A new episode of TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé airs this Sunday and viewers are anxious to see how Miona and Jibri are handling life in Chicago, now that they’ve moved out of his mother’s house in South Dakota and away from, at least some of, the drama. Jibri and Miona are one of the many 90 Day franchise couples who have opted to live with family during their K-1 visa journey. The decision is often financial, given the expenses associated with bringing a spouse to the United States. Staying with relatives allows new couples to save money and focus on their relationship during the critical 90-day window.
However, cohabitating with in-laws also has its drawbacks. Living under someone else's roof and rules can be stressful enough but, in many instances, the clashing of cultures creates an even more hostile environment. Based on how terrible some living arrangements were, these couples would have been better off going it alone.
Brandon's Family Makes Julia Work On Their "Farm"
Upon arriving in the U.S. from Russia, Julia received two unexpected bits of news. The first one being that they were to live with Brandon's parents, Ron and Betty on the family's makeshift farm. The second shocker was that they expected Julia, a city girl with no farming experience, to take care of the animals.
To make matters worse, Betty was incredibly overbearing. She decreed that the newly reunited couple could not sleep in the same room, called the doctor to schedule Julia for a birth control consult, and even threw a fit when Julia's wedding date of choice happened to fall on Mother's Day.
Russ' Mom Disapproves Of Paola's Pajamas
Russ' parents weren't that bad when compared to many of the other 90 Day in-laws. But the Oklahoma family's conservative values were sometimes quietly at odds with Paola's Colombian ideals.
For instance, on Paola's first morning in her future in-laws' home, she came downstairs for breakfast wearing pajamas. To be fair, her pajamas were less revealing than many of Paola's current wrestling costumes. Nevertheless, Russ' parents were visibly horrified by Paola's choice of attire and Russ immediately asked her to change, with his mother agreeing, "good idea." To her credit and in an effort to keep the peace, Paola apologized and quickly put a robe on.
Sumit's Mom Teaches Jenny How To Be A "Good Wife"
Jenny and Sumit's relationship has been a rollercoaster ride since day one. Jenny endured a catfishing incident, finding out about Sumit's arranged marriage, and moving back and forth from the U.S. to India more than once before they finally tied the knot almost a decade later.
Additionally, Sumit's mother, Sadhna, was vehemently against the marriage and refused to give her blessing. Sadhna, who was apprehensive about the couple's age gap and cultural differences, suggested she move in with Jenny to teach her how to be a "good wife." Unsurprisingly, their time together was a disaster, tempers flared as Sadhna, who is younger than Jenny, went out of her way to humiliatingly explain simple cooking and cleaning techniques.
Josh's Family Makes Aleksandra Wake Up At Dawn To Pray
Josh, who is Mormon, was on a mission trip in the Czech Republic when he first met go-go dancer Aleksandra, who was visiting from her home country of Russia. When Aleksandra finally moved to the U.S., the couple lived apart for religious reasons. Josh stayed in his family's home and she moved in with his grandmother nearby.
Josh's family proved very conservative and deeply religious. His grandmother enforced a curfew for 21-year-old Aleksandra and his family basically forced her into attending their daily 6 am prayer sessions. Even though this was a huge culture shock for Aleksandra, everything worked out as she did eventually decide to convert to Mormonism and the couple is still happily married.
Larissa And Debbie Go Head-To-Head
Debbie and Larissa's feud will likely go down as one of the biggest in the history of the show. Larissa immediately took issue with Debbie and Colt's awkward mother/son relationship and regularly had to vie for her new husband's attention.
The couple (and Debbie) had several screaming matches including the unforgettable "who is against the queen will die" fight, and every time Larissa attempted to plan a life separate from Debbie, problems arose. As a result of the tension with Debbie, Larissa and Colt had one of Debbie and Larissa ended their feud and appear to be on good .
Big Ed Throws A Tantrum While Staying With Rose's Family
On season 4 of Before The 90 Days Big Ed goes to the Philippines to spend time with Rose. While there, he opts to stay in Rose's home to give himself an opportunity to get to know her extended family. However, Big Ed was not prepared to face the realities of poverty and ended up appearing extremely ignorant.
Rose's family was very poor. They lived in a home without doors or a ceiling, and she slept on a mattress on the floor. Big Ed made many insensitive comments about her living conditions and barely survived the night without air conditioning. He panicked again in the morning and, after asking to take a shower and ending up bathing alongside Rose's father with a large jug of water and a ladle, Big Ed threw a tantrum and insisted on staying in a hotel. Unsurprisingly, this response was not the most cringe-worthy Big Ed moment to date.
Kalani and Asuelu Become Dependent On Her Family
Kalani and Asuelu are lucky to have her family in their lives. Kalani's entire family has ed her relationship with Asuelu through its many ups and downs. However, the couple quickly became dependent upon her family's help.
Kalani's mother and father put the newlyweds up in their rental home to help them get back on their feet. They came to rely on her family's assistance so much, that when her mother announced they were thinking about selling the home, Kalani and Asuelu panicked. Additionally, before Asuelu came to the U.S., Kalani's sister, Kolini, babysat the couple's son regularly and acted, in many ways, like another parent to the child.
Jibri's Mom Asks Miona To Dress More Conservatively In Her Home
On a recent episode of 90 Day season 9, Jibri's mother, Mahala, pulls Miona aside to speak to her about her revealing clothing. Mahala explains that Miona "seems intelligent" but she's worried her clothing will create the wrong impression in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Miona is offended and explains that she feels comfortable and empowered in her clothing. But Mahala insists that she cover up while in the family's home. This confrontation could push Miona, who already does not want to be in South Dakota, to continue vying for a move to Los Angeles, where Jibri lived when the couple first met.
Alexei Outgrows His In-Laws' Condo
Loren and Alexei are amongst the most beloved 90 Day couples, but when Alexei first moved to America, the couple struggled while living with Loren's parents in their small Florida condo.
The condo's space simply wasn't big enough for the couple and their parents, especially during the tumultuous K-1 visa process and wedding planning. The couple fought regularly, often getting her parents involved in their arguments. However, they ended up marrying and moving into their own condo, which helped the tension immensely. They remain happily married today and Loren is now pregnant with their third child.
Yamir Finds It Difficult To Acclimate To Small Town Life
On 90 Day Fiancé's 2nd season, Chelsea meets Yamir in Nicaragua while she's there volunteering. Yamir, who is from Nicaragua's capital, Managua, is a member of a popular boy band called Myla Vox. After the couple falls in love, he moves to Chelsea's small town of Galesburg, Illinois to live with her in her parent's home.
Yamir finds it difficult to acclimate to small-town life and struggles throughout the season to continue making music from Galesburg, with producers telling him he needs to consider moving to Chicago. But Chelsea doesn't think it's a smart idea to move and the issue creates a rift in their relationship. The couple eventually split up and Yamir did move to Chicago, and then to Los Angeles, to pursue his musical dreams.