‘90 Day Fiance’ cast member talks life after Chicago divorce, new spinoff

CHICAGO — Just over a year ago, “90 Day Fiance” cast members Fernanda Flores and Jonathan Rivera finalized their divorce in a crowded courtroom at the Daley Center. The hearing took place the day before in-person operations at the downtown Chicago courthouse were scaled back because of the coronavirus.

Cameras followed Flores after her March 2020 divorce, and the events are unfolding on the new Discovery+ series “90 Day: The Single Life.” Couples rush to the altar so the foreign partner can stay in America on the TLC network’s “90 Day Fiance.” “The Single Life” spinoff, which premiered in February, follows six franchise alumni whose international relationships ended.

“Since I moved to Chicago, I had a lot of support from my family and friends. That made it easier for me to get back on my feet and move on from the divorce, from the separation, and Chicago, in general, was really good, too, for me,” Flores told the Tribune by phone.

Flores, who hails from Mexico, wed Rivera in a May 2018 ceremony that was shown on season six of “90 Day Fiance.” The couple lived in North Carolina, where Rivera worked as a real estate agent. They separately relocated to Chicago — Rivera grew up in Oak Park, while Flores has family in the area. Rivera, 35, filed for divorce in Cook County in June 2019. He now lives in Michigan with his fiancee and recently announced they are expecting a baby.

Flores, meanwhile, is shown on “The Single Life” hosting a 30-person divorce party at South Loop event space Row 24 and meeting with a few friends at Clutch Bar in River North. The episode made available to stream Sunday featured Flores, who turns 23 years old this week, on a yacht date with Chicago attorney Robby Fakhouri. They pick up dinner from Pizzeria Portofino on the Chicago River and have an intense conversation about their future.

“I tend to focus too much on my business, and that hurts me in my relationship life. That’s something you’ll hear about,” Fakhouri told the Tribune about the episode. He leads the Fakhouri Firm, which handles personal injury and civil rights cases and has made headlines for lawsuits against El Hefe bar in River North and the city of Chicago.

Fakhouri, 30, said he did not know Flores was on “90 Day Fiance” before she invited him to her August divorce party. The two met through the gym. It’s unclear where their relationship stands, as Flores moved to Miami not long ago to pursue modeling jobs and other projects.

“I’ve always had a deep respect for Fernanda,” said Fakhouri, who grew up in Chicago and northwest suburban Roselle. “Her independence was something that attracted me to her from the beginning, so I think, keeping that in mind, you’ll see what else happens on the show will be consistent with me encouraging her to remain independent. And I don’t mean in love. I mean in terms of her business and desires to be successful in this country as a native immigrant.”

Flores has focused on rebuilding her life since her divorce. She said on “The Single Life” her family has been helping with her immigration case. She is shown having deep discussions with her father, grandfather and therapist about making better relationship choices, and she hopes to uplift women through her time on the weekly series. New episodes drop Sundays.

“I got really good feedback from the show and making my life public. A lot of women definitely identified with my journey, which makes me really happy,” Flores said.