The stars of the "90 Day" franchise might be looking for true love,
but many of their real life stories involve devastating tragedy. From the passing of
loved ones, to marriage struggles, these losses left scars for life.
Jorge and Russian beauty Anfisa's relationship was dysfunctional, to say the least. Gracing Season 4
of "90 Day Fiance," one fiery exchange even ended with Anfisa forcing Jorge to sleep in the car.
The couple eventually tied the knot on the show — minus Anfisa's ultimate dream $45,000 bridal gown.
But it all went downhill from there when Jorge was picked up for marijuana possession in 2018,
and sentenced to two and a half years behind bars.
According to The Bee, the reality star was arrested after police found nearly 300 pounds
of marijuana in his car. And according to Jorge, Anfisa was ready to split for good,
just two months into his prison sentence. He revealed on "Self-Quarantined,"
"She wished that I got 12 years in prison,
basically trying to get rid of me. […] That definitely hurt. It really broke my heart."
Jorge filed for divorce in 2020, according to “TMZ”. And he also appeared to be a changed man
after ending his prison stint a few months early. He posted pics with his new lady,
Rhoda, in August 2020, and the couple introduced their daughter Zara in April 2021.
"I enjoy being around my family. I wanna spend as much time as possible with them."
Eric and Leida weren't exactly well-received by fans after cameras captured some aggression toward
Eric's teen daughter Alari — formerly Tasha — in 2018. After Leida moved from Indonesia to America,
she wasted no time demanding that Alari leave the family apartment.
Leida also didn't like that Eric was paying child support. She ultimately managed to
convince Eric to kick Alari out, leaving fans in shock. On Season 6, Alari confessed,
"I don't know where me and my dad stand anymore. I don't want to just not see my
dad anymore but if this is how it's going to be, then I guess it's how it's going to be."
"This is only temporary. I'm done with your dramatic attitude."
"And I'm done with your s---…complicated whatever."
In 2019, In Touch reported that Leida even got a "four-year restraining order"
against Alari — which she later dropped. But in the time since,
Leida has revealed that she and Alari have actually bonded over cosplay. She admitted,
"We just need to keep supporting each other, since we're family."
The "90 Day" franchise has certainly featured its share of odd couples, with Mark and Nikki
being one of them. Filipina beauty, Nikki, was just 19 when she married Mark, and the couple's
nearly 40-year age gap was beyond cringe-y. And when Mark bought Nikki a red convertible,
things got awkward when he revealed that he bought the same exact car for his ex-wife.
Annnnnd, just in case you forgot, his ex was also from the Philippines.
Photos of Mark's ex still decorated his home, and he even tried to make Nikki wear his daughter's
hand-me-downs. With outlets like Screen Rant describing Mark's behavior as "controlling,"
fans were already clued in, thanks to his thing about not touching the car windows.
"You're weird."
"I know."
"You're always weird, baby."
"I'm always weird."
Nikki hasn't updated her Instagram since 2013, leaving fans to wonder about her fate.
Russ and Paola Mayfield have weathered quite a few storms since appearing on the first-ever season of
"90 Day Fiance." From Russ' hesitancy to move to Miami, so Paola could reboot her modeling career,
to Russ losing his job, the couple openly shared their toughest challenges.
"I was just thinking of our first baby."
"I see."
But one of their most heartbreaking revelations came in 2018 when Paola suffered a miscarriage.
She later revealed that Russ couldn't talk with her about the loss, which made her feel alone,
according to Reality Blurb. When she found out that she was pregnant again,
later that year, she shared with Us Weekly,
"You don't want to get your hopes up because anything could happen,
but it's like, it's hard not to feel excited."
After a difficult pregnancy,
Paola and Russ finally welcomed their son, Axel, in 2019. She said via the outlet,
"I'm ready to start this new adventure and to be the best mom for [my son] Axel."
On Season 1 of "90 Day: The Other Way," Corey gave up everything to move to Ecuador to be
with the love of his life, Evelin. But earlier in the couple's story, viewers were introduced
to Corey's big family. His dad Gary even hoped that Evelin would consider moving to the U.S.
But tragedy struck when Gary died unexpectedly in January 2019. Viewers didn't learn about the
situation until several months later when the episode aired. On the show, mom Linda explained
that Gary had suffered from a fatal pancreatic condition. While Corey's Instagram is private,
Screen Rant noted that he posted a bittersweet tribute to his dad. He wrote,
"You were supposed to come visit me in Ecuador so we could fish and surf
together. […] One thing [my dad] always said is, 'If you don't shoot you won't score.'
In remembrance of my dad I want everyone to take that shot and score whatever it may be!"
"It's heartbreaking to lose my dad." Geoffrey appeared on Season 4 of "Before
the 90 Days" as he jet-setted off to Russia to be with Varya. But before he packed his bags,
fans learned that he had suffered a devastating loss. His son, Kazhem, died in 2018 when he was
just 13 months old, after suffering a seizure and being hospitalized. Geoffrey revealed,
"Losing a child is the absolute worst thing that could ever happen to you.
There's going to be a hole in my heart for the rest of my life.
But I know Kazhem's all around me and that gives me peace in my heart to know that."
