Jasmine Pineda Claps Back at Critics of Her OnlyFans: It Puts Food on My Table!

Just one day after dramatically snatching his hat from his head, Jasmine stunned viewers by taking Gino back.

Their ill-advised reconciliation didn’t undo the wrongs of the past, including Gino having leaked her nudes.

Jasmine has previously stated that the fallout from this scandal cost her her job.

As a result, she’s using her new OnlyFans career to put food on the table — and she’s clapping back at critics over it.

After episode after episode of Jasmine Pineda screaming and crying at the slightest provocation, her distress suddenly made sense.

She and Gino were on a resort island to celebrate their love.

This was when Jasmine unblocked the ex of his who had been messaging him … and discovered his betrayal.

Jasmine Pineda - naked pictures of me?

Gino had sent Jasmine’s topless photo to his ex.

He had also made fun of Jasmine in messages to her, and continued to message her even on this trip to meet Jasmine.

The messages also revealed that Gino had previously boasted about how much he had paid sugar babies for dates.

Jasmine Pineda takes Gino Palazzolo's hat

This famously led to their extremely emotional confrontation, with Jasmine swiping Gino’s hat.

She was trying to prove a point and hurt him at the same time, and she did.

Gino wears hats as a security blanket, and had not planned on exposing his scalp to the world — or to anyone else.

Against the better judgments of literally everyone involved, the two for some reason decided to give it another chance.

Yes, Jasmine’s emotional outbursts from before this were totally unwarranted and were emotional abuse. 

Yes, Gino had misused her nudes, betraying his trust and making it clear that he was obsessed with his ex.

Gino Palazzolo awkwardly hugs Jasmine Pineda

A stunner took place off of the show and on social media.

According to Jasmine, Gino’s ex — the one who had warned her — had taken steps to sabotage her life.

Jasmine accused her of sending these ill-gotten nude photos to multiple bloggers, as well as to Jasmine’s employer, getting her fired.

Jasmine Pineda IG accuses Gino's ex of blackmail, getting her fired

Gino’s ex has adamantly denied having sent anything of the sort.

It seems possible that some photo of Jasmine was sent to her employer, but it’s possible that it might not have been the same person who sent it.

Either way, Jasmine shared that the result was that she was fired from her job — something that happens far too often.

Jasmine Pineda screams with heartbreak

Whoever sent the photo, the result was the same.

Now, Jasmine is using OnlyFans as her source of income.

Like numerous 90 Day Fiance stars who use OnlyFans, she is hoping that her reality TV fame will make this a sustainable platform.

Jasmine Pineda goes on a romantic boat tour alone

In a recent Instagram Story, Jasmine spoke about being a woman with “5 university titles” who is working towards her Ph.D.

She acknowledged that some people think that “shooting for OnlyFans” is degrading.

However, she noted that it is a job — one that can put food on her table.

Jasmine Pineda IG about OnlyFans

“But life surprises you sometimes and you have to reinvent yourself [especially] when you have people who depend on you,” Jasmine noted.

She shared that in addition to bringing in money, using the platform also helps to keep her motivated to work out.

Jasmine explained that she has “to maintain a ‘figure'” in order to create new content, so she keeps to a certain fitness standard.

Gino Palazzolo awkwardly watches Jasmine Pineda work out

Jasmine charges $14.99 per month for OnlyFans subscribers.

For those less interested in gawking at her body, she is also on Cameo, which is an extremely common income source for reality stars.

Jasmine’s fee is nearly $50 for a video, which is probably mid-range as the rates for these go.

Jasmine Pineda wears I Am The Crazy Panamanian Girlfriend

Viewers have an understandably complicated view of Jasmine — and of Gino, for that matter.

It appears that they are still together, though social media clues can sometimes be (deliberately) misleading.

No matter what we think of her on-screen antics from earlier this season, no one should be shamed for taking nudes, for sex work like OnlyFans, or for being themselves.

Lisa Hamme: I Hope 90 Day Fiance Takes Me Back! I’d Be Great on Pillow Talk!

On this season of 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days, Usman Umar made his return, this time with a new woman.

His ex-wife, Lisa Hamme, has put Usman on blast and thrown some shade in Kimberly’s direction, too.

Some fans miss her. Some wish that she’d shush. Others don’t miss her, but like it when she roasts Usman anyway.

Lisa has a lot to say about more cast members … and she’s hoping to make a franchise comeback by joining Pillow Talk.

Lisa Hamme gave a lengthy interview to In Touch Weekly.

In addition to touching upon how she is constantly brought up on this season and upon her weirdness with Angela Deem, she talked about her career.

These days, Cameo is effectively her job … but she’d like a more official way of speaking to fans.

“I wanna do 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk,” Lisa expressed.

“I love the cast,” she announced. “I still [am] in contact with all the cast members.”

Lisa reiterated: “I would love to do a Pillow Talk with them.”

Lisa also shared that her husband, Tracey Robinson, would totally join her to comment on the show.

“Yes, he would love to do it,” she reported.

And it sounds like, these days, Lisa’s schedule is wide open.

Lisa shared that she has not worked as a hospice nurse since late 2019.

“Doing the show, I met several patients with cancer via social media and I stay in touch with all of them,” she described.

“But there’s a woman locally that has it so severe,” Lisa revealed.

“She’s 38 with two daughters,” Lisa described.

“So I kind of stay close to her and I’m walking her towards the end of life,” she detailed.

“So no, I never gave that up,” Lisa characterized, “but I haven’t gone back say, for a paid job.”

Lisa also reminded everyone that she underwent a toe amputation after not seeking treatment for an injury while in Nigeria.

That bad infection and subsequent procedure could have a real impact upon her ability to work.

Of course, having risen to fame on reality television gave her another source of income — and no, we don’t mean those infamously low TLC checks.

“Cameo is my focus,” Lisa noted, referring to the app where fans pay for customized, short videos from famous people.

“A lot of [90 Day stars] go to OnlyFans, but sorry, I’m just not that girl. I’m not that old lady,” she said with a laugh.

Lisa added: “So, I will stick with Cameo and let my husband take care of me.”

“I’ve gotta say doing the show was incredible,” Lisa reflected about her time on the franchise.

“It was a nightmare during the two weeks or three weeks over there,” she said.

“But the amount of followers that I have held steady for two years is amazing,” Lisa praised.

“I have met so many awesome people through the globe that I will never forget,” Lisa gushed.

“So I call them my family now because I’m probably one of the few cast members that will actually reply to DMs,” she said.

“And 90%, 95% are all good,” Lisa claimed. “We still got that 5% that SojaBoy sends my way.”

“I know they’re his fans,” Lisa accused.

“So he likes to bring ’em over to my page just to harass, and sadly, you know what I do?” she asked.

Lisa revealed: “I leave ’em in the DM request. You’ve been rejected.”

While it’s always possible that Lisa could return, many fans have a very good reason for not wanting to see that.

Lisa would still be on the show in some form if she hadn’t been exposed calling Usman the N-word, news of which spread to fans.

After Alina Kasha was fired following a scandal for using the slur in old posts, one would hope that Lisa — whose context was far worse — would never make a comeback.

Lisa hamme i hope 90 day fiance takes me back id be great on pil

Avery Mills: I Married Omar Albakkour BEFORE We Filmed Our On-Screen "Wedding"

It was almost exactly one year ago when 90 Day Fiance fan-favorite shared some wonderful news.

Her husband, Omar Albakkour, finally had his visa approved and could come to the United States.

The two had previously been separated by an ocean and legal hurdles, and their updates these days are from the U.S.

Avery has also revealed something that a few fans already suspected: she and Omar were secretly married before filming their on-screen nuptials.

Avery Mills — seen here with her husband, Omar, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — was not an instant fan-favorite.

People questioned her youth, and her portrayal as being wishy-washy or even flaky on the show made people doubt her decision-making.

