90 Day Fiancé star Natalie Mordovtseva was dealing with a lot of stress as her mother, Nelia, was still in Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russian invasion of her homeland. 36-year-old Natalie became a known reality TV face after her debut on 90 Day Fiancé season 7 with now ex-husband Mike Youngquist. Before Natalie came to America in season 8, Mike traveled to Kyiv to stay with Natalie and her mom following their engagement in Paris. When Natalie finally got her visa and moved to Sequim, WA, to marry Mike, she said goodbye to her mom who continued to live alone in Ukraine. Unfortunately, Natalie and Mike’s marriage lasted for barely six months, and the former actress soon started her new life in Florida as a single woman.
Natalie’s mom was very supportive of her daughter’s relationship with Mike and saw him as a good fit for Natalie. Unlike Mike’s mom, Trish, who ridiculed Natalie every step of the way, Nelia was welcoming to Mike even when he stayed in her apartment during 90 Day Fiancé season 7. As Nelia saw Natalie leave for the United States, she confessed that she was going through a difficult time since the two of them had always lived together. “This distance is very hard,” Nelia told the cameras before adding, “I believe that when your kids grow up, they should get married, that they have a family.” Nelia made regular appearances after that on 90 Day Fiancé whenever Natalie called her from the U.S., often in distress over her relationship troubles with Mike. But it’s been more than two years since Natalie has seen her mother in the flesh.
Since the invasion began, Natalie was staying quiet on Instagram, as fans continued to ask her questions about her mom’s well-being. Her Russian friend and fellow 90 Day Fiancé star Varya Malina first wrote, “Natalie’s mom is in [Kyiv] and this means she is in danger. Natalie had two sleepless nights trying to save her from that hell,” in a now-edited Instagram caption. Fortunately, Natalie has now confirmed that her mom is safe. Natalie posted an Instagram Story with a video of herself on the verge of tears as she wrote, “My Mom is safe from today morning, she made it to Europe with some other families.”
However, Natalie shared that all of her friends are “locked at that hell.” Natalie talks to her friends every night, and they keep telling her that they are going to die. “I’m suffering with my people,” Natalie posted, with emojis of the Ukrainian flag and hands folded in prayer. Fans are glad that Natalie’s mom is protected, but they can’t imagine what Natalie herself must be going through to see her home in such a state and not knowing if her family and friends are safe.
Natalie did get a lot of flack for originally sharing a tone-deaf video of herself on roller skates and not addressing the Russian war against Ukraine directly on social media. She was compared to fellow Ukrainian 90 Day Fiancé cast member Yara Zaya, who has been outspoken in defense of her home country and raising awareness while posting regular Instagram updates. However, everyone copes differently. Natalie could have been trying to distract herself from the fact that the 90 Day Fiancé star's mother's safety was at stake back in Ukraine.
Source: Natalie Mordovtseva/Instagram