90 Day Fiance's ninth season has shown Ariela Weinberg and Biniyam Shibre saying goodbye to Ethiopia, so what happened once the couple moved to America? Did Ariela and Biniyam break up or get married, and if they wed, do 90 Day Fiance spoilers reveal that the couple is still together now?
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[90 Day Fiance Spoiler Spoilers: This report contains spoilers revealing the current status of Ariela and Biniyam's relationship and if they got married or decided to call it quits.]
Ariela was a 29-year-old freelance writer from Princeton, NJ, when she introduced herself on 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way's second season.
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After going through a difficult divorce, Ariela said she wanted to get to know herself better and see the world -- so she booked a cheap trip to Ethiopia and met Biniyam while she was waiting for a taxi outside of her hotel.
Biniyam was a 31-year-old dancer, choreographer, martial artist and gymnast from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, who was living with his older siblings when he met Ariela.
Only three months into dating each other, Ariela learned she was pregnant, which was certainly "unexpected news."
Ariela planned to move to Ethiopia long-term so she could raise her baby with Biniyam, but the couple were used to different cultures, and it took time for Biniyam to find the couple a suitable apartment, suitable for a middle-to-upper class American.
Biniyam was previously married to another American woman for four years, but he said he was only with her for "six to eight months." The woman apparently left for America when the couple's son was only three years old and she never returned.
When getting settled in their new life together, Ariela and Biniyam had issues to work through -- such as Biniyam's desire for Ariela to convert to his Ethiopian-Orthodox Christian church when she had been raised Jewish.
And once their son Aviel or "Avi" was born via emergency C-section on December 17, 2019, Ariela initially didn't want to circumcise or baptize him.
Ariela also missed Biniyam when he worked late, and she battled trust issues.
Although Ariela said she and Biniyam weren't communicating and acted more like roommates, they got engaged during Timkat, an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo celebration of the baptism of Jesus Christ.
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Ariela then hired a nanny and she and Biniyam had moved into a three-bedroom house together. Ariela gushed about child-help being only $200 a month, but Biniyam hadn't been working much due to COVID-19.
The couple even survived a visit from Ariela's ex-husband Leandro, who oddly remained Ariela's best friend. The pair had married young and stayed together for 10 years, but as they aged, they grew apart and Leandro didn't want children, much to Ariela's dismay.
Ariela and Biniyam later took their son Avi to a pediatrician in Ethiopia and learned Avi had a hernia at nine months and would need surgery as soon as possible to avoid further complications involving the baby's intestine.
Ariela ultimately decided it would be best for Avi to have surgery in the United States, where Ariela still had health insurance.
Ariela knew Biniyam wouldn't like her traveling to the U.S. with Avi since he couldn't join them due to the U.S. Embassy being closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Biniyam begged Ariela not to go, but Ariela promised Biniyam she'd only stay in America for one month and she'd come back to him.
While in the U.S., Ariela's family tried to convince her to move back to America so Avi would be exposed to the best education and health care available.
It didn't help that Biniyam allegedly wouldn't answer his phone or communicate about his whereabouts.
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Biniyam said going out made him feel better because he was lonely.
But Ariela believed some of Biniyam's friends were "poison" and bad influences.
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She also thought Biniyam may have been cheating on her during their time apart once she learned he had turned their home into a recording studio with women coming and going all the time.
Ariela therefore decided that in order to save their relationship, they needed to make a fresh start in Kenya together and focus on themselves and their son.
"After everything you have done, I will never go back to Ethiopia," Ariela insisted.
Ariela yelled at Biniyam for having "destroyed" their family, but she opted to give Biniyam one more chance as long as he'd be willing to show he loved her and put effort in.
"I really love Ari, from the bottom of my heart," Biniyam insisted, adding that he was never unfaithful to her. "I will go to great lengths to try and fix this."
Ariela liked being in Kenya "away from the noise of other people" and Biniyam's friends, but she didn't think it made sense to live there long-term.
Ariela didn't think a life in Kenya would be sustainable because she and Biniyam would have to keep renewing their Tourist Visas every six months and they didn't have stable work.
"Since I don't want to go back to Ethiopia, it seems to me that the U.S. is the best option. But I'm scared to tell Bini because I know this is going to make him upset," Ariela shared.
Once Ariela dropped that bomb on Biniyam, he actually said, "I understand."
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The lawyer revealed the couple would have an interview in 19 days, and Ariela reluctantly decided to join him in Ethiopia for the big event to show her support.
The couple stayed in Ethiopia for several months, and 90 Day Fiance's ninth season featured the pair celebrating the approval of their K-1 visa, which Ariela had applied for a couple of months after Avi's birth "just in case" and to leave their options open.
Ariela and Biniyam intended to move to America together in just three days, and Biniyam felt that if he wanted to be with his son, he didn't have a choice but to move to the United States.
"Even if I don't love her, I will go. But we love each other and have something good. And I hope good things will come in the future," Biniyam told his friends.
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Biniyam insisted that he was ready for marriage and wanted to be around Avi all the time. Biniyam said he and Ariela had both grown up a lot and he was happy about the idea of finding new opportunities and living with his fiancee and son in the U.S.
"When Bini moves to the U.S., I don't think 90 days is enough to work out all of the issues that Bini and I have. If the old Bini comes back and he starts partying and going clubbing to avoid dealing with his feelings, I don't think the relationship will survive," Ariela confessed to the cameras.