However, the authenticity of her love story, her relationship, and of Avery herself won people over, and these two are a widely beloved couple.

This week, Avery revealed that one part of her story was not as authentic as viewers were led to believe.

Taking to TikTok, she shared (in a now-deleted video, which raises some questions) some “big tea” about her past.

Teasing fans before announcing the news, Avery wrote: “I’ve never told people this bc I thought I would get in trouble.”

Almost like a subliminal message (but not really), Avery’s confession popped up towards the end of her TikTok video.

“Omar and I got secretly married when we were in Lebanon,” she revealed.

Avery shared that this was “because we were warned by a camera man that the show will try to mess up our wedding.”

“Not even the show knows about it,” Avery admitted.

“And,” she detailed, “my mom didn’t find out until after.”

Like many little white lies, no matter how good the intentions, very naturally led to some other necessary embellishments.

“So, in teh scene that I was mad at Omar for not getting the wedding ready,” Avery recalled.

She confessed: “I had to act like I was so mad at him.”

“But in reality,” Avery explained, “we already got married earlier that morning.”

Avery and Omar aren’t the first cast members who were married before their on-screen wedding.

This has happened before, dating all of the way back to Season 2.

Some will argue that 90 Day Fiance producers are going to far when things like this happen, but let’s look at the facts.

Avery Mills and Omar Albakkour embrace with American flags

First of all, as Avery made clear, this was not the show’s doing.

One member of the production team advised her good-naturedly that getting married ahead of time was a good idea.

It’s not that producers were going to unleash a swarm of bees at the wedding — but an already married couple could have real peace of mind.

That doesn’t mean that the subsequent footage wasn’t dishonest, but that it wasn’t production’s fault.

Avery did what she had to do for her marriage and her happiness.

Reality stars re-take scenes or re-hash arguments all of the time for the camera. This was just, you know, a bit more than that.

Avery Mills IG Story 03 of 04

By the way, “fake weddings” like Avery and Omar did for the camera aren’t reality television exclusives.

Real neighbors don’t go on annual vacations like Real Housewives do, and no real dating situation compares to any Bachelor’s.

But people in real life marry secretly before their official weddings all of the time. It’s a smart move for the couple’s sanity, and harms no one.

We want to be clear that there are instances where production and editing have absolutely gone too far with the show.

Horrible behavior has been effectively covered up, and reasonable people have been edited to look unreasonable just to get a rise out of viewers.

But we don’t begrudge Avery and Omar for this fib. We’re just so glad that they found each other and their happily ever after.

Mike Berk Spotted Filming After Breakup with Ximena Cuellar

Even before viewers watched Ximena complain about “piggish” Mike Berk on screen, we knew that they had split.

Ximena is many things. Subtle on social media is not one of them.

However, there have now been multiple reports of Mike filming again.

The latest, on the heels of Mike’s racist posts being exposed, say that Mike was spotted filming in New York.

Mike Berk explains the "distance" he's felt lately

An inside source tells In Touch Weekly that Mike Berk has “started filming” a new season of one show or the other of the 90 Day Fiance franchise.

“Mike was spotted shooting a scene in New York with his friend Nelcy,” the insider detailed.

This could be anything from wrapping up another season of Before The 90 Days to filming for 90 Day: The Single Life.

Mike Berk and Ximena Cuellar hug goodbye at airport

Mike Berk and Ximena Cuellar, also known as Ximena Morales, were in a long-distance relationship.

On Season 5 of 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days, we watched the two of them meet for the very first time.

Despite the language barrier and some awkward moments, it was a very sweet story … at first.

Mike Berk and Ximena Cuellar view coffee-growing land

Like any couple who is meeting for the first time, there were some rough moments.

Ximena should have been more honest. Mike had issues that he needed to work on.

But before he left Colombia that first time, Mike proposed to Ximena. They became engaged.

Mike Berk cake - Ximena do you want to marry me?

Mike returned to New York as a fiance.

He set about getting ready to take the next step with Ximena, including seeing an attorney about paperwork so that they could be together.

But something changed while he was away.

Ximena Cuellar - the truth is I'm not happy with Mike right now

Mike returned to Colombia to prepare for their wedding, but Ximena was like a new person.

She was sullen and petulant — which would be understandable from a teenager, but bizarre from a 24-year-old mother of two.

She didn’t meet him at the airport. She didn’t want to sleep with him. She clearly resented his presence.

Ximena Cuellar - the dress is not getting bought

All of that is already a weird way to “welcome” your fiance.

Ximena took things a step further after the couple shopped for wedding dresses.

She asked him why he was willing to buy her a wedding dress — but hadn’t given her the money to pay for a breast augmentation.

Ximena Cuellar - I want a breast augmentation

Ximena gave Mike an ultimatum: she wouldn’t “let” him buy her a wedding dress until she got her boob job.

Mike suggested that he was open to it as a result.

But things did not stop there, as Ximena explained that she had no desire to sleep with Mike because he is “weird.”

Ximena Cuellar - you are weird

Mike was understandably heartbroken by this, and admitted to producers that he felt like going home.

Speaking to the camera, not even Ximena could explain her change of heart.

She was so happy to see Mike last time. Now she wasn’t.

Ximena Cuellar - I don't know what happened

We genuinely believe her when she says that she loved Mike before.

Why? Because, clearly, when she doesn’t like someone, she can’t hide it even a little.

The issue, mainly, was that she felt this way but didn’t break up with Mike. That’s weird to do.

Ximena Cuellar - I don't see how this is going to help

Mike suggested that he and Ximena sit down with his friend, Nelcy, over video chat.

Nelcy is his friend John’s fiancee, and she is fluent in Spanish.

Though Ximena initially claimed that she might not have anything to say, she had a lot to say.

Ximena Cuellar - and he's just there staring at me like a weird bug

She doesn’t like when Mike looks at her. She doesn’t like that her burps sometimes.

Ximena has previously complained about Mike showering her with affection.

Overall, it sounds less like a list of complaints and more like a situation when you dislike someone, so everything that they do bothers you.

Ximena Cuellar to Nelcy - he has thousands of things that are degenerate

Nelcy even gave Ximena a chance to change her tone, asking her what she liked about Mike.

Instead, Ximena doubled down on listing what she resented about him, calling him “degenerate” and “piggish.”

It’s okay to feel that way about someone … but extremely weird to feel that way about your fiance, let alone to say it.

Nelcy - she's literally disgusted by you

Nelcy told Mike what he needed to hear — the truth.

Ximena was clearly disgusted by him.

Nelcy advised him that no one deserves to be treated that way, and told him that she hopes that he comes home and stops funding Ximena’s life.

Ximena Cuellar TikTok Mike Berk proposal 01 of 03

It appears that Mike and Ximena broke off their engagement after that was filmed, but later became re-engaged.

Ximena’s social media activity is not exactly subtle, and she shared what looked like a long-distance proposal to TikTok last year.

It also looks like she got the breast augmentation and tummy tuck that she wanted around June of 2021, though it’s unclear who paid for it.

Ximena Cuellar TikTok Mike Berk proposal 02 of 03

Then, in early February, there were reports (even some with video to match) of Mike filming in Colombia again.

That seemed a pretty clear indication that they were still together and would appear on a new season.

While that may have been true at the time, everything changed just a couple of weeks later.

Mike Berk not following Ximena Cuellar IG

After Ximena leaked a photo slideshow of a different man, everything fell apart.

She and Mike are no longer following each other on social media.

It’s clearly over between them, which may be what Mike and Nelcy were filmed discussing in New York: the aftermath of it all.

Mike Berk IG "bad joke" racist slur

It’s also very much worth noting that Mike’s old social media posts — some of which involve horrifying racial and homophobic slurs — have come to light.

Yes, the posts are very old, dating back to a time when “edgy” humor was much more common on social media (and in mainstream comedy).

But the use of slurs, coupled with more explicit racist talking points, make it hard to find enough of a punchline to even consider these to be “jokes.”