In May 2020, he uploaded a YouTube video to speak more about his son,
noting that some people had even accused him of causing his son's death. He said,
"This is one of the most ridiculous and
hurtful experiences of my life outside of his actual death."
"I've had a lot of heartbreak in my life.
But, by far, the absolute worst is what happened to Kazhem."
But Geoffrey has been the perpetrator behind other serious incidents. In October 2021,
E! reported that the reality star was, quote, "found guilty of kidnapping and domestic violence"
against a former girlfriend who had accused him of assault in 2019. A press release from the DA's
office stated that because Geoffrey has a criminal past that includes multiple drug-related charges,
he faced a jail sentence of 12 to 20 years "without the possibility of parole."
When viewers met Russian-born Olga and Maryland native Steven on "90 Day" Season 6,
the couple was learning to navigate their new lives after finding out Olga was pregnant. Despite
Olga having to spend most of her pregnancy in Russia without Steven, he did manage to be present
for the birth of their son, Alex, a.k.a. Richie. By the end of the season, Steven had proposed.
The pair tied the knot in August 2019 but split just over a year later, in October 2020,
according to Us Weekly. But even so, they appear to have since reconciled,
with Olga sharing Instagram snaps of the happy family in July 2021.
While fans were glad to see the couple working it out together, they also learned about Olga's rough
childhood back in Russia. According to Screen Rant, she was placed in an orphanage as a pre-teen
and grew up having to take care of herself. With no support from her family, she spent much of her
young life around strangers. Now with a family of her own, Olga is turning the page on a new
chapter. In 2021, she also made it official in New York City. As she posted on Instagram,
"I know you guys asked where exactly we moved, what city. So now our new home
[is] in Middle Village. It was a great choice." Darcey and Stacey have become bona fide reality TV
queens. While Darcey starred on several "90 Day Fiance" spin-offs and suffered several crushing
heartbreaks on camera, her sister Stacey has been by her side, all the way. Of course,
it was only a matter of time before the sisters landed their very own show on TLC: the aptly
titled "Darcey & Stacey." The series follows the twins as they juggle their relationships
and pretty much do everything together — even down to matching cosmetic procedures.
The reality stars have proudly been an open book on just about anything. And that
means that they've also shared some of the lowest points in their lives, including the death of
their brother, Michael in 1998. According to the Hartford Courant, Michael left behind a fiancée
and was part of the New Haven Police Academy. The twins' fashion brand is even named House of Eleven
as a tribute to their brother, whose birthday was May 11th, and who passed away on July 11th.
Darcey revealed during an interview with Build that Michael died from a rare form of bone cancer.
"We wanna kinda create that legacy in, y'know, in his honor."
The sisters have also talked about the bullying they experienced growing up. On an episode of
their show, Stacey recalled a time when a boy made fun of her because of her vitiligo,
which formed a triangular mark on the skin above her eye. She says the kid used to call
her "the Bermuda triangle," but he stopped after Darcey stepped in to stand up for her sister.
"90 Day Fiance" stars Armando and Kenneth made history as the first ever male same-sex
couple on the franchise. Kenneth lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, before he moved to Mexico
to be with Armando and his daughter, Hannah. And the family instantly became fan favorites.
"I love you."
But before the couple ever found each other, Armando was married to a woman and was keeping his
true identity a secret. While he is now a proud father to Hannah as a result of that relationship,
he eventually told his wife the truth, and the two split. Sadly, his ex-wife later died in a
car crash, according to Screen Rant. While he never shared the details on the show,
apparently curious fans soon pressed him for more. He finally revealed on Instagram,
"During the divorce proceedings and on the evening of her passing, a disagreement took
place over [finances] and I thought it would be best to leave the situation. […] I was driving
down the highway and I was shocked when I was suddenly struck from behind and then hit again.
I then realized it was my ex-wife and before I knew it, she lost control of her vehicle."
"Her car actually flipped out of the road and she died on the scene."
Armando explained that, at the time, his ex was pregnant with their second child. He said,
"I ask for your empathy and understanding [regarding] this personal tragedy. Thank you."
"90 Day Fiance: The Other Way" Season 3 star, Ellie, gave up everything she had in Seattle,
Washington — including her restaurant — to start a life with Victor on the island of Providencia
in the Caribbean. Already having faced Victor's past infidelity while they were long-distance,
Ellie also discovered that she would be relocating to an island that had been
heavily damaged by Hurricane Iota in 2020. According to Relief Web,
"On the island of Providencia,
95 percent of the population was affected [and] between 1,900 and 2,000 houses were destroyed."
"I don't know how to survive like this."
But before Ellie packed up her things to start her new chapter,
she revealed some devastating news about her first husband. In September 2021, the reality
star explained that he had died after accidentally overdosing on prescription painkillers. His sudden
death had a deep impact on her relationship with Victor, and as she told Entertainment Tonight,
"Probably losing somebody that close to you, changes [you]. […] I don't know, I think people
could go different ways. Maybe they would just build a wall around them, which maybe I did for
a long time. […] You just never know. […] If you think you've found the person you want to be with,
then you're trying to be with them because you don't want to waste any time."
Even so, after Ellie confirmed to the outlet that she and Victor were definitely in love,
fans watched as Ellie also revealed on the show
that she suspected Victor was only with her for her money.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse,
you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.