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The Rise of Justin Swanstrom: From Drag Racing to Street Outlaws

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Justin “Li’l Country” Swanstrom was a rising star in the drag racing community, but his switch to “Street Outlaws” gave him global recognition considering how big the television franchise had become over the years. He developed a cult following due to his colorful and interesting character, not to mention his exceptional skills at the tracks. Many wondered how a full-time drag racer got into the Pilgrim Studios-produced reality show that delved into the world of possibly illegal street racing.

Get to know Justin Swanstrom

Justin Swanstrom was born and raised in the small town of Zephyrhills in Florida. His nickname was “Li’l Country” as his father, Corey Swanstrom, was “Big Country.” His family has several businesses including S&S Vac-Video since 2014, which provides CCTV Sanitary with depth measure, CCTV Lateral services, and CCTV Storm lines for joint measure & cracks. To put it simply, they have huge trucks equipped to operate as a vacuum cleaner but on steroids, and then they looked through all those pipes to check for damage or problems. Justin once said that work came first before racing, and when he later left the company to focus on racing, he did say that he would go back whenever his dad needed a hand.

He has been around drag racing his whole life, because of his dad. Corey loved muscle cars, and he used to street race with his gold Chevy before he got into drag racing – Justin often accompanied his father, and helped out at the race track. The first time he got into a race car was when he was 14; his dad bought a small-tire, single-turbo car and he messed around with it for about six or seven months before telling his dad that he wanted to race. Since he was quite young, they didn’t want him to go fast, so bought a naturally aspirated 520 big block Ford Mustang in California, and forged his birth certificate to get his National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) license so he could run at the tracks. Justin did a couple of burnouts, made his first pass on the track, and went 5.87 seconds – everything went well.

For Justin, racing was like a drug, but just to make it clear, he said that he didn’t do drugs and only drank every now and then. Unlike other race car drivers, however, he never formed any attachment to the cars that he drove during races. Over the years, he had a lot of cars that he sold and was okay with that. Justin usually keeps cars for radial vs world, grudge, and no prep racing.

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He was a self-taught mechanic. When he was just starting out in racing, he didn’t know anything about a car, such as how to fix it and make it work. He wasn’t that interested, so he didn’t take the time to learn all that, but eventually realized the value of such knowledge. Justin wasn’t even in his 20s when he could do mostly everything on his car, such as taking apart the motor and putting it back together, or changing converters and transmissions.

Who does Justin look up to the most?

Justin respected and admired his dad, who taught him to give 110% in everything he did. It was instilled in him that if he couldn’t give his best, then he shouldn’t do it all. He also idolized Stevie “Fast” Jackson because of how competitive he was. He knew he may never be on Stevie’s level, running in NHRA, but Justin would always put himself in this guy’s shoes when he was at the track and it seemed that nothing was going right, asking himself, ‘What would Stevie do?’

His journey in drag racing

Justin started with junior dragsters, but outclassed the other competitors when he reached a speed of 88mph at age 12. He moved on to grudge racing, which was a type of drag racing in which two drivers would go head to head in a race without any predetermined rules. He did that until the end of 2018, because he was unable to get into other races. Justin figured that if he wanted to continue with this expensive hobby, he had better acquire sponsorship to afford it, and the best way to do that was to join the radial versus the world (RVW) class. This is a highly competitive class in drag racing in which vehicles have radial tires providing better grip on the road instead of slick tires. He did pick up a lot of sponsors that were of tremendous help to him, soon getting them on board with his grudge racing as well.

Truth be told, he preferred grudge over class racing because there was a lot of trash-talking and hustling involved in it, and he enjoyed all that. His main reason, however, was that he liked gambling. He felt that once he was off the line on a drag strip, he had a 50/50 chance of winning that race – those odds were a lot better than going to a casino. He went to a casino once and lost $800 in 20 minutes, vowing never to go back, but he would continue gambling at the racetrack.

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At the age of 17, he was already a force to reckon with at the X275 doorslammer-class in 2013. He set the record for the best elapsed time at 4.86 seconds on the eighth-mile track and won Wild Tomato Nationals at Immokalee Regional Raceway, then scored a back-to-back win at the US Street Nationals held at Bradenton Motorsports Park. He might have lost in the Heads Up Madness event at the Florida drag strip, but set a record with his elapsed time of 4.710 seconds at 149.52 mph during the second round of eliminations.

