The Truth About 90 Day Fiance's Loren Brovarnik
When it comes to the women of "90 Day Fiancé," Loren Brovarnik stands out as a fan favorite. Known for her big heart, determination, and openness, she quickly captured our hearts on Season 3 of the hit TLC series. The Florida native became a popular cast member alongside her equally endearing other half, Alexei Brovarnik, who was living in Israel when they first met.
The reality starlet has come a long way from her initial stint on the show. And because she has remained a loyal member of the "90 Day" family, starring in its countless spinoffs, we still get to share in her life journey. Through her Instagram page, Loren also keeps her now over 1.3 million followers posted on everything from the launch of her merch line to the celebration of family milestones to her continued involvement with the franchise.
Using her public platform to help others, Loren has spoken candidly about her struggles with a long-distance relationship, her chronic medical condition, and her life as a mother. Here's the truth about Loren Brovarnik.
She starred on one of the very first seasons of 90 Day Fiancé
Although now it's one of the most watched reality shows on television, averaging 3 million viewers per season, according to Forbes, when Loren Brovarnik was cast on "90 Day Fiancé," the series was just getting started. Loren was already a fan of the show, and it was her roommate who encouraged her to apply for its third season, ultimately changing the course of her life. "At the time, we were watching the show and she was like, 'You should write to them,'" Loren told The List. "She's like, 'I mean, you have nothing to lose.'"
Loren, who was living and working in New York at the time and traveling back and forth to Israel to visit her then-boyfriend, Alexei Brovarnik, was very diligent in the application process. "When I wrote them, I literally put together a novel and I sent a million pictures of us and everything," she explained to The List. All her hard work paid off in the end, because her love story caught the attention of the show's producers and they were cast (even though Alexei had never even watched an episode prior to his interview).
The lovebirds made their debut on the TLC show in 2015, when they were both 26 (via TLC), and chronicled Alexei's journey to America. The pair quickly became fan favorites and went down in the show's history as a lasting success story (via Us Weekly).
The reality star is a native of Florida
When Loren Brovarnik applied to the show, she was living in New York City. However, the reality starlet is a native of Boca Raton, Florida. In fact, according to her LinkedIn profile, she studied at the University of North Florida, graduating with a bachelor's degree in communications in 2010. While she was in college, she joined the sorority Zeta Tau Alpha, and she still has a lot of love for her sorority sisters, as is apparent on her Instagram page.
When Alexei Brovarnik, who is from Nazareth Illit, Israel, came to the United States, the couple lived with Loren's parents in Florida. However, looking at it in hindsight, Loren regretted that decision. "If I could have done something differently in the beginning of this relationship, I probably would have tried to convince Alex to go to New York instead of both of us going to Florida," she said on the show (via YouTube). They ultimately stayed, and they have celebrated a lot of important milestones in the Sunshine State. As Loren noted on Instagram, they ended up tying the knot in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and having their first son in Miami Beach, Florida.
Currently, the couple resides in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area (via The Times of Israel), but want to explore more of the world together. "I'm good with where we are, but I know she's kind of iffy about Florida right now," Alexei told Access. Loren noted, "I would go to Israel. ... We have a support system there."
She met her husband in Israel on a Birthright trip
It was when she volunteered to go on a trip to Israel that Loren Brovarnik first set eyes on her soulmate. The journey was part of the Birthright program, designed with young Jewish adults in mind, in order for them to explore the country. As The Times of Israel explained, it is "an international program offering free heritage trips to the Holy Land for Jews ages 18 to 32."
The then soon-to-be reality star was an alumna of the program, but decided to return to Israel to work as a staff member, never thinking she'd actually meet the love of her life the second time around. "Honestly, after my trip as a participant in 2011, I never saw myself coming back to Israel, and fast forward two years later, I am staffing a trip and unknowingly meeting my future husband," she told the Birthright Israel Foundation.
So how did she meet Alexei Brovarnik, a Ukrainian native? Well, Alexei, who had immigrated to Israel with his family at the age of 11, was the medic on her trip. When Loren saw him for the first time, she had just gotten off the plane and was donning a Burberry track suit, face mask with "do not disturb" on it, and a cheetah-print neck pillow. "I go up to him and was like, 'Are you our medic?' ... 'It's gonna be a good trip,'" she explained to Wzra TV of their initial meeting, noting her instant attraction to him.