David Murphey: I’ve Applied to Fight for Ukraine! I’ll Serve However They Need Me To!

More than a year ago, it was widely rumored that Lana had dropped David Murphey and that they’d both moved on.

At that time, many 90 Day Fiance fans half-joked that David was scouring Ukraine for his next girlfriend.

Right now, the Ukrainian people are living in a war zone, and more than 2 million have escaped since Russia began the invasion.

David, an American, has shared that he is seeking to join the Ukrainian military in this fight.

David Murphey took to Instagram with his first post since January.

The reality TV alum, who counts among the wealthiest 90 Day Fiance cast members in the show’s history, spoke about the war.

He has lost contact with friends who live there, and can only hope that they are safe without being able to find out for sure.

David Murphey 90 day fiance pic age 60

David revealed that he has submitted an application to fight on behalf of the country that he has grown to love against its brutal invaders.

“I have applied to the Ukraine embassy to become a foreign fighter in Ukraine,” he shared.

“I don’t know the details yet,” David admitted, detailing: “I haven’t had the interview.”

“I’ve been planning around this right now,” David revealed to his followers.

“Last week I dumped a house on the market, one of the houses I have,” he noted.

“I’m prepared to fight,” David shared, “but I don’t know if that’s exactly how they would use me.”

“They’ll use me in any way they’d need based on the resume I submitted,” David predicted.

“I do have prior military experience,” he acknowledged.

“I was [an] expert with grenade and rifle and special weapons training,” David added. “So, we’ll see how it goes.”

Like the rest of us, David has witnessed the bombings, the slaughter, and the devastation in Ukraine.

Just this week, it was revealed that the “safe” corridor agreed upon to allow Ukrainian civilians to flee had been mined by the Russian military.

“It sickens me, the videos that I see, that I watch,” David expressed.

Valeria Shashenok TikTok - the war in Ukraine 01 of 02

 David remarked that it is particularly painful “knowing that I used to drive through those places or walk through those places.”

“And now,” he noted, “I see them in ruins.”

The destruction has been thoroughly captured and shared on social media, making this grim invasion one of the most documented conflicts in world history.

Valeria Shashenok TikTok - check what Putin did to my city

Over the past two decades, David shared, he has been more than just a tourist in Ukraine.

He has spent a year and a half of his life in the sovereign nation.

In those 18 months, he developed an affection for and a strong connection to Ukraine and its people.

Valeria Shashenok TikTok the war in Ukraine 02 of 02

Like the rest of the world, he fears seeing it become nothing more than a sattelite state for an increasingly unstable madman.

Russia continues to bombard residential areas, replacting tactics with terror to crush the hope of the Ukrainian people.

We are all looking for ways in which the world can help without igniting World War III. Perhaps this is David’s.

Some have naturally wondered if Lana — who is believed to have been in Kyiv when the invasion began — factored into David’s courage.

He clarified on Instagram that, as most of us were already aware, he and Lana have both moved on.

This week, Lana shared that she is still in Ukraine and trying to remain safe. We wish her and tens of millions of others the very best.

Ben Rathbun: Mahogany Isn’t a Deceiver and I’m Not a Predator!

In the aftermath of seeing her very fake-looking home, Ben Rathbun was friendzoned by Mahogany Roca.

In a new interview, Ben is trying to do damage control for himself and for the recently-turned-23-year-old.

His apparent purpose was to defend Mahogany and himself from the criticisms of viewers.

Honestly? In this interview, Ben comes across looking worse than anything that we’ve seen on the show.

Entertainment Tonight‘s Melicia Johnson speaks to all sorts of famous lunatics while managing a polite smile.

Recently, she spoke to Ben Rathbun, and managed to keep her composure even when he said extremely creepy things.

But before he delved into all of the ways in which the cult has not left him even though he left it, he defended Mahogany.

Mahogany’s photos were laughably fake … but, in Ben’s mind, this wasn’t as dishonest as viewers seem to think.

“In my opinion, there’s two different kinds of people that do social media,” Ben opined.

“One is someone that wants to show what’s going on in their lives every single day,” he began.

“And,” Ben described, “they want to be real and authentic and show everyone who they are.”

He admitted: “When I see Mahogany’s page, it’s not like that at all.”

“She posts maybe once every two or three months and it’s just for fun, it’s more for art,” Ben claimed.

“Like, if you look at her page, it’s just a bunch of pictures of selfies that look really well done,” Ben argued.

“And,” he continued. “some are like from two or three years ago. She doesn’t, you know, update.”

Ben explained: “So, in my opinion, she’s not really trying to deceive anyone, she’s having a fun time.”

“We’ve all kind of done Snapchat filters and had a good time with it — she just posted it,” Ben rationalized.

“She never thought the entire world would be looking at that and judging her for it,” he continued.

Ben characterized: “You know, she was just having fun. So I don’t have any problem with it … it’s fine, it doesn’t really matter.”

Ben insisted that Mahogany “wasn’t being deceptive at all” when she altered her photos, even if Ben seemed clueless about how doctored they were.

“To me it was much more of a spiritual connection,” he added.

As for Mahogany’s age, he justified that because she “didn’t keep reiterating the lie.”

“It was a one-time lie,” Ben stated.

“Something that I would tell my kids, if you meet a strange, older man online,” he suggested.

Ben would advise them: “Don’t tell him your social security number, don’t tell him your address, don’t tell him your age.”

“If you do tell them your age, change it up because you don’t know if they’re going to be a stalker or a crazy person,” Ben sagely advised.

“So, not a problem with me at all,” he claimed.

“So the age thing to me is us not pursuing the truth together and me like, not following up well,” Ben said. “I just did a lot of assuming.”

As for Mahogany being 22 and not 24, Ben said that “that’s not that big a deal to me as for the age of my kids because I don’t look at it that way.”

He added: “She’s a completely separate adult and it doesn’t matter to me if my kids are that age.”

“It’s just something that caught me off guard,” Ben said. “I had to think about it for a minute.”

“But this has become so much more than age, so much more than, you know, our differences,” Ben said, like so many other men in their fifties before him.

“The things we’ve been really focusing on are our commonalities,” he characterized. “And so far those outweigh our differences.”

Ben praised: “And she is so mature and wise and intelligent, that I haven’t really felt that difference.”

Ben went even further, insisting that he’d be okay “letting” his own 22-year-old daughter date a 50-year-old man.

Unfortunately, he went about this in the creepiest way possible.

Ben’s explanation had huge “you can leave the cult but the cult won’t leave you” energy that viewers found off-putting at best.

“There’s no one in this world that loves Mahogany more than her dad,” Ben announced.

“And so all of the viewers out there that are so concerned for her and think that I’m a predator coming after a young girl,” he acknowledged.

Ben asked these viewers to “trust me when I say the dad cares more about the situation than anyone from the outside.”

“So, if he sees that I am very, very healthy — which is, I find myself the exception and I’m sure that’s probably rationalizing what I’m doing so I’ll give you that,” Ben said.

“But I am incredibly healthy,” he insisted. “I take care of my body and it’s a huge priority and I want to live for a very long time and I want to live in the best health that I can.”

Is Ben suggesting that a massive age gap is okay because he has abs, but would not be okay if he weren’t a fitness model? That’s … weird.

It got weirder, however, as Ben described fathers as the “first protector” of their daughters.

In his mind, his relationship with Mahogany hinged entirely upon the approval of her dad, even though she’s an adult woman and not her dad’s property.

Ben suggested that it would be the same for a man wanting to date his daughter, which critics quickly noted sounded like something out of the Duggar cult.

Ben also claimed that Mahogany’s obviously fake house was a place that she had stayed for a few months.

It’s unclear if Ben thinks that he is covering for Mahogany or if these are things that he has come to believe since last season filmed.

Melicia clearly wasn’t buying it and neither is anyone else, but we suppose that it hardly matters if Ben is fooled. And Ben seems to always be fooled.