His experience at the tracks wasn’t all good. There was a time when he had to overcome his fear of racing following a mishap at the Lakeland drag strip. He made the rookie mistake of watching his opponent instead of his lane, so didn’t notice that he was close to the wall – the car shifted into high gear and spun around before hitting the wall. He said that the accident was not that bad, but it was something he had never experienced before, and it shook him. His father fixed the car, and they took it back to the drag strip where it happened because his father wanted Justin to conquer his issues over it, and he did.

Background on “Street Outlaws”

The nature of street racing might be illegal, but it gave people an added thrill, so the fascination for it was never-ending. “Street Outlaws” made its TV debut on Discovery Channel in 2013, and its ratings soon rose to the top, and resulted in the launching of several spin-off series such as “Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings” (NPK) in which Justin Swanstrom would be heavily involved.

An NPK race simulates the condition of a street, which meant that the track isn’t prepared ahead of time. It would factor in on the outcome of a race, because the driver would be dealing with a lot of unknowns and would try to compensate for them. Viewers found this to be much more exciting than most forms of drag racing, in which the track was prepped. Many believe that NPK has since become the biggest platform in drag racing.

How did Justin Swanstrom become part of “Street Outlaws”

In a 2019 Dragzine interview with Wes Buck, Justin described himself as a full-time drag racer. He admitted to not having street raced before, and shared how he got into “Street Outlaws.” The previous year he chanced upon a video of an NPK race at  Bristol, in which the drivers ran for $200,000, and found himself interested in it. Justin wasn’t familiar with NPK, but the race that he watched turned everything around for him on the path he wanted to take, as far as his racing career was concerned. However, he had to talk his dad into it, because having a radial background, the latter didn’t want anything to do with big tires and wheelie bars. Justin did a lot of begging to get everything going, because he felt that it would be huge, so wanted to give it a shot.

Several months later, he finally convinced his father, and they got started on putting together a car, a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Fifth Generation, for the 2019 NPK race. He was somewhat familiar with Daddy Dave and Kye Kelley from the show, because the two ran some radials as well, and he talked them into putting in some good words for him. They were instrumental in getting him there – not that everything was handed out to him; he worked hard for it and his crew put in the time on what was needed for him to qualify. He participated in the Future Street Outlaws Class, in which big tires battled it out for a chance to take part in the main NPK event.

Justin said that he wasn’t better than the rest of the drivers, but he was brought in to be part of the hit series, mainly because he and his crew were great for TV. They had lots of ‘exciting’ moments befitting a reality show.

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Justin was introduced to NPK fans

“NPK” was in its third season when Justin made his first appearance, participating in several grudge matches. He won against NPK veteran Kye Kelley twice at the Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ohio, and took home $10,000. However, he lost to Lizzy Musi at the New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire, but then beat Larry Larson at the race track in Morrison, Colorado, and this should have been his ticket to the main event with $40,000 as the prize money. Unfortunately, his car had issues that his team was unable to fix in time. He was quite frustrated by this development, as he wanted to make a name for himself along with his team, the Swan Gang, and show everybody what he could do.

Crashed his $200,000 No Prep car in 2019

His foray into the NPK world was a tough one. Justin said, ‘I don’t know if it was paint color, motor combination, we just could not make it work. It was probably the worst luck I’ve ever had in racing.’ Everything culminated in a crash, but he said that it helped build his story for the show. He was up against Bobby Ducote from team New Orleans in a grudge race that took place in Norwalk, Ohio. After crossing the finish line, he was headed towards the center line and pulled a hard right, smashing onto the guard rail with such force that the impact propelled him toward the other lane and caused him to hit the concrete barrier there as well. The car went back to his lane before finally stopping. He was knocked out and only came to when the paramedics were there, telling them that he couldn’t feel his shoulder. Justin was banged up so badly that he was lifted onto a stretcher and taken to hospital.

His first full season in the NPK series

Despite the major setback that cut his racing season short, it didn’t deter Justin from coming back to the tracks for season four of the series. Fortunately, he accomplished the goals he set for himself with his ProCharger-boosted Lexus, which he referred to as “Prenup.” He won a couple of races on the 15-race tour and got enough points to finish third behind Kye Kelley and Ryan Martin. All in all, he considered it as a good season; it certainly put him on people’s radar as a serious contender for the top spot.

