively on the show.
Shoemaker's suit alleged "they were misled into believing that the show was a documentary or 'docu-series,' that it was not scripted, that they would not have to promise anything, or that they would not be forced to do or say anything." Once they watched the episodes, however, the Shoemakers "realized that Defendants fraudulently misrepresented Plaintiffs' roles in the show and improperly altered several footages to cause Plaintiffs' damages, including the destruction of their reputation."
In 2017, the suit was tossed out of court, with the judge citing one simple fact: They had signed a release. As the decision pointed out, by signing that release the Shoemakers had "clearly waived their right to bring this action and are precluded from doing so." Case dismissed!
90 Day Fiance star Alan won big on The Price is Right
Viewers of 90 Day Fiancé first saw Alan and Kirlyam Cox during the show's first season in 2014, after the couple met when he was on a Mormon mission in her hometown in Brazil.
The couple returned to television in 2017 — not on 90 Day Fiancé, however, but on The Price Is Right. Host Drew Carey asked Alan to "come on down" to the show's contestant's row, where he saw success from the start when his first bid was a winner (he posted footage on Instagram of himself doing "the worm" after his victory). He then went on to win the Showcase Showdown, taking home a trip for two to Fiji and a red Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible, a prize package valued at $34,911, as reported by Starcasm.
"I have always been a huge [The Price is Right] fan. I loved watching it with Bob Barker and continued to love it with Drew Carey," Cox wrote on Instagram. "It was one of the most fun experiences of my life. I would have been happy just to have been called to 'come on down,' but to actually win the showcase showdown was an absolute DREAM!"
90 Day Fiance's Jason appears to be working in casting for reality TV
Jason Hitch and Cassia Tavares were introduced to 90 Day Fiancé viewers in the show's second season. Sadly, the couple's drama-filled relationship ended in divorce, with Hitch confirming to Radar Online in 2018 that the divorce had been finalized.
While In Touch Weekly reported shortly after that Tavares had a new man in her life, Hitch appeared to land a gig relating to his reality show experience. In a Facebook post he issued in March 2019, Hitch reached out to anyone in a "sexless broken relationship" and "families who need help," offering the services of "a nationally-recognized family and parenting expert who will come live in your house for a few days to help identify underlying issues and fix what's broken." He shared a contact email affiliated with KT Studios, which has developed such programming as The Real and Jersey Shore.
According to the company's casting info, they are indeed in search of such families for an upcoming show. "Help is on the horizon," the casting call promises. "Families will be compensated for their time."
90 Day Fiance star Narkyia runs an event rental business
Narkyia Lathan and Olulowo Shodipe appeared in the fourth season of 90 Day Fiancé. Given his outrageous fibbing (which included telling her he was a Nigerian prince and claiming that the mother of his son was dead when she wasn't), some viewers would be surprised to learn that the two were still married as of 2019, three years after their rocky romance played out on the show.
Meanwhile, Lathan is the owner of Lowkey Custom Rentals LLC, which rents furniture and other items for weddings, parties, and various events. According to online records, Lathan is listed as the principal of the business, which was incorporated in Pennsylvania in 2016.
She expanded the company with a $3,000 loan funded through Kiva, a service that allows entrepreneurs to crowd-source loans to fund their business ventures. She explained her hopes and dreams for the company. "Our mission is to make our customers most important events become extraordinary," she wrote in her Kiva profile. "This business was started in December of 2016 after unsuccessfully looking for rental items to make my wedding and reception extraordinary." The loan, she explained, would address the company's biggest challenge, which was "just having enough inventory to meet our customers' demands."
90 Day Fiance couple Brett and Daya launched a podcast
Brett Otto and Daya De Arce were featured in Season 2 of TLC's 90 Day Fiancé back in 2014, ultimately getting married and welcoming their daughter in July 2017.
The couple channelled their experiences navigating the 90-day K-1 visa process into a new venture, their own podcast titled The K1 Experience. "Brett Otto shares what life is like with his wife, Daya who moved to America all the way from the Philippines just to be with him," the podcast's description read. "Providing updates on the family and talking to others who have been through their own 'K1 Experience,' the podcast aims to show different perspectives of what it's like to marry someone from another country."
In October 2019, the last episode of the podcast was released, as Otto "decided to pivot and focus [his] efforts on another podcast," the Tip Touch podcast.