There are 90 Day Fiancé relationships which have been called transactional by fans, and the latest one is the romance between Mike Berk and Ximena Morales, which is now over. The problematic nature of long-distance relationships that feature on 90 Day Fiancé has been discussed plenty of times. Amid the obvious red flags that TLC viewers often spot on the reality show, there are partners who stand out because they seem to be in it for Green Cards or money. Over the years, many couples have crashed and burned, and some of them, including Mike and Ximena from 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, appeared to be doomed from the start.
If there’s one thing that relationships on 90 Day Fiancé have taught fans, it's how to not act in a relationship. Age gaps are a common feature, and so are cultural barriers. Then, there’s the obvious communication gap that has been an issue with stars such as Deavan Clegg and Memphis Smith, who have relied on translators to make their already crumbling love lives even worse. Lately, 90 Day Fiancé has been lauded for representation, but even in the newcomer couple of Bilal Hazziez and Shaeeda Sween, the Missouri man thinks the Trinidad and Tobago woman is a gold digger.
In light of the way that some of the international partners are portrayed, their better halves in America are occasionally referred to as sugar daddies or sugar mommies. A lot of money has been spent on these 90 Day Fiancé stars by their “soulmates,” even before they’ve gotten visa approvals. Signs of catfishing also don’t seem to stop some of these TLC stars as they try to keep up with their partners' demands, perhaps because love is blind. Another possible reason why is the fact that it could be the first time in their lives that they’ve been in relationships, as Mike was with Ximena, who clearly didn’t love him back.
Mike & Ximena
During 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, Mike was introduced as a shy guy from New York who played with Legos and flipped pancakes for his grandad. On the other hand, Ximena showed off her house in Colombia, which featured items gifted by Mike, from a dining table to a coffee machine. He claimed to have spent over $15000 on her. Ximena came across as someone who was looking to escape her life as a manicurist, and go to America with her two kids with two different fathers. It was only towards the finale that it was revealed that Mike had met Ximena on a cam site rather than Tinder, and he'd actually offered to pay her money. When Ximena ended their relationship because of his apparent messiness, it didn’t take Mike two minutes to ask for all his gifts back .
David Murphey & Lana AKA Svetlana
Las Vegas man David claims he’s dating a new Ukrainian woman called Olga, but fans will never forget his relationship with the mysterious Lana. David was dating Lana on a website that he financed for seven years before he met her in person on 90 Day Fiancé. Because Lana had refused to meet David four times in the past, she looked like a catfish who was out to scam him, rather than a genuine person. While Lana and David were engaged, during the Tell-All, he revealed that they weren’t together. As per David, he’d spent “probably a quarter million to $300,000 or so,” on Lana during their relationship. This seems to have been the cumulative cost of David’s trips to Ukraine, the gifts and money for Lana, and the fees of the dating website, which charged by the minute.
Michael Jessen & Juliana Custodio
Although Brazilian model Juliana now claims that she was helping Michael and his family out financially during the pandemic, their 90 Day Fiancé storyline was the exact opposite. After meeting Juliana at a yacht party in Croatia, Michael fell in love with her and wanted to bring her home to Connecticut. While Michael was waiting for Juliana to arrive in the U.S., he was shown creating a $4000 custom necklace for her. As per Michael, Juliana was using his credit cards when she was in Brazil, so she could buy groceries. However, he also accused Juliana of having a “questionable judgment in some of the spending,” as she’d impulsively bought a car on the credit card. When the wine entrepreneur Michael was asked if he'd spent more than “$100,000, or more than $150,000” during their three years relationship, he refused to answer.