The Untold Truth Of Mark And Nikki From 90 Day Fiance
Mark Shoemaker and his Philippines-born wife, Nikki, are among the more controversial couples to make their small-screen debut on TLC's 90 Day Fiancé. Mark is widely considered one of the cringiest dudes to ever appear on this reality show. For background, Mark, the American half of the couple, married Nikki, a then-19-year old who was nearly 40 years younger than him. The ick factor was not lost on the viewers.
Like many couples featured on the show, Nikki and Mark seemed to have more differences than similarities. Mark is old enough to be Nikki's father... which is always a bit uncomfortable. And while most couples on 90 Day Fiancé struggle to find a balance between their clashing cultures, fans were shocked to learn that Mark was already very knowledgeable about his partner's country and customs — and not for the reasons you'd think. Mark knew a lot about the Philippines because his first wife was from the same city as Nikki. Following his divorce, Mark set out to find a replacement. Fans were quick to point out that it was pretty dang creepy.
Today, neither Mark nor Nikki is very active on social media (and maybe that's by choice, considering the public opinion), so it's hard to say what exactly is going on with them these days. However, In Touch Weekly reported in 2018 that as far as anyone can tell, they're still together and living happily (TBD) in Maryland. Here's everything we know about the mysterious couple.
Mark had some dealbreakers before he'd say I do
Despite the large age gap and handpicking a replacement wife, fans had to give Mark Shoemaker some credit for being upfront about his reasons for marrying Nikki. Mark was looking for less of a wife and more of a mother for his kids (some older than Nikki). A point he drove home throughout Season 3 by continuously mentioning that he never imagined fatherhood as being alone with his kids. While it's unclear what exactly Mark thought raising children entailed, it is clear that he was determined to find a new wife to share the burden. The Father of the Year Award goes to Mark... just kidding.
Nikki didn't seem to mind the stepmom role and happily accepted Mark's marriage proposal and a one-way ticket to the Mid-Atlantic. But Mark had some rules before he'd make it official. First, he made Nikki sign a prenup that ensured she'd get nothing if they were to divorce. Second, Mark made it clear that he had zero interest in having any more kids. Starting a family is a big decision, and he generously gave Nikki 24 hours to decide if she'd ever like to be a mother. Nikki agreed to his demands, but was heartbroken over the decision.
Mark wasn't all bad, though! He balanced out all his seemingly controlling rules by buying Nikki the exact same car he bought his ex-wife. Oh, wait, that's also not great.
Mark and Nikki have beef with TLC
As previously noted, Mark Shoemaker was far from a fan-favorite. He can probably thank his bad attitude for that one. Scenes of him reprimanding his teenage bride for smudging his car's windows and talking down to her certainly didn't help endear him to any fans. But Mark hardly saw that as his fault.
Instead, he blamed TLC and 90 Day Fiancé producers for making him look like a weirdo. Mark and Nikki filed suit against NBC, Discovery Communications, and Sharp Productions over his "unfair" vilification on Season 3. The lawsuit alleged that the producers edited footage to purposefully depict Mark in a negative light. Seeing as Mark and Nikki signed a contract that gave the company the right to edit footage however it wanted, the judge quickly tossed out the case.
Mark wasn't the first person, and he probably won't be the last, to take umbrage with his portrayal on 90 Day Fiancé. But, in any case, he and Nikki have stayed out of the public eye ever since. We can only hope they're somewhere in Maryland, happily married, and cleaning smudges off their windows.