What happened to Julia Trubkina of “90 Day Fiancée”? Deported?

 

Julia Trubkina’s life story came to light on 6 December 2020, when the first episode of the eighth season of TLC’s hit reality TV series “90 Day Fiancé” premiered, displaying a love story whose origins are somewhat unconventional. Her romance with Brandon Gibbs from the tiny census designated place of Dinwiddie, Virginia USA, began on the internet, through no initiation of their own.

They’ve thus far been recognized as one of the most unlikely couples in the entire series, owing to just how different their upbringing, professions and life circumstances turned out to be. Still, quite a few things bind them together, and fans have reason to believe that both separation and love ever after are possible between the two.

The biggest issue in their relationship, however, isn’t tied to their thoughts and feelings. Instead, the US government has been the greatest obstacle in their budding romance for a while, as the situation with her temporary green card is getting out of hand. As Julia’s Instagram post states, the scary reality is that her visa expired at the end of 2022, leaving the married couple in a very uncertain future.

Dancing into marriage

Julia and Brandon’s story began in 2020, actually in South Korea. This is one of the many details that make their story truly absorbing, as Brandon had never been to that country, and his conservative attitude would definitely keep him out of the club where Julia worked. Instead, it was Brandon’s friend who went there to sample the night life of east Asia, accidentally running into Julia’s captivating performance.

Julia Igorevna Trubkina hails from Krasnodar, former Yekaterinodar, in the somewhat rural Russian south. Although that region is also home to quite a conservative population, the grasp religion has on the people there is nowhere near as strong as in Dinwiddie, where Brandon comes from. Julia had found a very good way of making money, and it was the least bit pious.

She used her enviable physical assets to a great extent, dancing in various local nightclubs to start with. As more eyes went her way, Julia was eventually invited by other managers to places distant from home, subsequently going as far as South Korea. She specialized in all forms of exotic dances, but was never really an adult performer.

There were always some clothes covering her no matter where she worked, and this is probably what made all the difference to Brandon and his ultra-conservative family. It’s perhaps needless to say that Julia worked her charms very well, as many patrons of the clubs she worked at began to notice her.

Such was the case with one of Brandon’s good friends, who was at one time a tourist in South Korea, sampling the bustling night life of its urban centers. He eventually found himself in the place where Julia performed regularly, and managed to get her contact details for further conversation. However, instead of trying to score his own night with Trubkina, the friend had an idea that Brandon would really enjoy her company, in spite of the massive differences in their origins. He called Brandon on FaceTime, who immediately noticed the attractive go-go dancer in the background.

Prompted by Brandon, the friend gave his phone to Julia after her dance finished, and she hit it off with Gibbs quite easily. They ended up speaking long into the night, exchanging contact information, and planning when to see one another. Following the surprising evening, the two took up contact on a daily basis, but they were still on opposite ends of the planet.

Traversing love

As Julia eventually returned to Russia, she invited Brandon over so as to actually see him for the first time. He promptly arrived, not wanting to leave in only a few days’ time. The two spent a few weeks together and quickly realized they might’ve just found the one, taking their relationship to the next level in almost the blink of an eye.

After long deliberation, they decided that the US would be the ideal country for them, as they planned to settle down and have children there. Aside from their personal tastes, it’s indeed correct that the US offers better benefits to starting parents than Russia does, which is an issue that this federation from northeast Europe has been working hard to resolve.

Understanding as much, the fans were quite supportive of most of the couple’s choices, as the bulk of what they did all made sense. As a result, they’re not one of the frowned upon pairs, but actually quite the opposite. Also, unlike most other participants of “90 Day Fiancé,” Julia and Brandon had no internal issues; the only troublemakers in their relationship were the Gibbs family and the US government.

They were just about ready to start their new life in the land of the free, but still had a little bit of paperwork to do before buying the one-way tickets. That is, Julia needed a document that allowed her to remain in the US, at least for a while. She applied for a regular visiting visa, but the request was ultimately rejected as she admitted Brandon was her boyfriend.

Most people thought this decision to be extremely unfair, if not outright cruel to the couple, but there’s actually reasoning behind it. The US embassy wasn’t trying to be ‘mean’ to anyone – they simply acted as they’re told by the government. The issue with a visiting visa, classified as a B-1 or B-2 visa, is that it can only be given to those classified as intending immigrants.

An intending immigrant is a person who intends to go back home after a while, and the evidence for their desire to return to their country of origin has to be greater than ‘Yeah, totally.’ In Julia’s case, her relationship with Brandon only served to exacerbate the situation, as she obviously had a place to live and someone to depend on until she got her footing, which would’ve allowed her to stay in the US illegally for an indefinite amount of time.

She was also really serious about her boyfriend, so, with her future husband and children being in North America, what incentive would she have to return to Russia? All of these factors combined against her as the embassy workers learned the details of her life, causing them to ultimately reject her application.

The two then had no choice but to go elsewhere for some time off together, deciding on the peculiar landmass of Iceland, which is the northernmost and westernmost European country. This trip ended up being their engagement holiday, as Brandon realized he couldn’t wait any longer, took the initiative, and proposed to her.

