Since 2014, the hit TLC series “90 Day Fiancé” has chronicled the lives of dozens of couples who have found love that defies borders, exploring the complex journeys they all must take to reach their own happily ever afters. These couples often go through many similar trials in and out of their relationships, such as navigating the complicated immigration process, learning how to best respect each other’s distinct cultural identities in a new environment, and, perhaps most commonly, trusting that the relationship would exist if there weren’t a visa on the line.

But what makes the show so arresting after all these years are those circumstances in which a couple must not only go through all of these expected challenges, but their own unique struggles (which can sometimes result in major property damage) as well. While some of the show’s couples, like Kyle and Noon, manage to overcome their obstacles, others experience more difficulty in making their relationships work. In the case of American singer-slash-model Nicole Sanders — also known by her stage name Nikki Exotika — and her Moldovan beau Igor Shutencov, they were forced to confront harsh truths about their compatibility through a dynamic that exposed how deep-rooted beliefs can be shifted (even if only slightly) by the power of love.

Nicole Sanders and Igor Shutencov — known to most “90 Day Fiancé” fans as Nikki Exotika and Justin Moldova — were a couple that appeared on Season 10 of the flagship series. Nikki (a transwoman from New Jersey) was a highly successful television personality, performer, and actor long before she appeared on the TLC series, having made her on-screen debut in the 2006 documentary “Transtasia,” which followed the production of a transgender beauty pageant in which she was a contestant (at the time, she competed under the stage name Nicole Xtravaganza). She was also a prominent pop singer and appeared on reality shows such as “My Trans Life” and “Jerseylicious,” as well as fictional dramas “Pose” and “Orange is the New Black.”

She met “Justin” (then Igor) through a Moldovan dating app over 17 years before cameras began following them around in 2023. Christening him “Justin Moldova” (as in Justin Timberlake, whom Nikki says he resembles), the pair fell into a whirlwind romance that eventually resulted in a proposal and the commencement of the K-1 visa process to secure his citizenship and ability to live in the U.S. However, things fell apart fairly quickly after Nikki revealed to him that she was trans during a fight. Justin could not accept her identity at the time and flew home to Moldova, where the couple says he spent 15 years depressed and traumatized over the dissolution of their life together. This caused him to ultimately reach back out to her during a period in which they were both serendipitously single, and they became engaged again within months. Of course, this didn’t necessarily mean Justin had worked through the issues that led their relationship to end in the first place.

Though there were many problems that created tension in Nikki Exotika and Justin Moldova’s relationship (including infidelity on Justin’s part, the expectation that Nikki would bankroll his life, and that their sex drives appeared to be incompatible), the core issue was clearly that Justin could not accept Nikki’s identity as a transwoman. This was put on full display when the couple reunited for the “90 Day Fiancé” Season 10 Tell All.

Throughout the season, he would treat her coldly and resist her attempts at intimacy of any kind, accusing her of acting too much like a man for him to be attracted to her. At the same time, whenever they would go out in public together to enjoy his city’s vibrant nightlife, he would chastise and emotionally punish her for attracting too much attention with her style and personality. It occasionally seemed as though Justin might have been capable of maturing to the point of having a private relationship with Nikki and was clearly attracted to her enough (either romantically, sexually, or financially) to desire such a result. However, his insecurities and deeply held transphobic and homophobic beliefs put him in a constant state of fear about how the world would react to him being with a transwoman. This hurt Nikki, likely more than anything else he did. Putting their lives on display through reality television appeared to have exacerbated his fears, as Justin suddenly ended the relationship over text after she (and the crew) left Moldova.

So when Justin begins describing Nikki during the Tell All as having “man vibes,” disparaging her, talking down to her, and refusing to commit to reconciliation one way or the other despite sleeping with her post-breakup, Nikki begins to have a panic attack. She does eventually rally thanks to the support of her mother and finishes the interaction by closing the door on their future for good.

As of this writing, Nikki Exotika and Justin Moldova appear to remain broken up. While it’s certainly possible, given their intense hot-and-cold, on-and-off relationship, that they may have had some kind of contact (romantic or otherwise) in the time since their explosive fight during the “90 Day Fiancé” Season 10 Tell All, Nikki’s anger at the climax of the segment makes a full reunion seem extremely unlikely. It’s also very telling that they don’t appear on each other’s Instagram pages, especially since they once shared a joint couples account.

In addition to modeling and enjoying the residual spotlight afforded by her recent “90 Day” stint, Nikki continues to focus on her pop group Secret Girls. In October 2024, she took part in a conversation with relationship coach Jake Maddock, discussing the ups and downs of her time with Justin as well as what she (and others in similar situations) might learn from the experience. As for Justin (now presumably Igor Shutencov full time, though he’s kept his pseudonym for social media purposes), he’s seemingly trying to leverage his reality show stardom into a career as a business, travel, and lifestyle influencer.