As a budding entrepreneur, she has multiple side hustles
When she was first cast on "90 Day Fiancé," Loren Brovarnik was working as an executive assistant in New York City. As per her LinkedIn profile, her job description included planning corporate events. However, she quit her job and moved to Florida with Alexei Brovarnik to live with her parents. But through the exposure she got from the popular TLC series, Loren was able to expand her portfolio and pick up multiple side hustles.
For one, she's on Cameo, and creates videos for special occasions, such as holidays and birthdays, for her legion of fans. The "90 Day" star is also an influencer, as is apparent from her sponsored posts on Instagram.
In addition, the fashionista created a merch line on her personal website and sells clothing and accessories. The collection ranges in price from $15 to $25 and includes pieces like onesies, caps, and t-shirts. There are two logos available, one that says "Mama's Boy" (shown in the photo with her son, Shai, above) and the other is a picture of an evil eye. When asked on her Instagram Story why she chose the latter design, she replied (via Showbiz CheatSheet), "The evil eye is a symbol to offer protection to you. And because they're always blue, and as you know I've got brown eyes, I decided to go ahead and make it brown because it's different, and also add my beauty mark because it's my signature beauty mark."
Loren Brovarnik has Tourette Syndrome and works as an ambassador for the condition
Loren Brovarnik revealed her struggles with Tourette Syndrome on "90 Day Fiancé" back in 2016. "Tourette's causes ticks, which are involuntary movements and repetitive and unwanted sounds," she explained in a confessional on the show. She went on to say that she "tried to hide it as much as [she] could from the cameras" at first, but viewers began to notice and judge, which is when she decided to share it.
The series also showed her opening up to her then-future in-laws about her condition and even documented her telling her future mother-in-law about the fact that her condition could be hereditary (via YouTube). On the 90 Day Fiancé'" YouTube channel, Loren, who was diagnosed at age 7, revealed that she "didn't want people to know" about her medical situation when she was growing up.
Now that she is a public figure, she uses her platform for good. One of the ways she does that is by working as an ambassador for the Tourette Association of America, for which she publicly speaks about what she goes through. "Somebody told me I was their hero and I was kind of taken aback by that," she told ET about one fan interaction. "I'm a regular girl, I have a platform, and I opened up about it selfishly to help me, because it really did help me, and I thought if it might help one person then I did the right thing."
Loren Brovarnik is a mom of two
As a reality star, Loren Brovarnik is comfortable sharing her personal life, including life as a mother, in front of the cameras. In April 2020, she and husband Alexei Brovarnik welcomed their first child, Shai. In an interview with People, she said, "With everything going on right now with the [coronavirus], this is the smile and light we needed." In June, their new arrival made his reality show debut on "90 Day Fiancé: What Now?" (via Facebook).
Less than a year later, in March 2021, Loren announced on Instagram that she was already pregnant with her second child. The new mom was candid about her fears of having baby No. 2 so soon. In a clip from "90 Day Diaries" (via Us Weekly), she spoke honestly about that experience, saying, "I'm still adjusting to being a mom with Shai, and now he is gonna be a toddler and growing, and I'm gonna have a newborn at the same time." On August 16, 2021, Loren gave birth to another son, as she announced on Instagram.
So what does the multitasking mom think of the idea of filming a spinoff with their family? In an interview with The List, she said she was open to it. "I mean, one day. Why not?" she said.
When she first met Alexei, Loren Brovarnik didn't even know how to peel potatoes
When Loren Brovarnik began dating Alexei Brovarnik, let's just say she didn't really know her way around a kitchen. "When I first met Alex, I didn't even know how to peel potatoes," she told Access. That's why even Loren herself is surprised at her newfound talent, and Alexei, ever the supportive husband, is more than content with her culinary progress. "She's very good with following instructions," he told The List.
To say that Loren has come a long way from her humble beginnings behind the stove is quite the understatement. Now, not only does the couple enjoy preparing meals together, they were even featured on the franchise's first cooking show, "90 Day Foody Call," which premiered on discovery+ in May 2021. On the series, they whipped up recipes for entrees such as lemon chicken and desserts like ambrosia salad, which happens to be Alexei's favorite, while engaging in playful and flirty banter. Two traditional dishes they whipped up were hummus and Israeli salad, which are signature dishes from Alexei's home country, Israel.
The reality TV star enjoys starring in 90 Day spinoffs
After her original "90 Day Fiancé" stint, Loren Brovarnik remained a lasting cast member of the franchise. Fans not only got to witness her love story with Alexei Brovarnik blossom on screen, but they even watched the birth of their first child. At this point, the lovebirds have starred in many of the show's spinoffs, such as "90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk," on which they weigh in on the current "90 Day" season from their bedroom. The reality couple was also featured in "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?" when they were newly married and "90 Day Fiancé: What Now?" where they chronicled the birth of their son. And, of course, they were in "90 Day Diaries," where they discussed plans for baby No. 2.
While Loren was pregnant with her second son, she even filmed "90 Day Foody Call," the franchise's cooking series featuring fan-favorite couples in their kitchens. Although she seems comfortable on screen, Loren does admit that there's a negative side to sharing her personal life with viewers. "They think they know everything about you based on snippets," she told The List. "And that's not true." However, she is grateful for their many devoted fans, and wants to continue on the "90 Day" journey. When asked if she and Alexei had plans to retire from the franchise, she said, "No, we like it," adding, "It's fun and we're very, very lucky. We have got a very loyal following."
Loren Brovarnik is of Jewish heritage and respects her religion's traditions
As we already know, Loren Brovarnik takes her Jewish heritage seriously and even traveled to Israel for Birthright trips, where she ultimately met her husband, Alexei Brovarnik. However, before she went to Israel in her 20s, she admittedly did not know much about her religion's history. "I thought, why would I go there? I'm not going to ride a camel! It was so ignorant of me," she said at a virtual event called Disability Reality Check (via The Times of Israel).
Through that enriching and life-changing journey and also, of course, from marrying Alexei, Loren, who did not grow up religious, has become more involved in her faith. "Now I'm so pro-Israel and pro-Judaism," she said. "Not that I wasn't before, but Alex and I are much more traditional. We do Shabbat, we say the prayers, we light candles ... "
In fact, when the pair married, they had two ceremonies — one in the U.S. in 2015 and then another in Israel in 2016. And when it came time to name their son, they gave him a religious-inspired moniker. His name, Shai, as Loren explained on Instagram, means "gift" in Hebrew. And now, as Alexei told Birthright Israel Foundation, the couple speaks Hebrew at home, enjoys Israeli TV, and even frequents Israeli markets and restaurants. And as evidenced from their time on "90 Day Foody Call," they even cook Israeli dishes for dinner!
She faced obstacles on her way to the altar
Long-distance relationships can be hard, and for Loren Brovarnik, living almost 6,000 miles away from the love of her life proved difficult. In one year, Loren traveled to Israel five times from her New York home to see Alexei Brovarnik. "And I remember out of those times, two of them, I left on a Wednesday afternoon, arrived on Thursday morning, and then I took the red eye on Monday and I got into Newark [airport] at 5 o'clock in the morning," she told The List.
Before Alexei could come to America, the couple also had to go through the grueling process of getting a K-1 visa. "There's a lot of waiting, but at the end, it's totally worth it," Loren said (via YouTube). And on Alexei's end, he ultimately had to leave his family and friends back home in Israel behind to be with Loren. Fans will never forget the scene where Alexei is video chatting with his family, who tells him how upset they are that he moved away.
Adding to the pair's rocky road to the altar was the infamous bachelorette party drama that ensued on "90 Day Fiancé." When Loren found out Alexei had strippers at his bachelor party, she retaliated by going to a strip club for hers, which Alexei asked her not to do. In fact, they cite that scene as the hardest one to watch, even now.
She was open about her struggles after having her first child
One of the reasons Loren Brovarnik quickly became a fan favorite in the "90 Day Fiancé" family is because of her openness about her personal life. Not only was Loren very candid about her beginnings with Alexei Brovarnik, but once she became a mother, she also shared her journey. The first-time mom, who is very active on social media, got very real with fans when it came to what she was going through after giving birth.
A month after Shai was born, she confessed on Instagram that she hit a bit of a rough patch. "I've felt excited, exhausted, scared, in pain and every other emotion you can think of!" she captioned a selfie with her new baby. "I've experienced some postpartum depression and I've struggled with judgment and people sharing unsolicited advice." Three months after Shai was born, she detailed on her Instagram Story what the post-partum depression entailed (via Us Weekly). "[Losing my pregnancy weight] is actually a very big thing for me and the biggest postpartum struggle for me," she said to her army of loyal followers, which to date, is over 1.3 million.