With her in spirit. 90 Day Fiancé alum Varya Malina found a way to share a New Year’s kiss with her fiancé, Geoffrey Paschel, even though he is currently in jail awaiting his sentencing hearing after he was found guilty on domestic violence charges.
Varya, 31, posted an Instagram Reel of herself as the clock struck midnight on Saturday, January 1. She showed the camera a photo of Paschel, 41, which she held in her hand as the countdown to midnight began. The Russian beauty — who wore a black dress, white blazer, a green beaded necklace and a headband featuring deer antlers and ears — smiled until midnight, which is when she gave the photo a big kiss. She further celebrated by taking a sip of her champagne.
“I had my New Year’s Eve kiss and made my wish,” Varya wrote in the caption of the post.
The former TLC star documented her New Year’s Eve celebrations, which she spent with Paschel’s family, via Instagram. She joined them as they drove to Biloxi, Mississippi, to go “glamping” a.k.a. luxury camping.
Ahead of the new year, Varya reflected on 2021. “It was a very turbulent year with moments of absolute happiness and heartbreaking disappointment, with vile betrayal and sincere forgiveness, with life changing success and catastrophic outcome … it was so different and so full of insight, that I’m thankful for it anyway,” she wrote via Instagram on Friday, December 31, along with a video of her popping a bottle of champagne.
“I truly believe 2022 will be better. It’s not hard to be better than the lowest of low. The benefit of being on the bottom is that there’s nothing below, so you can kick off and come up,” she continued.
Varya and Paschel made their debut on season 4 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days in February 2020 — and around the same time, he made headlines for appearing in court to face charges for a domestic incident that allegedly occurred between him and an ex-fiancé in June 2019. The couple’s story line on the hit TLC series ended on a cliffhanger, as they got engaged on the finale but they did not appear on the season 4 tell-all and Paschel confirmed that they were not asked to join because of his pending legal case.
“I’m not sad that I wasn’t on it,” Paschel said during an Instagram Live with rep Rocco Straz in June 2020. He hinted Varya chose not to participate either out of solidarity.
“The mentality of keeping me off the tell-all because somebody said something is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” he added, claiming his innocence at the time. “I want my court case to be over with, and as soon as my court case is over with, then my life will proceed. My life is going fine now, don’t think that I’m holding back on anything. But it’s the ‘he said, she said crap.’ But I’m prepared. I did my homework, and I’m — I was the one who was there, you know.”
Paschel stood trial in October 2021, after which he was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping, domestic violence and interference with an emergency call. He is currently in jail as he awaits his sentencing hearing on February 3.
Varya, for her part, moved to the United States in late 2020 and kept her relationship status with Paschel under wraps until he was found guilty. She has since moved from her house in Florida into his home in Tennessee, and has shared several loved-up photos and videos of them together as well as several messages of support, hinting that they are still together.