What You Don't Know About The Family Chantel
Some love stories were made for unscripted TV — and Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno's is one of them. The two documented their romantic origins on TLC's guilty pleasure of a hit "90 Day Fiancé," before they scored their own spinoff "The Family Chantel." As Starcasm reported following the series' debut, over 1.5 million viewers tuned in for the premiere, setting a record for the franchise, more than justifying its four-season run.
With combative families, explosive fights, and their rocky beginnings — Everett told her family that Jimeno was coming to the United States from the Dominican Republic on a student visa although they were already engaged — it's no wonder why it's become a reality television favorite. Sure, combining their lives and families has been challenging for the two, but it's certainly made for compelling content.
However, that content has taken a turn. After six years of marriage, Jimeno reportedly filed for divorce in May 2022. While their show's fate remains up in the air, that doesn't mean we can't delve into the juicy drama that's made this series a mainstay.
They are a very popular 90 Day Fiance couple
Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno began sharing their turbulent romance in Season 4 of "90 Day Fiancé" back in 2016, before they made an appearance in "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?" and finally scored their own spinoff in 2019, making them the first couple to do so. While the duo's willingness to air their dirty laundry in front of the camera's certainly helped inspire the show's conception, so was the viewers' love for them.
It didn't hurt that they brought in viewers. While announcing the spinoff, TLC President and GM Howard Lee said in a press release, "This is an awesome moment for TLC, as we create a family show based on one of our most popular 90 Day couples." He continued, "Ever since Chantel first introduced Pedro to her family under the false pretense of him coming to America on a student visa, the drama that followed has kept fans obsessed." The show's premiere became the franchise's highest-rated debut, likely paving the way for the massive expansion of the "90 Day Fiancé" universe. The reason for the massive success? Perhaps it's that viewers seemed to see themselves in the storylines. "It's so relatable, and with how diverse America is, you're bound to meet people from different cultures and there's always going to be some difference," Everett told E! News in 2019.
Chantel Everett was a fan of 90 Day Fiancé first
It's ironic that Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno's drama has taken "90 Day Fiancé" fans by storm because they originally decided to appear on the show as a means of showcasing their wonderful relationship. Everett began watching the unscripted hit shortly after she and Jimeno began dating. "I wanted to show everybody how perfect I thought my relationship was," she told E! News in 2019. "Being on the show has made me realize that there is no such thing as a perfect relationship, and we have our flaws."
That being said, sharing the harder parts of her love life with the world hasn't always been easy. Not only are you subjected to the audience's critical lens, but watching the ups and downs of your personal life play out on the small screen isn't for the faint of heart. That same year, Everett told The Chicago Tribune that she wouldn't necessarily recommend the same timeline for others in the same situation. "I would say get to know the person before the 90 days," she explained. "That way, you would have as much information about this person as possible before you make a commitment that could potentially change your life, for better or for worse."
The couple rebuked the stereotypes around 90 Day Fiancé
Although TLC promotes the "90 Day Fiancé" franchise as a love story, critics of the show have questioned the way it portrays overseas relationships and the K-1 visa process. The New York Times once declared, "fans take it in as a cringe comedy and a true-crime drama and a catastrophe that keeps on giving." Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno weren't only working against critics of the show, they were also working against Chantel's family, who suspected Jimeno had dubious intentions, especially after their relationship — and Jimeno arrival in the states — was built on a lie about a visa. To be fair, the two had an adorable meet-cute. Chantel was introduced to Jimeno through a friend under the guise of teaching each other a new language. "The idea was for me to learn Spanish and for Pedro to learn English," she explained on the series, per In Touch. "But when I first saw him online, I was attracted to him right away."
Despite all of the criticism and skepticism, Jimeno always maintained that he had good intentions for coming to the States. "I married Chantel because I love her," he told The Chicago Tribune in 2019. And even though the two filed for divorce after six years of marriage, he still maintains it wasn't a scam. As recapped by Us Weekly, he told Chantel's father, Thomas Everett, that he was always in it for the right reasons. "I could have [gotten] my citizenship three years [before the split,]" he said. "I don't care about citizenship."