Maple Grove crash in season five

During the “Great 8” event for NPK at the Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania, Justin competed against Dave Adkins. As they neared the finish line, Justin’s car caught fire and then his quarter panel on the passenger side was hit by Dave when the latter lost control of his car, and the two got tangled up with the parachute deployed. With the car still on fire, he got out and tumbled over the concrete wall. It was said that an intake manifold blew and caused a fire to ignite under the hood. After the fire was extinguished, there seemed to be a heated argument going on at the track, which led to various speculations.

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Later on, Justin clarified things via his Facebook page. First, he shared that his face got hot, but other than that, he was fine. Next, his dad got ‘excited’ when a cop grabbed Justin for some reason, but it didn’t escalate. Lastly, Justin didn’t body slam a cop, but he did get angry at someone from the track who made a comment about getting tired of fixing the walls. His father addressed some issues as well through his social media account, admitting that the fire was their fault, as they’d overlooked something in the pits. The important thing was that his son and Dave walked away from the crash. He apologized to his wife, Melissa, for putting up with all the craziness of what they loved to do, but saying that racing had been his ‘crutch’, and that he let their son enjoy it as well.

Is he getting paid to race in the show?

Many were curious to know if Justin got paid to race in NPK events; he could only speak for himself, because he didn’t know what the arrangements were between the other cast members and the producers. In 2019, he said that he didn’t get paid to show up at the race – since he enjoyed racing, he just went there on his own. It cost him $3,000-$5,000 to run a race each weekend, saying that he spent around $800 every time he fired up his car. Whenever there was an opportunity for him to participate in a grudge race or shootout, he went for it, and tried to break even or get a little money before going back home.

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Justin as an influencer

He put up his own YouTube Channel in May 2019, all about racing, with some comedy skits in it. He already had a big fan base on his Instagram account, and many suggested to him that he upload content onto the popular video-sharing website. He wasn’t too keen on the idea at first because he wasn’t computer savvy, but he later got into it. Justin thought to inspire others to get into racing, and shared a little information on how to go about that. He didn’t want to reveal everything he and his dad learned over the years unless he would be compensated for it, but he was willing to give some details that would be of help to an average person. His content was quite informative as well as interesting, so his subscribers grew to more than 80,000 and his videos garnered over 19 million views.

Justin’s life revolved around working, racing, and vlogging. He said that he was so busy that he didn’t have time for anything else; not that he had other hobbies. He didn’t have much of a social life either, because of the schedule he keeps. It didn’t mean that he isn’t having fun, because what he does for a living is excitement enough for him.

As the Managing Editor at The Legit, I direct a dynamic team dedicated to creating rich content that profiles the lives and accomplishments of influential figures. My commitment to detail and storytelling drives the production of biographies that truly engage our audience. I manage all aspects of the editorial process, from conducting thorough research to crafting vivid narratives, all while ensuring the accuracy and quality of our work. At The Legit, our goal is to offer our readers comprehensive profiles that provide deep insights into the realms of business, entertainment, and more. Through diligent research and engaging storytelling, we highlight the exceptional journeys and achievements of those who both inspire and intrigue us.

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How is Tim Malcolm from “90 Day Fiancé” doing today?

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Tim Malcolm is one of the many colorful characters in the “90 Day Fiancé” universe. Born in late June 1980 in North Carolina, USA, the director and entrepreneur has many varied interests. be it horror conventions, pro wrestling, crypto, or nonfungible token (NFT), the TV personality can hold a conversation about pretty much everything.

The North Carolina native is also known for his unironic philosophical quotes, with a fan favorite being: “I can get seriously lost for hours pondering the universe, space, and why we as human beings are here. The purpose of life is the one question I would like the answer to before death.” However, Tim isn’t on “90 Day Fiancé” to find the purpose of life, but rather a companion and spouse.

Tim joined the reality TV franchise years after he began dating Veronica Rodriguez, an outgoing brunette who hails from Florida but has Cuban roots. Veronica and Tim met at a bar when she was 23 and he was 28; soon afterwards, he began being a father figure towards her young daughter Chloe. According to Veronica, that fateful evening she intended on finding the “sexiest” man in the bar and going up to give him a kiss – and for her, that person was Tim.

