🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Fans of the 90 Day Fiancé franchise have seen Ukrainian-born Yara Zaya and her American husband, Jovi Dufren, butt heads over many things, including whether or not to permanently live in Jovi's home state of Louisiana with their baby girl, Mylah. But one thing they are in complete agreement on is how important it is to help the Ukrainian refugees they've met since the Russian invasion started in February.
"It's really crazy," says Jovi. "We've actually found some families, believe it or not, who've come to New Orleans from Ukraine...They weren't able to legally get to the U.S.A.; they came across the Mexico border and now they're here."
Added Yara, "Some people run with nothing. They have nothing, just whatever they're wearing and their documents...They've been traveling five days to get to New Orleans...It's just horrible."
In April, TLC ran a special called 90 Day Diaries: Ukraine, spotlighting both Ukrainian cast members living stateside and those still in their home country. It depicted Yara's activism to make a difference back home while in Louisiana, along with U.S.-based Natalie Mordovtseva's efforts to get her mother out of Kyiv, and—most dramatically—Kyiv-based Maria Divine, whose footage was frequently punctuated by the distant sound of explosions.
"It's hard," says Jovi. "It's emotional in our house. She cries a lot. I've cried a lot. It's tough."
Yara's mother is safe in Prague, Czech Republic, but many members of her family, including a brother and sister, are still in Ukraine.
"We feel pretty good about where her family lives," said Jovi. "They're on the western border of the country, so, it's pretty much the safest place you could possibly be if you're still in Ukraine right now, but there's always a risk."
Yara agreed, "They're not in danger really right now. They're in the safest kind of area." Then she stopped and said, "Today it's safe, tomorrow, who knows."
Even though physically she's safer than her family and friends, Yara thinks that in a weird way, being away from home is harder than actually being there.
"I go through this time more stressfully and more emotionally stressful than my friends who are there right now," she said. "They're smiling all the time. My mental health was worse."
Jovi and Yara will next appear in the new season of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?, premiering Sunday, August 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on TLC and discovery+.
