Popular 90 Day Fiancé star Ariela Wienberg’s return to the show has sparked rumors of plastic surgery, because on season 9 she looks almost unrecognizable. 30-year-old Ariela and 31-year-old Biniyam met in Ethiopia before they got engaged in 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way. Biniyam’s arrival in the U.S. was inevitable, but for that to happen, Ariela had to deal with a lot of ups and downs in the relationship. This included Ariela going back to the U.S. from Addis Ababa for their baby Aviel’s surgery and Biniyam ghosting her by partying with his friends back home. But while Ariela was in America witnessing her relationship with Biniyam change, fans saw how much Ariela herself had changed as well.
The previews for 90 Day Fiancé season 9 showed Biniyam’s arrival in America and how his relationship with Ariela will get affected by it. The scene with Biniyam’s sisters Wish and Mimi throwing wine on Ariela’s face caught a lot of attention. But so did Ariela’s altered appearance. Viewers wondered if Ariela would follow the footsteps of 90 Day Fiancé franchise icons Darcey Silva and Stacey Silva who are known for their plastic surgery-induced transformations. The discussions about Ariela’s plastic surgery gained weight after she and Biniyam finally showed up on 90 Day Fiancé episode 3.
The biggest change in Ariela was brought about by her giving birth to baby Avi, as fans had obviously seen her first as a heavily pregnant mom-to-be moving to Ethiopia in The Other Way season 2. After she and Biniyam welcomed Aviel in November 2019, Ariela dropped over 50 pounds and revealed how she did it. Ariela claimed it was because of breastfeeding and weight training. Fans also started noticing the little upgrades Ariela was making to her appearance by changing her makeup and hairstyle. These modifications made a huge difference in how Ariela looked in 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way season 3, which is when the plastic surgery rumors started to arise.
However, Ariela denied them by claiming it wasn’t plastic surgery but simply Botox and fillers. In August 2021, Ariela first admitted to getting injectables. Ariela shared a video from her aesthetician’s office and explained why she’d gotten these procedures done. Ariela confessed to getting Botox injected in her jaw, around her eyes, and in her lip area. The Botox helped in fixing Ariela’s uneven smile which she was insecure about. More importantly, it helped solve Ariela’s teeth grinding habit which was a never-ending nightmare for the Princeton native. The fillers also brought volume to Ariela’s face and under her eyes which helped after her sudden weight loss.
Ariela has promised to be transparent with her fans about her procedures. She as assured them that she’ll never do anything extreme which would make her look unrecognizable. More recently, Ariela treated herself to a Brazilian butt lift called “Sculptra” to get a shapely butt. It’s not unusual for 90 Day Fiancé cast members to get drastic makeovers, and to get criticized for revamping their looks. But in Ariela’s case, the work she got done is not only making her look more gorgeous but has also fixed her medical condition.