Stars of “90 Day Fiance,” Loren and Alexei Brovarnik prove that true love knows no distance.
Spoiler alert: things getverypersonal.
How Loren and Alexei first got together
Tell us about when you first met.
Loren, is it true you were wearing a neck pillow and a mask from your flight?
Alexei:I wouldn’t call it agoodfirst impression.
Who said “I love you” first?
Loren:I don’t know.
Alexei:You don’t know?
Loren:I really don’t know.
I feel like it was mutual.
Alexei:It’s never mutual.
Loren:I think you said it first.
No, I don’t think so.
Loren:I feel like people would expect me to say it first.
Alexei:I think you did.
Loren:I don’t know.
I think that you fell in love with me first.
Alexei:The other one responded right away.
There wasn’t any awkwardness there.
“How do you meet her?
Loren:She did.
And funny enough, she’s actually from the same area that I grew up in.
And I was like, “Okay.”
She’s like, “I mean, you have nothing to lose.”
I wrote to them, yeah.
Once you wrote to them, how soon after were you chosen?
I know there is some kind of interview process.
Loren:There were a few.
I remember I told Alex, I was like, “So in America, there’s this show.
It’s called ‘90 Day Fiance.’
It’s not like a big show.”
It was only two seasons in.
Loren:The casting director.
Alexei:And I never watched it.
She always nagged me.
“You got to watch it.”
Loren:Just so you understand.
I was like, “I’m going to write to them.”
He was like, “Okay, let’s see what happens.”
Well, they want to interview us.
So I have to set up an interview for you.”
And he was seven hours ahead.
Alexei:The interview was in the middle of the night.
I don’t even remember it or anything.
Asked me a couple of questions.
And you didn’t even know the show.
Alexei:I didn’t know the show.
I didn’t know nothing about it.
So we’re gonna be on it."
And he was like, “Wait, what?”
I said, “Yeah, we’re going to be on this show.
It’s kind of popular here,” even though it really wasn’t at the time.
Just to really sell us.
When did you feel that the other was “The One?”
Loren:I knew on the first trip.
Alexei:She was hunting for me.
Loren:Yes, that’s exactly…
Alexei:She was watching the show and hunting for me.
Loren:I was like, “Hmm, I want to be on ‘90 Day Fiance.’
Let me go find an Israeli.”
That’s exactly what was in my head.
[Laughs]
And you were flying back and forth from New York.
So what was that like?
Loren:I flew five times in one year to see this guy.
Went, dropped my bags off, went to work until like 4 o’clock.
And that was it.
Alexei:In our 20s, we can do that.
It’s not that difficult.
Let alone take a cab.
I’d rather take an 11-hour flight to Israel, than take a cab downtown.
Alexei:The bachelorette party.
Definitely the bachelorette party.
Loren:Even now, though?
Alexei:Even now.
Loren:Yeah, definitely.
What was going through both of your minds when Alexei finally got the visa?
Loren:Oh my gosh.
I was so excited because in all realness, we had no idea.
When I found out on camera, that was the first time I found out.
Was I gonna have to move to Israel?…
I had no idea.
And then boom, it happens.
So what cast members do you keep in touch with?
Loren:I mean, we really support everybody, honestly.
There’s not like one in particular.
If somebody’s down here and we’re able to see them, we support it.
We’re very supportive with people on Instagram.
We just wish everybody the best, honestly.
Loren:Alex, what are the two words in life that every husband should listen to?
Alexei:I’m still unbreakable.
And “happy wife, happy life.”
Loren:It doesn’t exist.
[Laughs]
Alexei:I don’t think that’s the way to go.
It only works for a certain amount of time.
Loren:It’s when I’m pregnant; it works.
Alexei:Well, when she’s pregnant, okay.
Loren:I have a few more months of it.
[Laughs]
Congratulations!
So what’s your advice to first-time moms and dads?
Loren:Well, I think for parents in general, and you might chime in.
I’m gonna let you chime in.
Alexei:I will.
There’s no right or wrong.
There really isn’t.
Alexei:Best advice.
Don’t take no advice.
Loren:People give so much unsolicited advice and judgements, especially through social media.
Alexei:Don’t take it difficult.
Listen, but it doesn’t have to be that you’re wrong and they are right.
There is no right or wrong.
If it’s working for you and the baby and your family, then that’s the right way.
Alexei:And listen to your gut and your hunches and whatnot.
Loren:And your wife.
Would you guys ever want to film a spinoff with your kids one day?
Loren:I mean, one day.
It’s always crazy here.
Who knows what’s gonna happen, right?
From your mouth to God’s ears.
I enjoyed your segment.
