Kriti Mehrotra
With romance and drama at every turn, TLC’s ’90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days’ follows long-distance couples as one half travels to their partner’s foreign country to meet them for the first time. It enables them to get to know each other in person before they ultimately decide if promising forever and settling down in the US with a K-1 visa is truly the right choice for them. Amongst them in season 8 are Washington resident Laura Nevenner and Turkish native Birkan, whose significant age-gap relationship has already really started ruffling some feathers.
Laura and Birkan’s Romance Has Been an Undeniable Whirlwind
Laura Nevenner and Birkan have been candid about their connection being formed over social media, as they have been almost always 6,000 miles apart. However, unlike what many experience, neither fibbed about where they are from, what they do, or their respective ages, despite the fact that there is a striking difference between them in all of it. The former is admittedly a fun-loving 47-year-old romantasy novel enthusiast serving as a manager in Washington, whereas the latter is a quiet and philosophical 26-year-old from Turkey.
According to Laura and Birkan, they didn’t care about their age gap or any other dissimilarities because they immediately felt a spark, leading them to discuss marriage within weeks. In fact, he is the reason she even obtained a working passport – she was determined to meet her “young hot beau” as soon as possible, and she made it work despite a lot of outside noise. After all, she said, neither her parents nor her best friend Michal entirely supported her whirlwind romance because they feared she would be taken advantage of, get her heart broken, or make rash mistakes.
Laura knew what she wanted as a woman in love, so she made the trip to Turkey for the first time in the summer of 2025. It turned out to be quite different from what she had initially expected. That’s because she learned Birkan was not only in immense debt but also likely had different anticipations when it came to their physical attraction, which wavered her confidence for a while. Nevertheless, from what we can tell, they were able to make things work through open and honest communication, which helped them maintain their initial connection of adoration, excitement, and love.
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Laura Nevenner is on a Journey of Fitness and Self-Growth Today
Although Laura prefers to keep the details of her background, family, and past romantic experiences out of the limelight, it appears that she may have had at least one prior relationship that ended badly. That’s likely why her loved ones are so protective of her; her cast bio even states that they are worried she is “making another mistake” by choosing to be with a man 21 years her junior. Yet, it appears that while the 47-year-old has undeniably put her heart on the line for Birkan, she is cautious about not letting their bond consume every aspect of who she is and what she desires in life.
Laura has made this evident by tirelessly continuing her career, as well as her journey of growth, fitness, and self-preservation, which she has proudly been on over the past couple of years. On a professional level, she currently serves as a District Manager and Independent Consultant at Arbonne, offering clients a range of beauty and health products combined with business opportunities. She has held these positions since November 2018, approximately five years after graduating from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor’s in Education and a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration. On the other hand, Birkan seems to prefer keeping all such details of his professional life out of the spotlight.
Regarding her personal standing, Laura has admittedly lost over 140 lb since she began focusing on her health, so as to not only feel more confident in her skin but also lead a long, happy life. For this, she seemingly changed her entire lifestyle and is now genuinely passionate about being active, going to the gym, hiking, kayaking, meal-prepping, and playing the sport of pickleball. She has even participated in a few pickleball tournaments over the past few years, where she has often earned a podium place, winning bronze, silver, or gold medals in various categories. Laura has understood that moderation is key to her journey, so she appears to be sticking to it every step of the way, thanks to the constant support of her caring and kind loved ones.