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After the honeymoon stage, Veronica and Tim went through a rough patch due to him allegedly being obsessed with his business. Despite calling it quits after being together for six years, the pair remain on cordial terms and have, strangely enough, described their current relationship as that of siblings. To this day, Tim is present in Chloe’s life, which has come to negatively affect his dating experiences when potential girlfriends become jealous of the bond between him and Veronica.

Of course, Veronica’s love life has also been impacted. In a joint confessional, Tim expressed his doubts after the single mother told him that she’d met a man online. “I just want Veronica to date the same person for longer than six months,” he explained to producers. “She’s very independent, which, especially here in the south, men aren’t huge fans of.”

Since ending her engagement with Tim, Veronica has dated financial professional Grant Glaser, a mysterious vegan man named Justin who has two children, and Jamal Menzies, the adult son of her fellow franchise co-star Kim Menzies.

Tim himself first appeared in the fourth season of “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days” with his Colombian girlfriend, a model and single mother named Jeniffer Tarazona. Perhaps as was to be expected, Jeniffer became jealous of the bond between Veronica and Tim, and turned out to be a gold-digger who was using the entrepreneur as a means to an end. When Jeniffer broke up from Tim after the latter refused to pay for her V-1 visa, she soon moved on with Jesse Meester.

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As for Tim, he became famous on “Pillow Talk”, and is now starring in “90 Day Fiancé: The Single Life”, alongside his former fiancé Veronica. In March 2021, the wrestling fan introduced his 25-year-old girlfriend Linda Ramirez to the public for the first time. Despite being in a fledging relationship with Linda, Tim began inadvertently causing problems in Veronica’s dating life when Justin, her boyfriend at the time, complained about the lack of boundaries between the exes.

In October 2021, Tim was forced to make a public statement regarding his relationship with Linda. More and more netizens wanted him to get back together with Veronica, and he replied by updating his Facebook relationship status, and openly claiming Linda. Following a relatively tranquil period in Tim and Linda’s partnership, rumors about Tim’s sexuality began circulating online, with hundreds of people speculating that he was gay, or even transgender.

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The outlandish theory was backed up by the fact that Tim refused to have sexual relations with Jeniffer when they were together. Jeniffer also told him to “man up” many times during their brief relationship, and said that he was “very delicate” and not her type. In response to the rumors, Tim posted a photo of Linda on social media, adding: “She not only gets me but she’s helped me laugh for over three years, which is the only thing that heals our souls.”

Tim was already forced to address the gay rumors way back in late 2019, when he referred to the situation with Jeniffer by saying: “I think it’s strange that society just thinks that if a man says no then he’s gay. If a woman says no, it’s fine.” According to Tim, sex isn’t as important to him as it used to be, and he’s more concerned with building a long-lasting foundation and eventually marrying.

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The “90 Day” alum also confirmed that he isn’t gay or transgender, despite having feminine traits, and laughed at fans who had gone so far as to screenshot scenes of him in the hot tub to look for signs of breast removal scars. During the season nine Tell-All episode of the show, he was also ridiculed online for wearing black knee-high boots with grey jeans, with one Twitter user saying: “The amount of Gay Panic that Tim has unleashed by simply having style without being gay is kind of disturbing”.

Nevertheless, Tim has reportedly been single since February 2023, when he changed his Facebook relationship status and stopped mentioning Linda, having a month prior returned to host the “Pillow Talk” podcast with Veronica. It’s unclear how Tim feels about Veronica’s current boyfriend, but he did previously reveal that the pair made a pact to marry if they were both single at 50 years of age.

In mid-May 2023, Tim was spotted filming in Charlotte with a mystery woman. A reddit user uploaded photos of the TV star and the attractive brunette chatting with drinks in their hands, while surrounded by a camera crew. It’s possible that Tim’s storyline on upcoming seasons of the “90 Day Fiancé” shows will heavily feature this new relationship, so we’ll make sure to follow up with any developments.

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Pedro Jimeno from “The Family Chantel” – New Girlfriend and Net Worth

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Faithful fans of the highly successful and controversial reality TV series “90 Day Fiancé”, and its spin-off “The Family Chantel”, were caught by surprise when Pedro Jimeno was seen dating a completely different woman, mere months after filing for divorce from Chantel Everett in 2022. The news came amid a rather dramatic split between the two stars, fraught with polarization of the two camps, and allegations of adultery.