They attended family counseling
As the title suggests, "The Family Chantel" is a family affair. As Chantel Everett once told Hollywood Life, "[It's a] show about two families from two different cultures but we're trying to make it work." Everett has clashed with Pedro Jimeno's family, Jimeno has clashed with Everett's family, and both of their families have clashed with each other. Needless to say, there's a lot of clashing going on.
"When it comes to our families and people who love us, [they] have strong opinions about what we should be doing," Everett explained to Hollywood Life. And while the series has certainly highlighted that both Jimeno and Everett had complicated relationships with their in-laws at best, it wasn't for lack of trying. In fact, Everett revealed to the outlet that they were planning to attend family counseling in 2019. As "The Family Chantel" viewers saw, family counseling was not exactly smooth sailing. In one session, Jimeno revealed to Everett and her family that he planned having his mom and sister move in with him — a plan he hadn't discussed with Everett. Needless to say, the session didn't end on a terrific note.
Chantel Everett has denied plastic surgery rumors
The ups and downs of Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno's relationship isn't the only aspect of "The Family Chantel" to garner press. After the series' Season 2 premiere in 2020, rumors circulated online that Everett had gotten plastic surgery.
Everett was quick to clear the air on social media, writing, "Always had boobs. Then I grew up," alongside pictures of her taken 10 years apart on her Instagram Story in 2020 (via Life & Style). "I believe in doing whatever makes you feel comfortable in your own skin," she further clarified in a since-deleted Instagram post. "People keep asking about 'my surgeries.' I just wanted to make it known that I have not had any, but I do believe [in] having confidence to do what makes you feel beautiful." Everett's "90 Day Fiancé" co-star Loren Brovarnik was skeptical though, telling Life & Style, "She definitely got them done."
It doesn't help that Everett visited a plastic surgeon for a job interview during the second season, where she admitted she had Botox before, as per In Touch's recap. Furthermore, when a producer questioned her directly, she replied, "I don't want to say things that don't matter."
Pedro Jimeno and Coraima Morla's backstory
Viewers were shocked after Pedro Jimeno was filmed dancing with one of his sister's friends on "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?" — and they weren't the only ones. Chantel Everett revealed she was holding some serious resentment against Coraima Morla, Pedro, and the whole debacle on "The Family Chantel." Morla appeared on the Season 1 finale, where things quickly got ugly. As In Touch recapped, Morla said Everett was wearing fake hair, and Everett told Morla to shave her mustache.
Everett kept the drama going on social media. In the comment section of a since-deleted Instagram post (via InTouch), she said, "[Morla] wears [fake hair] too, and [Pedro's] sister and everyone else." And as for her mustache comment? Everett wrote, "It's the style there." TLC fanned the flame in a tweet after the episode by pointing out that Pedro knew Morla long before ever dancing with her on the show, thanks to her connection to Nicole Jimeno. "Before marrying Chantel, Pedro met Coraima while she was in college with Nicole. Nothing ever happened between them," the network wrote.
The two discussed having a family
Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno were married for six years, and the idea of starting a family came up more than once. Everett's parents had not been shy about their desire for grandkids throughout the show, and during the fourth season, Everett revealed she was considering freezing her eggs at some point down the line. Space was certainly not an issue either, considering, as In Touch reported at the time, the two had purchased a five-bedroom house in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
It seems an age difference with Jimeno, who is five years her junior, and other marital issues explain why it never happened. As ET recapped at the time, in a show one-on-one, Jimeno admitted before their divorce that he didn't think they were in a place to be parents. "I want kids, of course I want kids, but not with Chantel right now," he explained. "I believe she's not mentally, you know, prepared. We're not emotionally ready to bring, you know, a baby to this world."
Chantel isn't Chantel Everett's first name.
