Alina Kozhevnikova, who is currently starring on season 5 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, has been fired by TLC after her past social media posts sparked controversy.
The network issued a statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, January 26, confirming the Russia native would no longer be part of the franchise moving forward.
“TLC discontinued filming with Alina Kozhevnikova following the recent discovery of her past social media statements,” the statement read. “She will not appear on the upcoming Tell All, any future seasons of the franchise and starting next month, she will no longer appear on Before the 90 Days. TLC does not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.”
Earlier this month, the reality TV personality raised eyebrows when fans uncovered racist comments she apparently made on her Facebook account and other social media platforms. In one alleged post from 2014, she used the N-word multiple times while describing a party she attended. Another comment disparaged members of the Muslim community.
In a separate message, Alina wrote about how handsome Hugh Grant is but seemingly mocked his two children with Tinglan Hong for being “kinda Asian.”
Fans were quick to denounce the comments after they began to circle online, with one Twitter user writing, “I am no longer interested in seeing Alina on my tv.” Another viewer encouraged TLC to “drop Alina” for her offensive social media history.
When season 5 of the 90 Day Fiancé spinoff premiered in December 2021, Alina was previously celebrated for being the franchise’s first differently abled cast member. She described her experience living with diastrophic dysplasia, a form of dwarfism, during an episode of the TLC series last month.
“It’s rare and it affects everybody different,” she told the cameras in a confessional. “For a child to be born with this type of dwarfism, both parents have to be carriers for the gene. It can affect your joints and of course your stature. My hands and my feet look pretty different, too but I don’t think disability is a problem. In many areas of my life, I try to do everything really. I’m pretty comfortable with my body. I’ve already accepted the fact that I don’t look like everyone else and I’m just trying to rock what I have but there are things that are hard to do.”
The model went on to praise her partner, Caleb Greenwood, for being supportive and not treating her any differently. “When it comes to dating and me being a little person, there also have been some challenges but I’ve never dated a little person,” she continued. “I don’t know why, but I really like tall guys. But in Russia, a lot of people, they don’t take me seriously, they don’t treat me as an equal person but Caleb did and I’m glad he did.”
Before she was axed from the show, Alina opened up about the negativity she’s seen online regarding her relationship, noting that there was “a little bit” of pressure being the first person with dwarfism on 90 Day Fiancé.
“I don’t really see, you know, a lot of homophobic and racist comments anymore because people really know that it’s not OK, and it is not OK,” she told Entertainment Tonight in December 2021. “But for some reason, there’s not much talk about ableism and how people can say degrading things about those who have disabilities, and maybe something can change with the show, because more people would know that it’s not OK to, I don’t know, shame someone for their height or for using a wheelchair or something.”
90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days airs on TLC Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