The mysterious new brunette was posted in various selfies on Pedro’s Instagram stories, all of which have since expired and can’t be pointed to. While the ex-husband himself has remained mum on the topic, many members of the show’s vast audience continue to demand answers as to the extent of his romantic involvement with the woman in question.

As a result, it can’t be confirmed whether Pedro was indeed in a new relationship upon posting the now infamous selfies, but most have already come to their own conclusions. It’s noteworthy that Everett herself had nothing nice to say on the matter, but also refrained from jumping to conclusions about her former partner’s love life.

Some have theorized that Chantel has already said enough, referring to the fact that a potential lawsuit might be brewing in the office of Pedro’s attorneys, considering the various accusations against him that she seems to perpetuate in public. Although nothing can be said for certain until being proved in the court of law, there are indeed verified bits and pieces of the couple’s history that could hint towards the truth of the matter.

That said, Pedro seems to be doing well for himself financially, with his previous TV presence garnering a significant audience, among whom is a slew of potential customers to Jimeno’s lucrative real estate business that looks to be going stronger than ever. His newfound wealth has also become a hot topic in the media, leading some to wonder whether financial success was his only real reason for marrying Chantel in the first place.

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Digging through the dirt

It’s vital to take a peek at the skeletons in the “90 Day Fiancé” and “The Family Chantel” closets, in the process of determining whether any of the cheating allegations hold merit, as the history of Pedro and Everett contains relevant information regarding their habits and morals. It’s perhaps best to first mention that, for a lot of people in situations similar to Jimeno and Chantel’s, show business comes before love.

Questions about the authenticity of their relationship abounded from the get-go, with many viewers speculating that the couple’s union was motivated more by a desire for fame and fortune than by genuine affection for one another. Almost as if in perfect alignment with what keeps a show relevant, the two’s relationship became increasingly more dramatic as time went on, but drawing in ever more viewers.

Their story started in season four of “90 Day Fiancé,” in which Pedro, a gamer from the Dominican Republic, fell in love with Chantel, a nursing student from Georgia USA, whom he met on a language website. Their encounter would’ve remained out of the limelight if not for the fact that they got serious rather quickly, becoming engaged just a short while following the outburst of chemistry.

Becoming a legal immigrant

The couple were thrust into “90 Day Fiancé” immediately after Pedro received what the premise of the entire series is based on – the K-1 visa. While there are normally a number of pre-requisites for granting any non-US citizen the right to live in the country for a while, the K-1 visa pretty much skips most of them.

The history of the K-1 visa dates back to the Immigration Act of 1924, which established the requirement for a visa for foreign nationals seeking to enter the US for the purpose of marriage. The specific document in question was created in 1970 as part of the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments. The K-1 visa is designed for foreign fiancé(e)s of US citizens who wish to enter the country for the purpose of marrying.

It allows foreign nationals to come to the US for up to 90 days, during which time they must wed their citizen fiancé(e). Once in matrimony, the foreign national can then apply for a marriage-based green card, which will allow them to remain in the country permanently. The K-1 visa is an important option for couples who wish to be together in the US, as it provides a way for them to legally enter and reside in the country.

The document was actually designed by the US government to pacify numerous angry US military personnel following their service in the Vietnam War, after which inevitably some also had future spouses to bring ‘home’, ie the US.

Immigration laws at the time didn’t provide a lot of opportunities for couples of this type, as the Vietnamese citizen had to acquire an exit visa from the Vietnamese government, as well as an immigration visa from the US embassy. This was a time-consuming process that depended on detailed medical and police records guaranteeing clearance to the immigrant, as well as notarized US embassy certificates.

The government was subsequently inundated with requests from over 100 angered veterans, who were doing anything in their power to bring their partner over from Asia. Congress thus passed Public Law 91-225 on 7 April 1970, which altered the Immigration and Nationality Act from 1952, thus birthing the K-1 visa.

From out of state to the big screen

The popularity of this particular document has increased in recent years, due to its portrayal in the reality TV show “90 Day Fiancé.” The show follows couples who have applied for the K-1 visa, and have 90 days to marry before it expires. The show has become a cultural phenomenon, with spin-offs and merchandise, making the document itself a well-known concept in popular culture.

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As is the case with any reality TV series, it has also faced significant backlash and criticism over the years, although some would argue that’s exactly what helped it grow an audience. Naysayers blame the show for its premise and the way it portrays the legal process, opening many foreigners to the idea of exploiting a US citizen romantically in order to skip the green card application procedure.

