After five years and five spin-offs, 90 Day Fiancé franchise to feature first same-sex couple
Stephanie is not out to her family but still wants to go to Australia to meet her girlfriend for the first time. (TLC/ YouTube)
The 90 Day Fiancé franchise will finally feature a same-sex couple after five years and five spin-off reality shows.
90 Day Fiancé revolves around American people who are engaged to their long-distance partners, and have applied for visas to bring them to the US.
According to the US K-1 visa process, once the non-American fiancé arrives in the country, the couple has 90 days to get married for them to be allowed to stay. During that time, the show follows the couples deciding whether or not they really want to get married.
One spin-off of the show, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, follows couples while they are still long-distance and have not yet started the visa process.
The fourth season of the spin-off will begin in February 2020, and it has been revealed that it will feature a same-sex couple, the first in the entire franchise.
The first trailer was released this week, and shows social media influencer Stephanie video chatting with Australian photographer Erika. Stephanie says: “I’m in love with somebody from across the world, and that somebody is a girl.”
However, according to E! Online, Stephanie is not out to her family and has kept her three-month relationship with Erika a secret.
She also has a rare bone marrow disorder which makes travelling dangerous, but still wants to make the trip across the world to meet her long-distance love for the first time.
Love *ACTUALLY IS* all around! ?Unwrap a first look at a new season of #90DayFiance: Before the 90 Days, coming Sunday, February 23 at 8/7c. pic.twitter.com/9ir6yCo4Yf
— TLC Network (@TLC) December 17, 2019
TLC President Howard Lee told TIME: “We’ve been actively searching for a same-sex couple since the series began, but for various reasons — from visa delays to scheduling conflicts, to cold feet — it just hadn’t worked out yet, until now.
“We are so excited to have found Stephanie and Erika and welcome them to our 90 Day family.”
Omg they’re gonna have a lesbian couple on the new season of 90 day fiancé ??❤️— Olivia ? (@obsessioncherry) December 19, 2019
One Twitter user pointed out the irony of lesbians, who are notoriously fast-moving, being on the show and wrote: “90 day fiancé, but not because there’s a K1 visa, you’re just a lesbian.”
90 day fiancé, but not because there’s a K1 visa, you’re just a lesbian— jasmine (@slothfox) December 16, 2019
This year The Bachelor franchise also featured its first same-sex couple in its 17-year history, but the pair recently announced that they had called off their engagement.