Ben rathbun mahogany isnt a deceiver and im not a predator

Are Ella Johnson and Johnny Still Together After 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days?

It’s been a few weeks since 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days viewers saw Ella and Johnny.

Their most recent episode was in February, when Ella warned him that she wasn’t going to wait for him forever.

Sure enough, the preview for next week’s episode included a confession: she had slept with a visiting friend.

Despite ample warning, Johnny seemed devastated. Do they have any hope for a future together?

Ella Johnson is grappling with the latest setback

Ella Johnson has not always been lucky in love.

In the past, she had a long-distance boyfriend from India.

When the two met up in Thailand, however, things fell apart.

Ella Johnson and her ex from India

The unnamed boyfriend rejected her, telling her that he did not want a physical relationship.

This was emotionally devastating, as it would be to anyone, and was a major setback for Ella.

She has been hoping that Johnny, whom she loves, will be very different.

Ella Johnson books a flight to apply more pressure to her man

But Ella and Johnny have had a number of setbacks, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Johnny’s fears are not irrational — this virus has killed millions, is airbourne, and could easily prevent him from seeing his family for months.

But whether they are reasonable or not, cold feet are cold feet. Ella knew that he needed a push.

Ella Johnson buys $1,124 tickets to Dubai

When we last saw them, Ella spent a considerable amount of money to book tickets to Dubai.

Though Dubai’s laws in the areas of human rights would cause many to choose another location, Ella and Johnny could conceivably meet up there.

Ella’s hope was that buying the tickets herself, knowing that Johnny already had his, would be enough to motivate him to take the risk in the name of love.

Johnny to Ella Johnson - that's what we call "American thinking"

Johnny — and not unfairly — characterized this as “American thinking,” saying that the risk was simply too great.

In some ways, the two are a microcosm for our two nations and their diametrically opposed responses to the pandemic.

As much as Ella loves Johnny and wants to see him, however, she knows that she cannot wait for ever, and she told him as much.

Ella Johnson hears - I want to meet you, but

Simply put, Ella told Johnny that if he doesn’t meet her in Dubai, something will have to change.

It doesn’t mean that their relationship has to end, but it will have to change to an open relationship if it is to continue.

Why? Because she’s a human being with wants and needs, and has already invested years of extraordinary patience into this romance.

Ella Johnson gives an open relationship ultimatum, just wants happiness

Setting this boundary may have been the best thing for Ella’s well-being, but it was not easy.

She doesn’t want an open long-distance relationship with Johnny, she wants to be with him.

It’s hard to yearn for this long. Honestly? Many people might have given up a long time ago.

Johnny - she will meet somebody else

Johnny met up with a friend of his, Wang, to share his fears that Ella will meet someone else and fall in love.

He is afraid of catching COVID, afraid of being separated from his family for many weeks, and afraid of losing Ella.

Wang advised him to go for it. All things considered, he has to face at least one of those fears no matter what.

Ella Johnson shares her new plan for meeting Johnny in Dubai

The preview for next week’s episode showed Johnny’s fears spike.

On Season 5, Episode 13, Ella will tell him that a friend came over, and that the two ended up having sex.

While this sort of thing happens all of the time, especially in open relationships (which may be their status), it is hard for him to hear.

Ella Johnson cries over the mention of Johnny's son

So what does this mean for their future?

Not everyone can handle an open relationship (just like not everyone can handle monogamy, or any kind of relationship), and Johnny seemed hurt in the preview.

For that matter, it’s been many months since all of this filmed in the back half of 2021. Have they split since then?

Ella Johnson IG man crush monday of Johnny

While the two cannot spoil things, Ella did post a “man crush Monday” post in February.

The crush in question was Johnny, and she did not shy away from her thirst.

While this could be a misleading throwback intended to string along followers (no doubt encouraged by production), that’s really not how people talk about their exes.

Johnny - and I want to propose to Ella on the trip

A safe bet is likely that Ella and Johnny are still together relationship-wise, but not physically together yet.

That could change. Honestly? So far, we’d be interested in seeing them return for another season.

We’ve found ourselves rooting for them, especially since Johnny is Ella’s perfect man — at least, her perfect man outside of anime.

Ella Johnson IG confirms to me that Kurama is her ideal husbando

During Ella’s first episode, she described her ideal man but could not name him or the show that he was from.

I reached out on Instagram hours after the episode aired to confirm that she was describing Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho

We hope that things work out for Ella and Johnny, but if they don’t, does anyone have Kurama’s number?

Lisa Hamme Urged to STFU About Usman by Fatigued 90 Day Fiance Fans

Season 5 of 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days has introduced all-new couples, without one single returning pair.

One star, however, was a familiar face, and when Usman Umar is making headlines, his ex is sure to follow.

Lisa Hamme had been mocking Usman and Kimberly all season long, taking cheap shots at her ex-husband.

A lot of fans think that the remarried former cast member is bitter. A lot of fans think that she should say a lot less.

Before Usman Umar ever spoke to Kimberly Menzies, he was married to self-styled “Baby Girl” Lisa Hamme.

That marriage went south, including Usman accusing Lisa of using the N-word at him — and Lisa’s subsequent firing.

Since then, Lisa has remarried, and Usman has built up a “friendship” with Kimberly.

Usman Umar takes a goofy selfie with Kimberly Menzies

After Usman finally gave Kimberly the yammy-yammy that she craved, things were going so well.

(Honestly? Even without the reality TV exposure that he’s getting, that’s a small price to pay for a PS5 and a Macbook Pro)

We’d say that Usman was also in it for Kimberly, at least in part, but we have to ask why he immediately sabotaged things the next day.

Usman Umar - there is this lady, Zara

Usman had been keeping a secret from Kimberly — one that viewers already knew.

His song, “Zara,” was not a generic love song, but about a specific woman.

The real Zara was also an American woman with whom Usman was entangled, but who couldn’t handle his thirsty fans.

Kimberly Menzies to Usman Umar - you told me Zara was just a name you picked out

What really got to Kimberly wasn’t just that this was a secret, but that Usman’s timeline was so different from her own.

He began talking to Zara two weeks after he started talking to Kimberly, had this whole relationship, and broke up with Zara four months ago.

As far as he was concerned, Kimberly was just a “friend” until recently, but Kimberly felt humiliated.

Usman Umar - why are you like this?

Kimberly was furious, feeling that her day was ruined.

They returned to the hotel room, where she began to angrily pack her things.

Usman was left feeling like this was all a little too familiar.

Usman Umar - am I repeating the same mistake I made before?

Usman has gone out of his way to refer to Lisa Hamme as little as possible, even though we all saw their disastrous romance play out.

But he could not help but think of another older white American woman who had insecurity issues and got angry all too easily.

That same woman happens to be keeping up with events on the show … and using her connection to Usman to get attention whenever she puts him on blast.

Lisa Hamme iG claims she was gagging, introduced Usman to deodorant

But Lisa is pushing things alarmingly far, as in this Instagram post when she took aim at her ex.

“In this scene I was gagging on the smell thank god I introduced him to deodorant,” Lisa claimed.

Okay … wow.

Anyone can have body odor. A deodorant spray on its last legs might not be up to a job, and some days are just too hot.

But Lisa didn’t just say that he was sweaty. She said that she “introduced” Usman to deodorant.

The implication seems to be that Nigerians do not use deodorant — which is false. It’s also, you know, unsurprisingly racist.

More than that, some fans have noted, is that Lisa is being intensely hypocritical.

Anyone else remember when Lisa’s toe was, um, “rotting” during her whole time in Nigeria?

Seriously, she injured it before her trip, apparently didn’t seek medical attention, and had to have it amputated upon her return to the United States.

Lisa Hamme speaks (February 2022)

There are people who are unable, financially or otherwise, to seek medical treatment. But Lisa was not one of them.