However, as anyone with such intentions would quickly find out, obtaining this document is no simple task either. The K-1 visa process can be a lengthy and complicated one, as US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must first approve the petition filed by the citizen. The foreigner must then apply for the K-1 visa at a US embassy or consulate in their home country, which entails a medical exam, an interview, and extensive documentation to prove the legitimacy of the relationship.

Once the K-1 visa is issued, the foreign fiancé(e) can travel to the US, then and wed within the 90-day period. After the marriage takes place, the foreign national can apply for a marriage-based green card. The process can take several months to complete, and there are many potential pitfalls along the way.

Those in support of Chantel have made it clear that they believe Pedro simply took advantage of her US citizenship, using this complex loophole to gain permanent citizenship a lot faster than it would normally take. If this is to be believed, it becomes rather logical that fidelity in the relationship hung pretty low on his list of concerns.

In fact, it could be that Jimeno simply waited for the most opportune moment to end the marriage, giving Chantel increasingly more reasons over the years to become emotionally unstable and disruptive in their union. This newfound toxicity in his partner’s behavior would then give Pedro a perfectly sound reason for ending the marriage, which supposedly just ran out of love.

Off on wrong feet

As if the potential benefits for Pedro and his future in the US didn’t cast enough doubt and strain on the relationship, it was also obvious that the Everetts and the Jimenos really didn’t like each other, with the exception of Pedro and Chantel. Strangely, it was siblings and not parents, on both sides who least approved of the relationship.

Chantel’s brother River had no nice words to say about Pedro, and Jimeno’s sister Nicole was more than happy to be rid of Chantel’s presence whenever the two would wind up in the same room. It wasn’t exactly clear why there was such animosity, since the couple themselves had virtually no issues at the time.

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The rampant disdain became rather apparent as “The Family Chantel” progressed, leading to more than a verbal altercation during one of the show’s key moments. This event was immortalized on TLC UK’s YouTube channel, in the video entitled “Physical Fight Breaks Out At Chantel’s Family Dinner | 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?”, which garnered over 6.5 million views from its release on 1 August 2018.

It shows the Everetts preparing for a classy and extravagant dinner, which Pedro and his sister are also supposed to attend. The event starts off sourly though, since they still hadn’t shown up 15 minutes after the agreed time. River is already agitated at that point, making it clear that he doesn’t intend to wait for them before he starts eating.

Meanwhile, Chantel tells her mother about a disturbing event that occurred earlier that morning, explaining that Pedro’s sister thanked God and began clapping right as the bride-to-be closed the door and departed for school. Karen Everett really didn’t appreciate hearing about this rude gesture, and made it her mission to confront Nicole at dinner.

The Jimeno sister presents herself very amicably right through the door, giving the viewers no reason to believe that she has any dislike for the Everetts. After some compulsory complimenting of the food and appearances, Chantel’s mother gets down to business and pre-emptively asks Nicole whether she enjoys spending time with her daughter.

In spite of the sister’s warm response and assurance that she’s rather happy in the current conditions, Karen pushed on with the questioning, eventually re-telling the entire event that she heard from Chantel. Tensions immediately went through the roof, with Pedro inadvertently confirming the story by asking his fiancée why she told her family about it.

He then denied it, however, right in Chantel’s face, while Nicole seemed to be outraged at the accusation, and shocked that anyone could think that of her. In spite of mild yelling and finger pointing, the conversation remained civil for the most part. That is until River spoke out with plain frustration, uttering various curse words at Nicole.

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Pedro then stood up from the table and challenged River to repeat his insults, to which the energetic Everett slapped the chandelier in Pedro’s face, and a fist fight broke out. TLC’s crew had to step in and break up the altercation, causing Pedro to kick various plates of food off the table in a last-ditch effort to inflict some sort of discomfort on River. Chantel then broke down in tears, and the Jimenos were led off the Everett property.

The potential new girlfriend, and brand-new business

As the years went by and the couple drifted further and further apart, it became clear that the union was no longer sustainable. Chantel was the first to suggest that divorce was their only option, and Pedro agreed shortly afterwards. He was subsequently seen taking a selfie with a certain Coraima Morla – his sister’s best friend.