This was also a way of backing the US government into a corner, since it gave Gibbs the option to apply for a K-1 visa for Julia, who would finally be able to arrive and meet his family. Little did they know at the time that this would be one of the worst decisions they’ve ever made together.

Naturally, this is also when the producers of TLC’s “90 Day Fiancé” laid their sights on the couple, as they were the perfect epitome of what their show is about. After some waiting and not-so-complex paperwork, the stage was set for Julia to get herself on a plane and run into Brandon’s arms, as well as the camera lens.

Hm…didn’t Brandon and Julia say “no” to another wedding celebration? See if Brandon finally stands up to his parents on the next #90DayFiance: Happily Ever After, tomorrow at 8/7c and streaming now on @discoveryplus. pic.twitter.com/l1Fs5DoZcy

— 90DayFiance (@90DayFiance) June 12, 2021

Battling religion

It was immediately clear upon Trubkina’s arrival that her line of work was nowhere near appreciated in the Gibbs household, with Brandon’s mother Betty and father Ron making it clear from the start that they idon’t see Julia as the right fit for their son. On top of that, she didn’t share in their religious views either, and that was a strong red line for the Gibbses.

Some vital disagreements also began to take place between the two, but only on one topic – having offspring. While Julia herself didn’t hate children per se, she wasn’t keen on having them in the near future either. This came as shocking news to Brandon, who was raised to create a family first and foremost.

That said, their lack of agreeance on the matter paled in comparison with what they both had to endure from Ron and Betty. Since Julia had just arrived and the two were still trying to find their feet, they had to stay on Brandon’s parents’ farm for a while. During that time, Gibbs seniors exhibited behaviors that many viewers classified as toxic and controlling, imposing various restrictions on the newly engaged couple.

For example, Brandon and Julia weren’t allowed to even sleep together in the same room, since Betty and Ron saw Julia’s former employment as the work of the devil, fearing for their son’s alleged purity. Enduring this and much more down the line, the young couple sought to end their dependence on the elders in any way possible.

The good bad news

Having searched for a while and carefully considered all of their options, the couple finally found a way to set out for themselves and avoid the imposing prohibition of Brandon’s parents. A friend of the two offered them a job in Florida that would sustain them for a while, until they found better alternatives for making a solid income.

They happily relayed this news to the parents, but chaos soon ensued. Fans have theorized that the main reason Ron and Betty didn’t like their decision wasn’t out of fear for their financial well-being, but because they wouldn’t be under the strict regime anymore. It was evident that the elderly couple enjoyed controlling various aspects of their lives, and their moving away would finally halt the incessant restrictions.

Betty didn’t want to believe it at first, asking her son to admit that he’s joking about the entire plan. Ron remained optimistic and kept smiling throughout the discussion, but his wife soon got off the couch and went into another room, supposedly to cry her eyes out. Meanwhile, the father kept asking questions about how they would live in a brand-new state.

The mother eventually returned to the living room, and Ron seemed to have had his fill of answers. Both of them took on a very negative attitude then, implying that the young couple had no idea what they were doing, and that their future could only be secure at the family farm. However, it looked like Brandon and Julia had made up their minds, and they weren’t going back on the decision.

They were later interviewed by the camera crew, and Trubkina admitted that they were only waiting for a sort-of green light from Ron before actually moving away. Previous engagements in the area were no longer an issue, as Brandon had quit his job as an exterminator only days prior to telling his parents about the new plan.

It was decided that they would help paint houses in Florida, while Brandon looked for a better job and Julia goes about finding designers and other contractors willing to work with her. The parents simply couldn’t hold back on their negative feelings about the idea, but the couple eventually set out anyway.

Finding peace, and losing it

A year and a half went by, and the couple was ultimately settled in Norfolk, Virginia, away from the disparaging comments of Brandon’s parents. It was evident according to Trubkina’s Instagram page that she was earning some sort of income, as she had become a model and influencer, often dedicating her posts to various products.

They now have a German Shepherd who is often featured in Julia’s posts as well, helping her promote all kinds of products, such as a pet hair vacuum. The wife absolutely loves animals, so it’s not out of the question that more pets will join their household.

However, children are a different story. She still doesn’t completely exclude the idea that they may one day have offspring, but she’s also far from planning it anytime soon. As her Instagram post clarified, they’re trying to solve other issues before they start thinking about expanding the family, after which pregnancy may become a serious consideration.

As for being deported, Julia posted an explanation to what was really occurring in Instagram stories that have long since expired. She mentioned that the two-year conditional green card she received upon marrying Brandon was expiring, and that they weren’t able to remove its time limit due to Trubkina not having more than one US document with her name on it.

Seeing as they’re now much more financially stable, and live on their own property, it’s highly likely that she has obtained more such documents. However, it could very well be too late, as her deportation might take place any day in mid-2023. However, fans remain hopeful, as Julia’s most recent Instagram posts are clear of negative indications regarding any aspect of their life.