A new season of 90 Day Fiancé is here, and with it, a new group of people who’ve found love across borders. One of them is Nikki, a 47-year-old American woman who is hoping to marry Justin, 36, who is from Moldova. But the couple may not have an easy road ahead, if their past history is any guide.
‘90 Day Fiancé’ cast member Nikki Exotika is a recording artist from New Jersey
Nikki, who lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, is a recording artist who performs under the name Nikki Exotika. While her alter ego is a flashy diva, the real Nikki is more of a homebody who wants a quiet life with the man she loves.
It’s been a long road to happiness for Nikki, who is trans. As she explained in the first episode of 90 Day Fiancé Season 10, she spent years living a “stealth” life, where she did not reveal to people that she was transgender. That secret actually led to her first breakup with Justin.
Nikki and Justin’s relationship began 17 years ago, when she traveled to Moldova in an effort to reconnect with an ex-boyfriend. The ex turned out to have a new girlfriend, and Nikki rebounded by dating Justin (whose real name is Igor). But she did not disclose that she was trans until two years into their relationship, and only then revealed the truth in the middle of a heated argument.
“I traumatized him,” she said, and the incident eventually caused them to part ways because Justin felt Nikki had lied to him.
Nikki almost appeared on ‘Botched’
Nikki – who calls herself the “million dollar Barbie” – underwent gender reassignment surgery when she was 20 years old, she explained on 90 Day Fiancé. Since then, she’s had numerous other surgeries in an effort to achieve her desired look, which she modeled on the most famous doll in the world.
“When I was little boy, I was fascinated and OBSESSED w/ @barbie I wanted to become her, in every way possible,” she shared in an Instagram post. “When I was old enough to transition I changed my life to become the DOLL I am today. It took a lot of money, dedication, determination, perseverance, education, bravery, therapy, hormones, surgeries, pain, healing, and LOVE.”
Nikki even signed up to have her story featured on E!’s plastic surgery-gone-wrong series Botched. However, the show never aired her segments, which would have followed Dr. Terry Dubrow’s efforts to fix her botched breast augmentation, according to a 2014 report by The Daily Mail.
Nikki and Justin reconnected years later, but will they be able to make it work?
As Nikki made efforts to transform her appearance, she and Justin remained friendly. Years after they first broke up, they decided to give their romance another try.
“Justin and I kept in touch throughout the years,” Nikki shared. “He had to go through things on his own and I had to go through things on my own.”
Now, they’ve applied for a K-1 visa so that Justin and move to the U.S. and start a life with Nikki. But just because they’re back together doesn’t mean all their issues have gone away. Intimacy is still an issue for the pair, with Nikki feeling that Justin isn’t fully present when they are having sex.
Viewers will have to watch Nikki and Justin’s story unfold on 90 Day Fiancé to see if they are able to work things out. She’s eager to share their love story with the show’s fans.
“I’m so excited to finally share my love story with all of you … relationships are sometimes complicated and ALOT of work, especially coming from 2 different worlds, cultures, language barriers and many other obstacles, like in my situation dating a heterosexual man from a small country like Moldova as a Trans person is beyond complicated,” she wrote on Instagram. “Communication, respect, trust, love and commitment are the biggest components in a DISTANCED RELATIONSHIP.”
90 Day Fiancé airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.
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