This isn’t the first time that the two were linked in a morally dubious situation, as Coraima was previously accused of dancing inappropriately on Pedro’s lap during a party in the Dominican Republic, while he was married to Chantel. She also expressed on numerous occasions how Nicole’s brother should be with a Dominican woman instead, as he’s likely to be misunderstood by those unfamiliar with his language and culture.

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Although there isn’t much else to go on, fans believe that Pedro posting a selfie with Coraima on his Instagram account is a sign of much more than friendship, believing that it has been a long time coming. Still, without further confirmation by either of the reality TV stars, nothing can be said for certain about Jimeno’s current love life.

What is very easy to see, however, is the fact that Pedro has successfully penetrated the real estate market, running his own realty company for numerous homes in the state of Georgia, especially around Lawrenceville, Buford, and Norcross. His net worth in mid-2023 is estimated at up to $5 million, virtually all from his efforts in the real estate market..

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The Singer Who Can Switch Between Male and Female Voices – AGT Star Marcelito Pomoy

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There’s no such a thing as an impossible dream, and Marcelito Pomoy is living proof of that. Despite the difficult and enduring times he faced during his childhood, and the fact that his ability was overlooked by many, Marcelito ultimately overcame all difficulties with his talent and charisma.

Though winning “Pilipinas Got Talent” was only the first step in accomplishing that, he would gain worldwide fame with his performances in “America’s Got Talent”, leaving audiences equally amazed and shocked at hearing his operatic voice and unmatched ability to sing with female and male voices.

Marcelito’s talent is memorable on its own, making it no wonder that there are many people not only interested in his current whereabouts and future problems but also in his life, history, and other professional endeavors.

So who is Marcelito Pomoy? Read on to learn all!

Who Is Marcelito Pomoy?

The words dazzled and impressed wouldn’t be enough to describe the reaction that audiences had at hearing Marcelito Pomoy sing on the stage of the second season of “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” in 2020.

Nonetheless, before setting foot in America, Marcelito was already well known in his native Philippines for his unbelievable talent, which includes switching from a tenor voice to female sounding soprano. That being said, Marcelito’s singing prowess wasn’t the only thing to take audiences by storm, as his sad but incredibly inspiring back story not only gained him the hearts of everyone who came upon it, but also led to him encountering his long-lost family again.

Marcelito’s vocal skills and unmatched charisma won him “Pilipinas Got Talent” in 2011, so quickly becoming a celebrity, and finally turning his long dream of releasing music into a reality.

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Years later, Marcelito debuted in “The Champions” and took the American audiences by surprise, but despite not winning that competition, it wasn’t the end for Marcelito. From then on, he turned into an international singing sensation by touring the US and expanding his reach to other Asian countries besides the Philippines.

All in all, Marcelito is one of the most impressive talents to ever come out of the Got Talent franchise, but he’s also worked hard to be where is today.

His Current Projects & Life

Thanks to his unbelievable talent and hard-working ethic, Marcelito Pomoy has remained relevant in the music industry by making constant appearances in TV shows, staging live concerts, and joining charity events.

As seen on his social media accounts, Marcelito has been very busy headlining shows both in Asia and the US, on top of taking care of his Philippines-based businesses. As well, in April 2023, Marcelito was awarded a Metro Excellence Leadership Award in the category of Outstanding Male Performer of the Year. This recognition came only a couple of months after receiving a 2022 Asia Music Icon Award for his excellence as a world-class Filipino artist.

While Marcelito’s recent career accomplishments are great on his own, in early 2023 he faced some mildly serious health issues when he was diagnosed with kidney stones. Though the condition isn’t serious and he was undergoing a non-invasive treatment to cure it, ill-intended assumptions about his health were soon to be spread before he revealed the entire truth to his followers, asking them not to ‘believe fake news’ through a Facebook post.

Overall, everything seems to be going great with Marcelito’s life, as seen in the regular updates about his family, vacations, and everyday life that he shares on social media.

Beginnings

Though Marcelito Pomoy nowadays enjoys international fame and the recognition of his fellow singers and musicians, the years before he rose to popularity weren’t pleasant at all.

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As Marcelito has revealed since his beginnings, his early life in the province of Cavite was full of enduring situations such as the abandonment by his parents and poverty. At only six months old, his mother abandoned him and his three older siblings to his father, who had been incarcerated not long before. Having no other place to go, Marcelito and his siblings lived in their father’s prison cell. and for some time struggled to feed themselves. The grueling situation came to an end when a police officer adopted Marcelito and his siblings, finally allowing them to find shelter and a family for some time.