It is difficult to imagine the gall of her doing all of that, only to attack Usman for his alleged body odor.

However, fans have a theory as to why Lisa is taking such angry (and random) swings at her ex.

Usman Umar - yammy yammy yammy yammy yammy

Lisa seemed a lot more smug and less desperate in her posts back when Kimberly was still begging Usman for his yam.

After he laid the pipe, it may be that Lisa is feeling a little jealous.

Sure, she married her childhood sweetheart after things ended with Usman … but maybe she misses that yam action, not to mention the spotlight.

Mike Berk Under Fire for Racist, Bigoted Social Media Posts

90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days viewers have had a lot of sympathy for Mike Berk.

Despite what Ximena Cuellar said about Mike, he just seemed like a slightly weird, well-intentioned guy.

Unfortunately, some of his posts from an older, alternate social media account paint him as considerably more malicious.

From racist talking points to casual transphobic slurs, Mike’s attempts at “jokes” have fans recoiling in horror.

Mike Berk is straight up not having a good time

There is a lot to be said on this topic, including an acknowledgment that one of Mike’s castmates was fired and edited out of the show over a similar scandal.

Before we delve into this at length, we should simply explain that Mike has been on social media for a long time.

While his older Instagram account seems to have mostly been devoted to talking about cars, there are some truly inhuman “jokes” that were posted around 2013.

Mike Berk explains the "distance" he's felt lately

Please brace yourselves, because some of these posts contain slurs.

Others are vile in other ways. Some are just tone deaf.

We will start, however, with the worst:

Mike Berk calls his friend John, gets good advice

“The government is shut down and n—-s are making jokes…” read one old-timey meme that Mike posted to Instagram.

He continued: “’til they try to swipe they foodstamp card and Dora the Explorer pops out saying swiper no swiping!”

Yeah, there’s a lot to that to discuss, but there’s more.

Mike Berk IG "bad joke" racist slur

Mike also shared a racist hashtag referring to the “birther” conspiracy about President Barack Obama.

“Obama go back and be president in Kenya,” the tag read.

The tag then demanded that President Obama, who is an American citizen and was born in Hawaii, “Work like the rest of us.”

Mike Berk IG "bad joke" george zimmerman

“Is this guy Mexican or Jewish?” read the block text across a photo of infamous murderer George Zimmerman.

“I’m so confused on how white people are involved at all,” the text continued.

Mike captioned: “What’s the commotion about white people … is it too soon.”

Mike Berk IG "bad joke" transphobic slur

“I blew a t—-y means something totally different to a mechanic,” another of Mike’s shared posts read.

While this was clearly intended to be a pun, it used a transphobic slur that has no place in any joke that Mike should make or repeat.

And then came a line that would have been cringe at best in 2013, asking if products sold within China read “made around the corner.”

Mike Berk IG "bad joke" made in china

While I am not Chinese or of any Asian descent, I can say that this bad “joke” at least seems like an attempt at humor.

Is it tone deaf? Yes. Was it dumb, even in 2013? Also yes.

But after some of Mike’s other posts, he set the bar so low that “didn’t use a slur this time” gets him some points.

Mike Berk weirded out that she didn't meet him at the airport

We sincerely doubt that Mike is reading up on the backlash that he is receiving, but we hope that he has learned a lot since he shared that deeply dumb George Zimmerman post.

White supremacy is a systemic injustice, enabling and encouraging even people of color to perpetuate anti-Blackness, even to the point of ending a 17-year-old boy’s life.

Also … just for the record, being Jewish doesn’t mean not being white. There are Jewish communities of all races.

Mike Berk introduces himself on Season 5

“Birtherism,” the baseless conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the United States and thus ineligible for the Presidency, was always racist.

We all knew that in 2013.

If you wanted to make an ironic joke about President Obama at the time, you’d say “thanks Obama” after stubbing your toe, as if to pretend that it was his fault.

Mike Berk is now keeping his bedroom tidy

What’s really interesting about the post about Black people attempting to use EBT cards is that, for starters, there are more white people on food stamps than any other demographic.

The use of racial slurs is not okay, and this was not a secret in 2013. Why Mike felt comfortable sharing these is unimaginable.

This specific slur, in fact, reminds us of one of Mike’s castmates who was fired from this very season.

Alina Kasha IG n-word caption beard post 2015

While Alina Kasha has apologized for using the N-word in multiple posts, she was fired from the show.

Production even took the unprecedented step of editing out her story, and that of Caleb Greenwood, from the rest of the season.

She almost certainly sincerely meant her apology, and that’s great, but there are some lines that cannot be uncrossed.

Alina Kasha IG apology for racist posts

Alina is Russian by birth and, despite having attended some school in the United States, claimed that she did not understand the nuances of the N-word, thinking it to be a swear word.

Mike obviously has no such excuse.

On the other hand, Alina’s posts are from 2014 and 2015, while Mike’s are from around 2013. Does that make a difference?

Ximena Cuellar TikTok Mike Berk proposal 01 of 03

It’s hard to say, because we have surely all grown as people since 2013.

Certainly, society has grown much more understanding and aware in terms of systemic inequality and the harm of slurs and casual bigotry.

2013 was arguably after the years of “ironic bigotry” humor that swept over social media and comedy shows in the ’00s … but was Mike just late getting the memo?

Mike flees Ximena, declares he is done

We can understand a lot of ignorance and tone deafness and even accidental bigotry from very old social media posts, because people learn and change over time.

But … those slurs that Mike was sharing, and some of those racist sentiments, are difficult to explain away … even if we wanted to.

People are going to have complicated (at best) feelings about Mike now. It would be interesting to hear what he has to say for himself. Let’s hope that he starts with an apology.

Ximena Cuellar Disgusted by "Slobbish, Piggish" Mike Berk on 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days (Recap)

Often, things get lost in translation on 90 Day Fiance.

But on Season 5, Episode 12 of 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days, multiple couples took steps to remedy that.

Mike’s attempt to get clear communication with Ximena included a friend translating … but everyone was horrified by what Ximena had to say.

Ben and Mahogany made use of a new, faster translation app, leading to their first “real” conversation in person, but neither of them liked the results.

A nervous Gino met Jasmine’s mother, who was not exactly blown away by her daughter’s much-older boyfriend.

Usman came clean to Kimberly about Zara, including how recently it had ended. It did not go well.

And Memphis and Hamza visited a translator who helped them understand each other, perhpas for the first time since they met.

 

 

1. Mike Berk and Ximena Cuellar

Ximena cuellar love is a very big word
Right on the heels of telling Mike that she isn’t in love with him, Ximena is trying to clarify … or possibly walk back … her words. In her mind, “love” is a big word and takes a long time to feel, and they would need to live together for a while before she can be “in love” with him. Strange words for a fiancee to voice.

2. Ximena says that she’s overwhelmed by doubts

Ximena cuellar i have a lot of doubts and things thats all
Contrary to Mike’s previous visit, right now, it seems like the only thing that she can do is fixate upon Mike’s habits, from showering her with affection to looking at her to stopping eating when she’s done eating to burping.

3. So … what changed?

Ximena cuellar i dont know what happened
Ximena explains to the camera that she has no idea what happened, really. She was so in love with Mike during his last visit (that’s pretty easy to believe, because she’s showing that she clearly can’t fake it when she doesn’t like someone) and now she’s not.

4. Mike has a lot of rejection to process

Mike berk is straight up not having a good time
After appearing to scroll through his phone just for an excuse to look away from the camera while he (probably) cries, Mike composes himself and tells the camera that she’s not feeling great and, right now, he feels like just heading home. That sounds like a good idea.