Ariela expressed how she was glad to leave Ethiopia because she never felt like she had support from Biniyam's family, namely his older sisters.
However, Biniyam withheld the news of his move from his sisters, Wish and Mimi, until the last minute.
"I didn't tell my family because I don't want they tell me, 'Oh don't go,'" Biniyam explained in a confessional. "They pressure me. Because of my last relationship, my family, they want to be protecting me."
Once Biniyam broke the news about relocating to America at the music-video premiere for his single "Dancey Dancey," Biniyam's sisters appeared to quickly place the blame on Ariela for not telling them the news sooner.
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The argument escalated, with Ariela telling Wish and Mimi they had never treated her nicely or with respect. Ariela didn't feel like a member of their family at all.
"I'm happy that I'm not gonna see you guys anymore. And you know what? I'm not going to marry you guys, I'm marrying Biniyam," Ariela snapped.
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Wish then threw the red drink in Ariela's face, and Ariela said she'd never be able to fix her relationship with the Ethiopian women. Biniyam also agreed it was not correct or right of his sisters to do.
Before Biniyam and Ariela went to the airport, Biniyam asked Ariela to join his family for lunch and a proper goodbye -- but Ariela declined the opportunity.
"At this point, I don't want to have anything to do with them," Ariela admitted. "I have a flight to catch and a baby to watch... I know my conscience is clear and I've done everything I could possibly do to be nice to them and to try to be their family."
Biniyam really wished his wife would accompany him to lunch during his last day in Ethiopia, and he acknowledged, "This sucks."
When Biniyam met with his sisters, he apologized for not telling them about his move sooner, but the two women thought they had nothing to apologize to Ariela for.
Mimi and Wish were so sad about their little brother leaving and breaking up their strong bond, but they insisted they were still rooting for his happiness and would be there for him in the future.
Biniyam, however, just wished Ariela and his sister could find peace and get along, adding, "I feel like I am broken."
Biniyam therefore asked his sisters to say goodbye to Ariela at the airport and be nice and respectful in the process.
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Biniyam said goodbye to his nephew and niece, but Ariela apparently wouldn't let Biniyam's sisters say goodbye to Avi. The women called Ariela "evil" and cried about the idea of losing their nephew.
"If Avi were not born, their relationship would be short," Mimi told the cameras, adding how Biniyam was naive about the life he was going to have.
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Biniyam wished he could take his family with him to America, and it was emotional for him to leave his culture and everything else behind.
"I do not have a choice for living in the United States. I will fight for this family. I'm not [going to] give up on this relationship," Biniyam noted.
So did Ariela and Biniyam marry or break up, and if they stayed together, is the 90 Day Fiance couple still together now?
In mid-May, Biniyam and Ariela confirmed their relationship status and accidentally revealed they are married in a joint interview with Entertainment Tonight.
Not only did Ariela and Biniyam reveal that they're currently living in New York, but Biniyam also called Ariela his "wife" and said of his wife and son, "I love them both so much."
Biniyam insisted he is all in with Ariela and didn't just move to America for his son's sake.
"No, I love Ari. It's not about I don't love her, but even if this relationship, if it's working, if it is not working in the 90 days, at least I'll have to be for my son," Biniyam explained of his mindset.
"That's the number one thing... That's all I have to say, just, I love Ari. I don't know what's happening with Avi's family."
Ariela also said the couple's trust issues have improved since moving to the United States, although Biniyam doesn't really like Ariela's close relationship with her ex-husband Leandro.
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And Ariela said although Biniyam had given her many reasons not to trust him, she has actually seen "a change."
"I see a change in Biniyam's behavior. I see a change in the relationship. I'm getting better about things, and I think Biniyam is getting better," Ariela told ET.
"I told him the one thing I always say, 'Don't turn off your phone. If you don't want to talk to me, don't answer the phone, but don't turn it off.' For some reason that always sets me off. I'm very emotional, if he turns his phone off, I'm like, well, now it's over forever and ever."
Biniyam also recently posted photos during a trip to Las Vegas, and on May 12, Biniyam uploaded a photo of himself kissing Ariela on his Instagram Story, showing that they are still happy.
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And before that Ariela dropped a major hint about her relationship by writing to Biniyam on his April 7 birthday via Instagram, "The USA is looking good on you."
"But you'd fit in anywhere!" she added. "Here's to another wonderful year on this planet. You are so loved by so many people!"
Ariela also complimented her husband in the sweet post.
"Happy Birthday to the most adventurous, charismatic, fun, talented, sensitive, and weird dude around... Biniyam Shibre... !" Ariela captioned a video montage of Biniyam.
"But seriously... you are a great father. You always do your best to make other people around you happy and I appreciate that kindness. Avi loves you so much. Keep on shining."
It's unclear when exactly Ariela and Biniyam moved to America, but Ariela was spotted in a crowd, cheering Biniyam on in an MMA fight in the New Jersey area in Summer 2021, according to In Touch Weekly.
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In December 2021, rumors sparked that Ariela and Biniyam had gotten married.
Screenshots from Ariela's brother's Instagram Story, which showed Biniyam and Avi dressed in formal attire for what appeared to be a wedding ceremony, circulated online.
Ariela's brother also reportedly tagged the location as Congregation Kehilat Shalom, a synagogue located in Central New Jersey.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski