David And Annie Toborowsky On David & Annie: After The 90 Days - Exclusive Interview

What can you tell us about your series "David & Annie: After the 90 Days"?

David: I think it's going to be an exciting series, the genesis. We want Annie's brother and cousin to learn English here in America so that they can have a good quality education, go back to Thailand, and be successful as Annie has been in America. You know, we started from nothing and obviously want ...

Annie: We want to give [the] American dream to them.

David: Yeah.

Definitely. What is the sort of perfect American dream for you guys?

David: I think we are ... And actually for me, I feel like I'm living the American dream right now.

Annie: Yes.

David: I was gone for five years, but we came from very tough situation when I moved back from Asia after teaching there, living in a firehouse storage facility.

Annie: So right now we are living in Arizona, Bowden Hill, and now have a good little business ... And I think we are living [the] American dream. We work hard and we live our comfortable life and [want to] give it to another.

David: Yeah, we have a cooking oils, cooking company. I'm still doing healthcare consulting, but we just launched Boom Bangkok by Annie, which is the fashion line, now. So it's been keeping us busy and, you know, all the things that keep families busy.

How did that fashion line form?

Annie: All the [dresses are] made in Thailand, [imported] from Thailand, and the price I will keep is like ...

David: No, no. How did you come up with the idea?

Annie: Sorry, I [misunderstood]. How [did] I come up [with the idea]? At first, I think the quality, [sometimes] what we get in America, if you want the better quality and the patterns, some stuff like that you have to pay a lot more money, and when I [went] back to Thailand, I went shopping with my cousin, Amber, and I talk[ed] to my friend who has a family business, making clothes, dress[es], making clothes, you know, and she gave me an idea and I pick up quality, yeah, yeah. And bigger quality myself. I see it and [it's] comfortable. And compared to a shipping cost in America, [it] is cheaper. And that's why we [are] very busy because as soon as we upload [a dress] on the website, people say, if somebody says, even like, they don't like the dress, they never wear dress[es], never owned [a dress] in their life, but they love it, they buy one for me because they think the price is very fair.

How was your experience filming this series different from filming "90 Day Fiancé"?

David: We're in a better place now.

Annie: Yeah.

David: Coming ... when we did "90 Day," I hadn't been in America for a few years, five years. So I was unprepared when I came back to America. Everybody says, look, you blame this, you blame it. I blame myself for the life that we had [at the] beginning, but we stuck together. And as we've said to everybody and I'll say it to you, and I've said to everybody, if two people stick together ...

Annie: Nothing bad can happen.

David: And positive thinking ...

Annie: ... creates very positive outcomes. 

David: And that's why we're in the position we are today.

Annie: Yes. And to me, the experience from this show, the "David & Annie: After the 90 Days" show is very, very different than any experience filming I have [had] because it was so, like ... I think I have cried in this show more than the entire show, [of] any "90 Day Fiancé" series we have been on. And also when we left Thailand, my brother and my cousin, they are young. They [were] babies, like 9 and 12. When we go back –

David: Yeah, 9, 11.

Annie: Yeah. No. Yeah.

David: Because Amber's 16.

Annie: So yeah. Yeah. So when we go back, we want to bring them. Now they are teenager[s].

David: Yeah.

Annie: They [are] adults; they [are] able to have a conversation with me, like ...

David: Very different.

Annie: Yes.

David: Very different when you ... It's like a snap of an eye and it's a little boy to a teenager.

Annie: Mm-hmm.

How was your experience filming an international series during the pandemic?

David: I mean, obviously the protocols were in place, so, I mean, it's no different than filming here in America with the pandemic because the rules are still the same when you film, you know, for cast and crew. I mean, they still have to ... So it's different now, we also went through some other difficulties as, as you'll find out.

Well, since you sort of went there, are there any sort of surprises or unexpected moments that fans can expect to see in this new series?

David: You know what I'll tell you? I will tell you one.

Okay.

Annie: God. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [There are] just so many, but yeah.

David: I lose a little weight towards the end. [Laughs]

That's so funny.

David: Stay tuned, stay tuned. There's a reason why we say stay tuned and coming up next week because there's a lot to say.