5. Mike phones a friend

Mike berk calls his friend john gets good advice
Remember John, the buddy who went with Mike to go shopping before he took his first trip to Colombia? Well, John (and his fiancee, Nelcy) are clearly good friends to Mike, and John gives him some solid advice here — it sounds like he’s being used, and that’s not what love is. If Mike wants to be used for money, John suggests, he can get that at home in New York. This cheers up Mike, who takes it as a lighthearted way of conveying advice, but many viewers have expressed similar sentiments on social media: if Mike isn’t getting the love that he hoped for from Ximena, he could get a more satisfying arrangement without any long flights with someone else.

6. Mike and Ximena need a real talk with a real translator

Ximena cuellar i dont see how this is going to help
Because Nelcy is fluent in Spanish (and English), she can speak to Mike and Ximena and help convey what they are each saying. Of course, she’s also not a neutral party, because she is Mike’s friend. Ximena is continuing her weird sullen-teen-with-a-bad-attitude vibe, which would be understandable if she were an actual teen and not a grown woman with children.

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Ximena Cuellar Drags Mike Berk: My Kids Never Loved Him! That Was All Fake!

Even though Mike Berk and Ximena Cuellar are over, it looks like the split was very recent.

They spent nearly a year engaged, following Mike seeking not only her approval, but that of her family.

Ximena is now claiming that her children never actually liked Mike, despite their on-camera statements.

Did production goad them to lie … or is Ximena just saying hurtful things because it’s over?

Mike Berk goes toy shopping for Ximena's kids

Even before Mike Berk took a flight to Colombia to meet Ximena Cuellar for the first time, he wanted to make a good impression.

He had been video chatting with (and spending a lot of money on) Ximena for a long time.

But for her kids, he wanted to come bearing gifts, so he stopped by a toy store to prepare for his journey.

her family describes Mike Berk - he looks like a tomato

Yeah, things were a little awkward at first when Mike tried to make a first impression.

Little by little, he worked to win over her family.

That included her dad, her sister, and her two young sons.

Mike Berk helps Ximena Cuellar put her sons to bed

Mike knew that marrying Ximena, as he hoped, would also mean taking on a parenting role with her sons.

He became part of the family routine during his stay, except for his steamy vacation with Ximena.

And when it came time to propose, he was sure to include her sons in his speech.

Mike Berk - I love your children as if they were mine

Mike affirmed his love for Ximena’s sons as well as for her during his proposal.

Given the possibility that Ximena cannot have more children, this had an added layer of meaning.

And Mike had spoken to Ximena’s sons before popping the question, to see how they felt about a possible future with him in the picture.

Juan David (son of Ximena) - I want Mike to come back for us

To hear Ximena’s kids tell it (as Juan David is here), they were big fans of Mike.

They even encouraged him to return to Colombia for their mother and for them.

But according to one of Ximena’s latest claims, neither Juan David nor Harold Steven ever cared for Mike.

Ximena Cuellar rolls her eyes

Amidst ditching her “Mike” tattoo and revealing her new man, Ximena also claimed that the affection for Mike was staged.

“My children don’t love Mike,” she claimed on social media, communicating in Spanish.

“It was a recording;” Ximena continued, accusing that “they asked them to say yes they love him.”

Ximena Cuellar hangover header crop

It is fairly normal for producers to prompt cast members to answer or even rephrase their answers to questions. That’s how reality TV works.

That’s not fakery — it’s how you get cohesive statements that viewers can follow and understand.

What Ximena seems to be alleging is that production asked her sons to give a fake answer, even if it was a little white lie.

Ximena Cuellar - the dress is not getting bought

There have been incidents of 90 Day Fiance fakery in the past, where production pushed just a little too hard to get the moment that they wanted.

These moments usually backfire, either because audiences could tell that something was off or because the truth leaks.

There’s a difference between rephrasing or re-recording a line and producers spoon-feeding a line to someone to stir the pot.

Ximena Cuellar - you are weird

Usually, production does this to cause drama and make people look worse, not to make a family bond seem more authentic.

To be honest, the show could have gotten quite a reaction if Juan David had stepped away from a cute chat with Mike to say “I don’t really like the Tomato Guy.”

Even so, production could conveivably nudge things in one direction or another if they think that it will fit the storyline.

90shotzfired IG rundown on Ximena Cuellar changing story

Unfortunately, it is difficult to trust or believe anything that Ximena says right now.

She has given multiple, conflicting statements over the past few weeks, either because she cannot keep her story straight or because she wants to make people guess what’s true.

Also, she just seems pissed off at Mike, albeit without explaining why, and could be lashing out angrily to hurt his feelings.

Paola Mayfield Wants to Adopt, Is Unsure About Future with Russ

In the summer of last year, Paola Mayfield signaled that it was over with Russ.

The 90 Day Fiance alums seemed to be a pandemic casualty, like many other relationships.

But the two stayed together, with Pao blaming another woman for their troubles.

Now, Paola is teasing plans for the couple to adopt a child to give their three-year-old son a younger sibling.

This week, Paola Mayfield spoke to Us Weekly about where things stand.

“I do want more kids,” Paola revealed, just three years and two months after birthing little Axel.

“But,” she suggested, “maybe an adoption.”

“That’s my biggest goal,” Paola announced, “to adopt this year or next year.”

She summarized: “I’m planning on [more babies] but not directly from me.”

It may be Paola’s goal, but technically, deciding what they want as a family is still a work in progress for the Mayfields.

Paola shared that she and Russ are still in the phase when they are “talking about” expanding their brood.

“It’s a long process [and] not that easy,” she admitted.

“But it’s something that I’ve been really wanting to do for a while,” Pao expressed.

“Axel needs a sibling,” Paola asserted.

Though she did not directly explain why she believes this, she did drop some hints.

“Right now,” Pao described her son, “he just wants to be with me all the time.”

“I have some videos of him really close to me,” Paola gushed.

“He always wants to jump on me,” she characterized her son.

She added: “He always wants Mommy.”

“He speaks English and Spanish,” Paola praised.

“He’s growing so fast,” she noted.

Paola declared: “[He’s] the love of my life.”

She also acknowledged that things had been rough with Russ.

The two were confined together, with their small child, in a very small space during pandemic lockdown.

While staying at home together made some partners and families closer, it tore others apart.

Paola affirmed that she and Russ are “working things out” now.

She admitted that her marriage has experienced numerous “ups and downs” and continues to do so.

In a moment of raw honesty, Pao shared that she isn’t always sure “what to expect” from Russ, which sounds like a long-term problem.

“We have been going through really rough times,” Paola emphasized.

“I don’t know [what will happen],” she confessed.

“We’re trying to make it work,” Pao shared, “but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

She did offer some very important clarifications however.

First of all, she confirmed that she and Russ are still living together.

She also added that they tried couples counseling over video chat during the pandemic, with limited success.

“When you do it [virtually], that’s not the same as going to somebody and being able to express yourself,” Paola lamented.

“But,” she emphasized, “we’re trying.”

Sometimes, no amount of effort can make a relationship work in a healthy way. Other times, it just takes genuine effort to patch things up.

We will admit that we have some questions and concerns about Paola’s goal to adopt a child.

Is Paola done with looney conspiracies and willing to vaccinate a child she might adopt? That’s pretty important.

The second is … is a marriage where even the spouses don’t know about their future a stable environment into which to bring a new child?

Geoffrey Paschel: Previous Arrest for Assault in Florida EXPOSED

In early February, Geoffrey Paschel was sentenced to 18 years in prison following his conviction for assault and kidnapping.

Multiple exes of Geoffrey’s had accused him of similar violence in the past. He also has a lengthy history of arrests.

Before the arrest that finally led to this conviction, however, Geoffrey’s rap sheet included very little violence.

His 2006 arrest, however, stands out among them.

Geoffrey Paschel is sentenced to 18 years in prison

In June of 2019, Geoffrey Paschel attacked, beat, and unlawfully detained his then-fiancee, a fourth grade teacher named Kristen Wilson.

The evidence gathered by law enforcement, from gruesome photographs of her injuries to frightening blood smears in the home, was damning.

However, the courage of Geoffrey’s victim, who not only managed to escape but then testified against him in court, was what ensured his conviction.