Although the world knows her as "The Family Chantel"'s Chantel Everett, the Georgia-born nurse and reality TV star was born under a different name. According to In Touch, her real name is CeAir Chantel Wylie-Everett. The middle child in a family of four, Chantel's parents, Karen and Thomas Everett, named their sons Royal and River Everett, while their other daughter is called Winter Everett. The dynamic family has become a fixture on TLC after appearing on "The Family Chantel," with the series following not only Chantel and Pedro Jimeno, but the lives of their siblings.
Although he goes by River on the show, Chantel's younger brother maintains that his legal name is Riverknight, which is also the name under which he's launched his own rap career. As of this writing, his music Instagram account has over 160,000 followers and he dropped singles "Givenchy," "Thoughts of a Boss," and "Doubted" in 2022.
As her children's names show, Mama Everett certainly has a flair for uniqueness, and she's taken advantage of her platform to extend her maternal advice to the world at-large. In 2020, she began answering fan questions about life and love in "Ask Mama Chantel," a short-form video series on TLC's Facebook.
Their divorce is getting messy
After giving their rocky relationship a chance for more than six years, Pedro Jimeno filed for divorce from Chantel Everett in May 2022, according to In Touch. The two also filed mutual restraining orders, with the outlet reporting that Everett lobbed a number of accusations Jimeno's way, including cheating and abusive behavior. Per the document, she stated that the "marriage is irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation."
To be fair, it was a long time coming for fans who watched their marriage fall apart during Season 4 of "The Family Chantel," which found Jimeno moving out of the house they shared together, cutting off Everett's phone on their shared plan, and continuing to spat with her family. Jimeno even accused Everett of draining more than $200 thousand from their joint bank account after catching wind that he wanted a divorce, according to ET.
For her part, Everett waited until August 2022 — right at the end of Season 4's run — before addressing their split publicly. In an Instagram Story (via In Touch), she wrote, "I feel very grateful for the supportive women in my life and the ones who have been sending me messages of encouragement." While Jimeno hasn't spoken at length about their marriage's dissolution, he has touched on the drama on the fourth season of the show. Per an ET recap, he called Everett's family "fake" and declared, "I'll never see Chantel again."
What's going on with Chantel Everett and Drake?
After Pedro Jimeno filed for divorce in May 2022, rumor had it his estranged ex, Chantel Everett, moved on in a big way. As early as August of that year, unconfirmed whispers surfaced on gossip blog Media Take Out that Everett was chatting it up with world-famous rapper Drake, who, according to an unnamed tipster, supposedly slid into her DMs. An insider told the outlet, "They've been DMing each other back and forth, and are planning to meet up soon."
As of this writing, Everett hasn't addressed the rumors, but her ex-husband seemed to take notice. Shortly after the story broke, Jimeno posted a clip of Drake's song "(HYFR) Hell Ya F***ing Right" on his Instagram Story, writing, "Good luck with" (via In Touch). The lyric Jimeno included in his post references the city of Atlanta, which could be a coincidence... or, you know, it could be a nod to Everett's home state of Georgia.
Pedro Jimeno and Chantel Everett keep busy
Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno's messy divorce has certainly put the future of "The Family Chantel" up in the air. While there's no update on whether the TLC hit will return for a fifth season as of this writing, it's safe to say that either way, these two will be okay. Outside of the "90 Day Fiancé" spinoff, both seem to have their minds set on advancing their own careers.
According to his Instagram, Jimeno currently works as a realtor in Georgia and Florida for the Laura Delgado Realty Group. His profile boasts that he's a "top producer," and he seems to be continuing the groundwork he laid in Season 4 of "The Family Chantel," where he got his realty license and began following his dreams after his big move to America. Everett, on the other hand, is still working as a registered nurse in Georgia, according to her Instagram. She is considering exploring her options as a travel nurse, and has also dabbled in being a social media influencer, promoting gyms in the Atlanta area and health and wellness services.