It seems like we, in America, should learn some of those ideals.

Annie: Be happy and ... be happy.

David: Be happy. I mean, look, the last two years have been taxing on all of us. And I told Annie and I said this to everybody. I really, truly believe by sticking together better days are truly yet to come. And I feel that we are going to get through this together and soon things are going to get better. It's going to get worse before it gets better, but we're all going to get through it. And I think things are being optimistic. Just staying optimistic.

That's truly the best way to live, right?

David: It is. Live your best life.

Annie: Yes. Yes, yes.

Sort of shifting gears a little bit, what are some of your life goals as a couple and as a family?

David: Be successful in business, to make sure that all of our families are provided [for], taken care of, and prepare them for the next generations to come. At some point — obviously I'm 53, Annie's 29 — some point [we] want to be in a position where we can all travel and see the world because I've been to 67 countries. I've taken Annie to several of them and she's traveled. And I really would like for family — all, both sides — to travel and see the world. That's the best educator in the world. I have a master's degree, but I learned more traveling than I did sitting in a classroom.

Annie: No, sometimes [it] doesn't matter how much you want [to]; if they don't want [to], you cannot –

David: No, no. I'm saying, for those that want [to], I'm just saying, but not everybody wants to, but for those that want to enjoy –

Annie: Yes, enjoy travel, to see and [educate] themselves and get –

David: Experiences.

Annie: And see life. That's our goal because that's what we love.

That's amazing. And that's sort of — that's a theme in the show too, so I wanted to ask, outside of the focus on family in "After the 90 Days," what are some other themes and arcs we can expect to see in the show?

David: Good question. I don't know how I can answer that. Really, I'd rather not. I'd rather not answer that, but I think family and I think culture. I think you're going to find the differences of culture that I think those are the things that — I embrace Thai culture more than probably most people embrace their significant other's culture because I lived there.

What was your experience like getting onto "90 Day Fiancé"?

David: I didn't know what to expect. Honestly, I wanted to share the journey of what I went through in my life because there was a lot of guys who were my age when I went over there, which was eight years ago, and had lost weight and went through — I lost my home, my cars, my family, all that stuff, which you're obviously familiar with. I restarted my life, was working in China, met Annie, came to America again. Here I go, back down to this sinking. And I wanted to share like, look a lot of guys back in '08, '09, '10, they either killed themselves when they went through what I went through. It was true. And you see, you can go two paths. You can reinvent yourself. And even when you hit rock bottom and now we're in a relationship and hit rock bottom. When we were in the storage unit, we still stuck together.

Annie: I mean, to me [it] is for our relationship [to] have been on "90 Day Fiancé" and share with a lot of people around the world. I [am] humbled by that because we have a lot of fans, of fans [who became] friends, who all become friend[s] who love and support us. Even nobody we met before, but they [are] still like they know me already. And also we share our relationship, even though we have ... it is [a] very big difference — different culture, different background — but we're still together and we make it happen. And now I am living my American dream. [I] work hard and can't wait to play hard. [Laughs]

Speaking of making your relationship work, what is one piece of advice that you think you would want to share with other couples that works universally?

David: Sure. And we've said this and we said to you before: If two people stick together, nothing bad will happen, and I always say this. Happy wife ...

Annie: Oh, happy life, happy house. But anyway, for relationship[s], you have to work two way[s].

David: Yes.

Annie: [It] cannot just be one way. It has to be two way[s]. You are going to have to work together, have to change a little bit. [You don't] have to change yourself, just a little bit [of effort] if you love each other.

David: And yelling is never an option.

Annie: Yeah.

David: Same [with] words that you shouldn't have to ever say, "I'm sorry that" [or] "Oh, I made a mistake." Okay. We shouldn't have [to] say, "I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings," because that's just ... We really don't argue. And I know people say, "Well, that's — "

Annie: We don't.

David: We laugh. We find the humor in everything. Laughter is the key to life. I mean, Betty White said it best. It's just about laughter about caring about ... I care for her and I have to make her fall in love. You have to make your spouse fall in love with you each day. Don't take it for granted because if you don't make that person fall in love with you, somebody else will.

[On not considering themselves celebrities]

David: It's like I said, people say, "Oh, you're a celebrity. You walk ..." Yes, I take ... We're everyday people. We're not going to ... I'm not going to change that.

Annie: Yeah. We try to respond to every single message –

David: Yes.

Annie: From Instagram or Facebook. People [are] still like, "I can't believe you respond back to me." I say –

David: I respond to everybody.

Annie: Oh yeah, don't worry. I'm fine.

David: The bags under my eyes. [Laughs] I, when you get older, you don't sleep as much, so I literally, because I know it now, if, obviously, the person has no followers, no this, and they send some stupid message, I'm not going to answer it.

Annie: Yeah.

David: But I mean, in general, if it's a real person –

Annie: Yeah, a real person.

David: Until it gets to become a long conversation, I have to, sorry –

Annie: You have to go.

David: "I can grow your followers by 10,000" — they're trying to give me Bitcoin advice ... or whatever. I'm like, thank you, but not today.

Right.

Annie: Give your bank information.

David: Yeah, people want to send me their Cash App all the time, I'm like –

Annie: I don't need [it], keep it for yourself.

That's wild.

Annie: A lot of scammers out there.

David: If I just send $8,000, I get a $400 million transfer — how about $7,300, you keep $100.

Well, speaking of Instagram and everything, what has the fan reception been like for you as a couple?

David: Oh, I mean, we're so humbled by it. I mean, from every walk of life we've ... To other people and I don't know how to explain. We've had celebrities reach out to us and it's so humbling and it's –

Annie: Yeah, we become friends with Paula Abdul.

David: Yeah.

Annie: Donna D'Errico. 

David: Yeah, you end up very, very humbled by it because they were watching TV last year and we were on, just about every week and it's like, wow. And there was a mutual friend, how we met Paula and Paula's coming up, like "what's going on with this couple?" And I'm like, because obviously watching "[90 Day Fiancé:] Pillow Talk," it's humbling.

Annie: She wants "Pillow Talk," all "Pillow Talk." She loves the "Pillow Talk."

David: Yeah. We'll call each other and do another version of "Pillow Talk." That's the humbling part.

Annie: Yeah.

Alright, I guess this is my last question.

David: Sure.

Ending on just sort of a fun note: Are there any other reality series that you two would like to go on?

David: Reality series?

Annie: Tell me what you put.

David: Oh, I know for her. It would be "Naked and Afraid" except not naked, and it's only on Discovery+, by the way.

Annie: But if they let me wear the bikini –

David: Yeah, I can't go because I can't even barefoot it. Me, I would love "The Amazing Race" because of travel. I'd like to create our own Discovery version of it. The "90 Day" couples going, finding stuff from other people's country. There. That I would love to see.

Annie: We would have to find Jenny and Sumit –

David: Yeah, we got to find Jenny and Sumit. A clue: "Where is Sumit's ex-wife from?"

Annie: Where is Yazan's store? You remember when they called in Yazan? Where is his store? I want to go viral.

David: TLC next season. [Laughs] They can take this idea.

Annie: What do you call, the investigator, the one that's a spy?

David: What's that, hon?

Annie: The one like, David, that ... spy on people. What do you call?

David: Oh, like "Cheaters" you're talking about?

Annie: No, that type of work.

David: Oh, like detectives?

Annie: Yes.

David: Okay ... Yeah. I'm sorry, I thought she was talking about like I was showing her the show "Cheaters." They were showing reruns like one day. I'm like, "What is this show?" I'm like, "They go in there. It was like pre-Jerry Springer." Like these are the ones. That's as far as reality. I'm happy where I'm at. I love "Pillow Talk"; I can't wait for this season.

Annie: Anything, we're open to it.

David: We are so honored to have been part of "Foody Call" and "Journey," "Diaries," "Love Games."

Annie: We're open on everything.

David: Which you can still see on Discovery.

Annie: We [are] open [to] everything. Any opportunity.

David: Yes.

You can catch David and Annie on the series premiere of TLC's "David & Annie: After the 90 Days" on Monday, January 10th, at 9 p.m. ET.