With barely any memories of his early childhood, years later Marcelito left his adopted family to look for his real father, but the son and father encounter didn’t last long, as the man already had a new family with whom Marcelito didn’t quite get along.

Taking once again another hard decision at an early age, a teenage Marcelito left his father’s home and sustained himself with several odd jobs, going from selling local farm products to working at a bawling shop.

Rise To Fame

Although Marcelito Pomoy’s situation still wasn’t the easiest one, the young man found solace in singing for himself. It was during the time he worked at a poultry farm that Marcelito passed from having chickens as his first audience to attracting the attention of his co-workers, who complimented his skills despite Marcelito’s disbelief about having an uncommon ability.

While Marcelito was convinced that everyone could sing, he eventually tried his luck when he entered several local competitions, regardless of the fact that he didn’t always have any luck. His first TV appearance was in the local talent show “Talentadong Pinoy”, and he didn’t make it to the end, but the experience inspired him to audition for “Pilipinas Got Talent” at 25 years old.

It didn’t take long for Marcelito to equally captivate and surprise “Pilipinas Got Talent” audiences, securing a spot in the semifinals after receiving standing ovations and approval from the judges. His following performances in the show only served to cement his popularity, and spread the word about his talent, eventually winning not only the competition but also being able to reconnect with his mother through the show.

Marcelito’s prizes from the competition included two million Philippine pesos, and the release of his debut album “Duet Yourself” in 2011.

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Career & “America’s Got Talent”

During his time in “Pilipinas Got Talent”, Marcelito Pomoy sang the English-Italian song “The Prayer” by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion. That one performance led to his win, and also encouraged him to incorporate female and male voices further into his repertoire.

After a couple of years touring the Philippines and enjoying the newly found fame that his victory brought him, in 2013 Marcelito released his second album “Split” under the label Star Records. Nonetheless, at that point, he felt his career had stagnated and he didn’t release any further albums.

However, in 2018, one of his performances at the local radio station Metro Manila became viral, attracting the attention of Ellen DeGeneres, who quickly invited him onto her show. That one appearance opened many opportunities for Marcelito, who despite being skeptical about joining “America’s Got Talent” for his fear of losing, in 2019 auditioned with the song “The Prayer”, instantly gaining standing ovations from American audiences.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdrKmNrrPt7/

Marcelito’s following performances in the show were all female and male duets, such as “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, and “Beauty and the Beast” by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson. In the end, he was placed fourth in the overall competition, but the mark Marcelito left in the show is unerasable.

Business and Charity

Using the money from his “Pilipinas Got Talent” prize, in 2012 Marcelito Pomoy started his business in the province of Rizal. Named Pomoy’s Commercial Hardware, his small company expanded quickly, and a second location was opened in 2013.

Despite his status as an international celebrity, Marcelito and his family manage the business themselves, and also pay lots of attention to the needs of their workers. As seen in early 2023, Marcelito started a basketball team with his employees, joining them in local championships in which they faced teams from other businesses. This project was started by Marcelito following his own experience as a former hard-working employee, insisting it could help them to motivate themselves, and make the work environment an ‘enjoyable one’.

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Knowing how difficult it is to grow from the ground, Marcelito also supports local charities and people in need, even going as far as entirely building houses for elderly people in his community, undoubtedly changing their life forever.

Personal Life & Future Projects

Although Marcelito Pomoy’s early life was an enduring one, these days he’s not only proud about reconnecting with his family, but also creating one of his own. In 2014, Marcelito tied the knot with his girlfriend Joan Paraiso, with whom he welcomed daughters Marcella Janiah in 2015, and Marchesa Janoah in 2022.

Regarding his mother and siblings, Marcelito is in contact with them, even sharing their special moments together through social media, such as the birthday of his mother Anecita in April 2023.

What does the future have in store for Marcelito professionally? It seems that Marcelito’s career schedule will keep him quite busy for a while with international shows. He’s also constantly uploading videos of his most recent performances onto his YouTube channel, gaining quite a huge audience on the platform with over 400,000 subscribers to date.

All in all, from Marcelito’s humble beginnings and the difficult times he and his siblings endured, to being adopted and joining the workforce at a young age, before finally becoming a recognized singer, there’s a lot to learn from Marcelito’s inspiring story.

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