Kristen Wilson testifies as Geoffrey Paschel trial

This week, Geoffrey was transferred to where he will hopefully spend the bulk of the next two decades.

He had been detained at the Knoxville County Jail following his conviction last October.

He has now been moved to the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex.

That, of course, is where this new mugshot — one of so many of this particular man — comes from.

Though Geoffrey has been convicted and sentenced, he isn’t done.

On April 14, Geoffrey will appear before a judge who will consider his motion for a new trial.

Geoffrey Paschel listens to the judge accurately describe him

Since even before his one season of Before The 90 Days got underway, Geoffrey’s criminal history has been well known.

He has worked as a crime reenactor for true crime television, and many have joked that he’s a natural since he has so much real-life experience.

Most of his actual arrests have been over non-violent offenses.

Geoffrey Paschel mugshot

In 2006, Geoffrey was arrested for battery in Florida, following an incident at a bar in Okaloosa County.

There, he allegedly got into a brawl with another man, elbowing him in the facing and bloodying his nose.

When the man tried to leave, Geoffrey reportedly followed him into the parking lot and punched him just above his right eye.

Geoffrey Pashcel mug

Starcasm got a look at the police report, also noting how this stands out among his arrests prior to 2019 due to the violence.

Geoffrey entered an agreement with the prosecution, paying $1,600 to the victim.

Once the restitution was paid via credit union money order and the rest of his obligations fulfilled, the case was dismissed.

Some may ask why Geoffrey was arrested following this violent altercation but not in the wake of accusations of greater brutality.

One of his exes gave birth in a hotel room where he was allegedly holding her captive to ensure that she could not escape him.

At his sentencing, another ex-wife described his abuse, including how he would sabotage her car, and how he even tracked her down to her parents’ house when she tried to leave.

Geoffrey Paschel to the camera

There are a few factors at play that prevent domestic abusers from being arrested.

The first of which being the psychological hold that many abusers exert upon their victims, deceiving them into blaming themselves (and fearing retaliation).

The second is that, while Kristen Wilson was able to escape in the immediate aftermath of that attack, not everyone’s injuries are fresh when they try to report a crime.

Kristen Wilson injuries photos from Geoffrey Paschel trial

Finally, of course, there is the grim reality that our legal system is sometimes more willing to prosecute violence between strangers than domestic abuse.

Geoffrey is not the architect of generations of flawed legislative and judicial priorities, but he certainly took advantage of them.

One imagines that most of his exes were grateful to get away from him with their lives, based upon their allegations against him. Relatively speaking, that stranger in Florida was lucky.

Loren Brovarnik on Husband’s Family in Ukraine: This Is a Scary Time for Alex

More than one million Ukrainians have been able to successfully escape the country as Russia escalates its brutal attacks.

Unfortunately, that is only a small percentage of the nation’s population.

Several 90 Day Fiance stars have loved ones in Ukraine and fear for their lives as Russian forces shell cities and slaughter civilians by the thousands.

Alexei Brovarnik is from Ukraine. He still has family there. Loren admits that this has been a dark time in their household.

Loren Brovarnik famously met Alexei during her birthright trip to Israel.

However, Alexei was originally born in Ukraine, where he still has family.

Alexei and Loren fell in love, married, and he moved to the United States, where he is now a citizen — and a father of two.

In a new interview about Loren & Alexei: After The 90 Days, Loren spoke on many topics.

In addition to parenting Shai and Asher, what it’s like to have two babies during a pandemic, and more, she opened up about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This has not been easy for any of us to witness, but this is obviously taking its toll upon Alexei.

“He has family there still [in Ukraine],” Loren confirmed to Entertainment Tonight.

“And he even said, I didn’t think it was going to affect me as much as it did,” she shared.

“And,” Loren confirmed, “it’s still affecting him.”

“I don’t want to say our tone in our house has been depressing,” Loren characterized.

She said that, more accurately, “it’s been sad, it’s scary.”

Loren elaborated: “Because this is real.”

“I mean, he grew up in Ukraine and then grew up in Israel,” Loren noted.

“And those are two spotlight countries and it’s hard,” she added.

“But we do talk about it,” Loren expressed, “and it’s very important to talk about instead of bottling it up.”

Alexei is not the only member of the franchise’s cast who is from Ukraine.

Natalie Mordovtseva is one of the most well-known Ukrainian reality stars, having appeared on multiple seasons of the show.

When the war began, many who knew her from the show immediately thought of her kind, elderly mother.

“My mom is safe from today morning, she made it to Europe with some other families,” Natalie wrote this week.

“Unfortunately, my all friends are locked at that hell,” she grimly confirmed.

“Every night they telling me that they gonna die,” Natalie lamented. “I’m suffering with my people.”

Fan-favorite Yara Zaya is also from Ukraine, having often spoken of her love for her home country even after moving to the United States with Jovi Dufren.

Yara has given interviews about the devastation, reporting on what her friends and family have told her.

While her family is not in one of the most targeted areas at the moment, she still has many friends in Kyiv — a city under siege.

Lana, whom fans met when David Murphey flew to Ukraine to meet her, is even closer to this, because she is not in the United States.

At her last update, she was still in Ukraine, geo-tagging her location as Kyiv.

This invasion is a horror that has only worsened despite the courageous defense put up by the people and leadership of Ukraine.

Numerous Russian-born 90 Day Fiance stars have also spoken out.

Julia Trubkina has repeatedly called for peace, expressing her horror at the senseless invasion and the death toll.

Unfortunately, some have attacked her, as if being born in Russia made her somehow culpable for the twisted ambitions of one madman.

Varya Malina has called Vladimir Putin even worse, and she wasn’t wrong to do it.

Many Americans who remember the spring of 2003 know what it is like to watch their country launch an invasion and be powerless to stop it.

Thousands of Russians have taken to the streets to protest the war, many being arrested immediately (as protest is not protected under Russian law).

Unfortunately, it was seemingly inevitable that at least one cast member from the franchise would have a catastrophically awful take.

This dubious honor fell to Sasha Larin, also from Russia, who married Emily Larina.

Sasha seems to be the only one under the mistaken impression that Russia had some sort of justification for invading, but declined to share what he thinks that it was.

While Sasha did scale down his statements, he didn’t exactly walk them back, sticking to vague posts about things being “okay” soon.

Refusing to condemn a deranged despot invading his sovereign neighbor because he wants to is a weird hill upon which to die.

As always, our hearts go out to the Ukrainian people: those fleeing the carnage, those fighting against all odds against invaders, and those mourning the dead.

Loren brovarnik on husbands family in ukraine this is a scary ti

Natalie Mordovtseva: My Mom is Safe But My Friends Are Trapped in Ukraine!

We have all recoiled in horror at the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Numerous 90 Day Fiance stars spoke out as cities were shelled, homes were bombed, and occupied cars were crushed by tanks.

As the civilian death toll enters the thousands, many fans have thought of Natalie and especially her sweet, elderly mother.

Her mother has now escaped the slaughter and is safe elsewhere in Europe, but many of Natalie’s friends remain in the war zone.

Natalie Mordovtseva sobs 01 of 04

Natalie Mordovtseva is safe in the United States, and was since long before Russian troops launched their invasion of her home country.

However, since February 24, many 90 Day Fiance fans have been asking about Natalie’s mother, Nelia.

No matter what any of us thought of Natalie, of Mike, or their toxic relationship, we all developed a lot of affection for her mother over the years.

Natalie Mordovtseva mom Nelia - how are things with Michael?

This week, Natalie took to her Instagram Story to deliver the small piece of good news.

“My mom is safe from today morning,” she revealed.

Natalie detailed: “She made it to Europe with some other families.”

Natalie Mordovtseva IG mom (Nelia) is out of Ukraine

“Unfortunately, [all my] friends are locked [in] that hell,” Natalie lamented.

