Tarik lifts the veil on his romance with wife-to-be Hazel on S8 of 90 Day Fiancé

In a world where meeting the love of your life is potentially a click or a swipe away, the couples on reality show 90 Day Fiancé take online dating to the next level.

To begin with, the pairs live in different countries and they get acquainted on dating apps. After months – and sometimes years – of flirting, texting or video-calling each other, the lovers travel across borders and meet in person. If they strike a match and there’s chemistry, they get engaged. The process is usually followed by applying for the K-1 visa, which is a document issued for a partner of a US citizen to live in the states for 3 months while they plan their wedding.

In the lead-up to the wedding, cameras follow the couples around while they navigate through language barriers, opposing worldviews, and unsupportive family members who attempt to tear them apart at every turn. If they don’t get married, the foreign partner must pack their bags and return home. But if Lady Luck is on their side and they make it to the altar, they get a chance to live their happily-ever-after.

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Love at first flight

The fan-favourite couple, Virginia Beach resident and rising musician Tarik Myers (46) and his Filipino fiancée, Hazel Cagalitan (28), developed a genuine connection on an Asian dating app years ago. But things got really serious when he booked a ticket to the Philippines and met her for the first time in 2018, on S2 of the spin-off show 90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days.

Tarik was instantly smitten when he laid eyes on Hazel, and when his trip came to an end, he got down on one knee at the beachfront. Despite disapproval from Tarik’s brother, Dean Hashim, Hazel agreed to marry the musician, and the couple proceeded with their wedding arrangements. “It’s only right for us to return,” says Tarik, who’s lifting the lid on his relationship with Hazel in this year’s S8 of 90 Days Fiancé. “The viewers are involved in our tale, and we want to show them that despite our challenges [and our families disapproving of their romance], we made it!”

But before they can say they made it, they’ll have to answer some serious questions… 

3 is an option? 

“You can expect to be shocked by the events that take place in S8,” warns Tarik. When the new season begins, Hazel’s K-1 visa has been approved. She leaves her son, Harrey, in the Philippines and she quarantines with Tarik. Hazel has had a make-over, and then she reveals some surprising details: she is bisexual. Tarik says before, Hazel wasn’t comfortable with revealing this to the public. But this time round, she’s laying all her cards on the table. “Now that she’s in the US with me, and I support her in everything she does, she’s prepared [to live her truth]. There are going to be very interesting occurrences following her revelation, you’ll see the different ways that our friends and family react to her sexuality. So, it’s going to be a rollercoaster ride.”

What’s more, there’s a love triangle brewing. After filming Before The 90 Days, Tarik and Hazel separated for a while, and during their break-up, he started chatting to a woman by the name of Minty, who’s from Thailand. After he rekindled his romance with Hazel, he discloses his relationship with Minty this season. Rather than dumping Tarik or urging him to end his relationship with Minty, Hazel agrees to enter into an “entanglement” with both parties. But what will this new arrangement look like?

Married with children? 

What’s more, Hazel wants her son with her. While settling into her new life in Virginia Beach, she’s trying to convince Tarik into allowing Harrey to live with them in the US. But Tarik would like to strengthen their bond for at least a year before bringing Harrey into the mix. “Our plan is that we will be able to live with Harrey soon. But he lives with his dad in the Philippines, and Hazel and I don’t know how to go about it [the process of applying full custody of Harrey] yet,” explains Tarik.

Tarik and Hazel learn more about each other, and at times they struggle to maintain the peace in their romance. On top of Harrey, Hazel’s bisexuality, and the third partner, there are all the usual things that people in new relationships have to deal with, such as meeting different family members – and this during COVID-19. “We haven’t been able to physically meet my mother yet, because of the pandemic. My mom and other family members have spoken to Hazel over the phone and they are fond of her. On the other hand, my brother, Dean, was forced to accept the relationship, especially when he witnessed the love that Hazel and I share,” explains Tarik.

“Hazel and I have watched ourselves on television and we’ve developed thick skin. We are more confident because we’re showing our flaws for the world to see. I can’t wait for viewers to see ways in which we have evolved [in their personal lives and relationship].”

Will Tarik and Hazel’s romance hold up in the face of all these challenges? Viewers can only wait and see…

Watch 90 Day Fiancé S8, Thursdays on TLC (DStv channel 135) at 20:00 and on Catch Up