It was really cute.
Loren:Thank you.
I can’t believe I cooked.
Alexei:Where is it?
Loren:What do you mean?
I mean, we’re doing a promo for it.
It’s not out yet.
Alexei:Oh, okay.
I got to see a preview so I can ask you questions about it.
Alexei:Ah, okay.
Because I want to see it too.
It was very cute.
Alexei:No it was fun.
It was really fun…
Loren:It was fun.
I will say this.
This is a very true story and Alex can vouch for it.
When we met, I did not know how to cook anything.
And I was like, “Well, what do I do with this?”
He was like, “You got to peel it.”
I was like, “Don’t you have a peeler?”
Alexei:But she’s very…
Loren:I had the little nubs.
Alexei:She’s very good with following instructions.
Loren:Thank you.
Alexei:So it’s good.
If she gets it, you know the recipe…
Loren:To the T.
Alexei:Yeah.
Loren:And he can cook anything.
So did you get to choose the dishes you prepared on the show?
Loren:Ones that we know how to cook.
We had to look good.
Ones that we like, things that we actually do cook and like in our house.
So like hummus, for example you make that often, right?
Loren:I actually made that salad for you this week.
Alexei:Yeah, we have it in the refrigerator now.
The salad here is basically all lettuce or some kind of other grass.
And that’s it.
Here’s a salad.
Loren:His first salad here, we went to a restaurant.
He goes, “I’ll have the salad.”
And he was thinking it was gonna be vegetables.
Then it gets here and he goes, “What’s all this grass?”
Did any of them surprise you?
Loren:A lot.
Like all of them.
I can’t believe people were pouring their hearts out to us like this.
Alexei:And then the stories, the cheating during the party…
Loren:During the wedding.
Alexei:During the wedding.
Loren:Somebody saw the groom.
Alexei:“What would you do if your groom…”
Loren:What would you do?
I would kill them.
Alexei:If your husband cheated on you on your wedding day?
Loren:You know what I would do?
I would pull aLorena Bobbitt.
One of them was the husband with the sister or something.
I was like, “Maybe I shouldn’t be reading this with a knife in my hand.”
Alexei:Well, yeah, it’s not easy.
I mean, you got to adjust.
You got to learn to learn from the other person.
Loren:It’s not even the living together that’s hard.
We got very lucky.
We adjusted very well to living together easily.
Loren:But I feel like it’s our demeanor.
I am a social butterfly.
I have a sarcastic attitude and personality.
And I think it took Alex a little while to understand that I’m very sarcastic.
And even today, we still … there’s misinterpretations on some things.
And with this one, the Vlad over here.
He’s like, “I’m not yelling at you.”
And I’m like, “Okay.”
Alexei:We are very direct.
Loren:You are very direct.
Alexei:Oh yeah.
I’m asking you, “Do you want this or no?”
“That’s okay.”
What does it mean, “That’s okay?”
You want this or you don’t want this?
I know it’s okay in general.
Loren:That’s a good question.
I’ve actually never thought about that.
Alexei:The negative is that everybody’s in your business and everybody’s giving you advice.
And judging you about everything.
They think they know everything about you based on snippets.
And that’s not true.
Alexei:But the positives are that you get also a lot of love and support.
Loren:And you get an opportunity that a lot of people strive for.
We like to use it for good.
What has been your favorite part of your “90 Day” journey so far?
Loren:Honestly, we’ve grown so much.
Alexei:I don’t look at it like a “90 Day” journey anymore.
Loren:It’s just us.
We’ve literally
Alexei:Seven years after.
Loren:Oh my God.
Are we in that seven-year itch?
Alexei:What is that?
Loren:Seven-year itch is like…
Alexei:You don’t need to tell me.
Loren:Oh, okay.
You just have to have patience.
So what are your future plans?
Do you have any plans to retire from doing the spinoffs?
Loren:No, we like it.
I asked David and Annie the same thing.
They said “no” too.
Loren:We like it.
You know what…
Alexei:Why would we retire?
Loren:It’s fun and we’re very, very lucky.
We have got a very loyal following.
We have a very supportive following and not just for us, but for them.
They love seeing Shai, I mean who doesn’t?
And let me tell you, they probably can’t wait ‘til he becomes a big brother.
So you know what?
Why not show the realness?
Alexei:And even I got used to it now…
Loren:Don’t let him fool you.
Alexei:It used to be so difficult for me to be on camera and stuff.
It was such hard work.
Harder than I don’t know…
Loren:It was like prying open a clam.
Alexei:But now, I go with it.
“90 Day: Foody Call” streams on discovery+ on May 29, 2021.