“Every night,” she shared, “they telling me that they gonna die.”

Natalie expressed: “I’m suffering with my people.”

The invasion began nearly one week ago.

At this point, Natalie’s friends — like most remaining in Ukraine — are likely suffering from sleep deprivation.

It is difficult to sleep through the night when you are constantly awoken by the sound of bombings.

Hopefully, Natalie’s friends will be able to leave soon, even if they must walk most of the way to the border of Poland.

Last week, Ukrainian forces heroically defended their homes and families, striking unexpected blows against the Russian advance.

Unfortunately, the response has been an escalation in violence, as it seems that Russia aims to seize the country at any cost.

Natalie Mordovtseva returns for her things

Natalie, like the rest of us, knows that this unprovoked aggression does not reflect the intentions of the Russian people.

One madman ordered the invasion of Ukraine, seeking to annex the sovereign nation as part of his dire ambition of rebuilding the USSR.

Though it seems that no sanction or condemnation will dissuade Vladimir Putin from reducing Ukraine to rubble and ash, Americans from Ukraine are speaking out.

Natalie Mordovtseva sobs 03 of 04

One of the most outspoken 90 Day Fiance stars has been Yara Zaya.

She is a relatively recent addition to the cast and a fan favorite.

Long before this horror unfolded, Yara had spoken fondly of her love for Ukraine. She still has many friends in Kyiv.

Yara Zaya IG en route to interview, Ukraine flag attire

“Honestly, everything is going on so crazy,” Yara stated recently.

“​​I would never think before that in 2022 that something can happen like this,” she admitted.

Yara shared: “My family and my friends are super scared.”

“They’re terrified, they can’t sleep,” Yara noted.

“They [scared] that if they fall asleep, they will not wake up,” she explained.

“It’s just too much they’re going through a lot right now,” Yara characterized.

Yara Zaya IG this s--t is real, please pray for Ukraine

“My mom live in West [Ukraine], like so far away near the Hungarian border,” Yara noted.

“I’m like, ‘Hey guys, you need to leave to my mom’s house because its more safe place for you to be right there,'” Yara noted.

“They tried to leave, but there was too big a line to get petrol there. . .then the city closed,” Yara added. “They needed to stay home.”

Yara Zaya IG I never thought this could happen in my country; explosions wake up my friends

“My parents cannot come here,” Yara lamented. “Honestly, it’s just impossible right now.”

She shared: “My mom was wanting to come here, but right before she was supposed to come here, the embassies closed.”

“For now, it’s just impossible,” Yara acknowledged.

Yara Zaya IG I couldn't visit Ukraine for 2.5 years, was planning to go in March

“My mom is safe, but the rest of my family, not really,” Yara revealed. “They are still in Ukraine.”

“My sister have a child, and he is almost 18,” she said. “He’s just such a kid, and I’m scared he will need to join the army because he cannot protect himself.”

Yara lamented: “He doesn’t want to go and fight. He can protect nothing. He is just a kid.”

Yara Zaya IG my Ukraine ...

Our thoughts are with the courageous people of Ukraine who are fighting a seemingly hopeless war against a relentless enemy.

Our hearts go out to all of the victims who have died so far in this conflict — with estimates of over 2,000 Ukrainian civilians murdered in less than a week.

We hope that Yara and Natalie’s friends and loved ones, along with millions of others, can escape from this horror.

Sasha Larin Defends Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Gets Blasted by 90 Day Fiance Fans

On February 24, Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, pouring troops across the sovereign nation’s borders.

Various 90 Day Fiance stars spoke out against the war, including cast members from Ukraine and from Russia.

One alum from the franchise stunned and horrified followers with posts that seemed to defend the brutal invasion.

Though he has walked back some of his posts, Sasha Larin has made himself the odd man out during a global crisis.

On Season 7 of 90 Day Fiance, viewers saw Sasha Larin throw away his future sister-in-law’s freshly bought groceries because he didn’t like them.

Before meeting and impregnating Emily Larina, his current wife, he had impregnated and then left two previous women.

The father of three hadn’t made the best impression … but few expected to see something like this.

Last week, the world recoiled in horror as the Russian military poured over Ukraine’s border, shelling buildings, bombing homes, flattening cars and their occupants with tanks.

While thousands of Russians took to the streets in their own cities, knowing that they would be arrested, Sasha Larin took to his Instagram Story.

Unlike the millions of calls for peace, or for the end of the brutal attacks, he railed against hearing his country badmouthed.

Sasha Larin IG I can't read more about my country ...

We don’t doubt that some people took things too far, errantly blaming the Russian people for the orders of one deranged madman.

Despite intense control of Russia’s state-run media to pump out lies trying to “justify” the invasion, most Russians are outspoken in their calls for peace.

But it appears that the baseless propaganda put out by the Kremlin took root in Sasha’s mind.

Sasha Larin IG you have to be a complete idiot to think that Russia invaded Ukraine unprovoked

“You have to be a complete idiot if you think that Russia invaded Ukraine without any [justified] reason,” Sasha announced in all caps.

Well, call us and essentially every geopolitical expert who doesn’t sit at the end of a very long table from Vladimir Putin “idiots,” then.

We are admittedly morbidly curious as to what possibly justification Sasha imagines that Putin could have.

Sasha is, for the record, not a culturally isolated man who has never left home or been exposed to new ideas.

In addition to being a grown adult, he has spent ample time in the United States, and has an American wife — Emily Larina.

As 90 Day Fiance fans recoiled at Sasha’s declaration of (support for the) war, Emily took to her own Instagram Story.

Emily Larina IG we both hate war, he took down his posts

“We both hate war,” Emily emphasized, sharing screenshots of (partially redacted) private messages that she had shared with someone else.

She admitted that they had grown up differently, and got their news about world affairs very differently.

Reading between the lines, it sounds like Sasha might be the sort of person who sticks to one source and takes whatever it tells him — especially if it confirms his biases.

In the case of this conflict, that likely means Russian state media or people who echo those stories.

Putin has put out numerous false claims about Ukraine, at times claiming that ethnic Russians are persecuted or their children tortured by the Ukrainian government.

He also claimed that he, a far-right authoritarian leader, is going to “de-nazify” the country … a country whose democratically elected president is Jewish and lost family in the Holocaust.

Emily Larina IG I'm devastated for the Ukrainian people

Despite her choice in husband, many 90 Day Fiance fans are fond of Emily.

She affirmed that she is devasted for the Ukrainian people.

Emily also noted that she (currently living with Sasha in Russia) lives near where major anti-war protests have taken place.

Sasha Larin IG of course I'm against the war, but I'll never go against my country

To be fair, Sasha did delete his outrageous Story posts and put up a new one.

In the new post, he made it clear that he dislikes war in a very general sense, because it involves the suffering of innocents.

He then also declared that he would never speak against his country, putting him at odds with countless courageous Russians who are actively doing so.

Sasha Larin IG - I believe that everything will be okay soon

Sasha also wrote that, in the vaguest possible sense, he believes that things will be better soon.

He doesn’t say what his desired outcome would be.

We will not put words in his mouth, but his answer does not express a desire for the sovereign nation of Ukraine to maintain its independence, unfortunately.

Sasha Larin IG - everyone has their own opinions, it should not affect relationships

Sasha also parrots an all-too-common sentiment that everyone has an “opinion” and so it should never interfere in relationships.

Opinions are about things like pizza topings and music playlists.

Reacting to the moral horror of a totalitarian regime massacring the people of a neighboring nation at the whim of a dangerous lunatic isn’t an opinion, it’s just part of being a person.

In contrast, like others from Ukraine and like most of the 90 Day Fiance cast from Russia, Yara Zaya has used her platform to speak on the topic.

She gave an interview late last week, relaying what she has heard directly from friends and family who are desperate to flee, struggling to survive.

Our hearts continue to go out to all of the innocents who are suffering and dying in the path of the Russian advance.