David And Annie Toborowsky On David & Annie: After The 90 Days - Exclusive Interview

The "90 Day Fiancé" franchise with its many spinoffs is expanding once more with the premiere of "David & Annie: After the 90 Days" on Monday, January 10. That's right: Fans are about to get even closer to David and Annie Toborowsky from "90 Day Fiancé" in their new spinoff show.

According to Discovery's logline for the series, life gets "flipped upside down" for the happy couple as they travel to Thailand in hopes of bringing Annie's 14-year-old brother Jordan and her 16-year-old cousin Amber back home to America with them for the chance to have brighter futures and more opportunities. But as life — and reality series — would have it, things don't always go smoothly when they try to obtain legal guardianship of the two teens. 

Luckily, we got the opportunity to sit down and chat with David and Annie ahead of the premiere of "After the 90 Days," and they revealed not only what makes this series so special but also what they love about Thailand, how they approach their relationship, what other reality series they'd want to be on, and more.

What can you tell us about your series "David & Annie: After the 90 Days"?

David: I think it's going to be an exciting series, the genesis. We want Annie's brother and cousin to learn English here in America so that they can have a good quality education, go back to Thailand, and be successful as Annie has been in America. You know, we started from nothing and obviously want ...

Annie: We want to give [the] American dream to them.

David: Yeah.

Definitely. What is the sort of perfect American dream for you guys?

David: I think we are ... And actually for me, I feel like I'm living the American dream right now.

Annie: Yes.

David: I was gone for five years, but we came from very tough situation when I moved back from Asia after teaching there, living in a firehouse storage facility.

Annie: So right now we are living in Arizona, Bowden Hill, and now have a good little business ... And I think we are living [the] American dream. We work hard and we live our comfortable life and [want to] give it to another.

David: Yeah, we have a cooking oils, cooking company. I'm still doing healthcare consulting, but we just launched Boom Bangkok by Annie, which is the fashion line, now. So it's been keeping us busy and, you know, all the things that keep families busy.

How did that fashion line form?

Annie: All the [dresses are] made in Thailand, [imported] from Thailand, and the price I will keep is like ...

David: No, no. How did you come up with the idea?

Annie: Sorry, I [misunderstood]. How [did] I come up [with the idea]? At first, I think the quality, [sometimes] what we get in America, if you want the better quality and the patterns, some stuff like that you have to pay a lot more money, and when I [went] back to Thailand, I went shopping with my cousin, Amber, and I talk[ed] to my friend who has a family business, making clothes, dress[es], making clothes, you know, and she gave me an idea and I pick up quality, yeah, yeah. And bigger quality myself. I see it and [it's] comfortable. And compared to a shipping cost in America, [it] is cheaper. And that's why we [are] very busy because as soon as we upload [a dress] on the website, people say, if somebody says, even like, they don't like the dress, they never wear dress[es], never owned [a dress] in their life, but they love it, they buy one for me because they think the price is very fair.

How do you see this fashion line moving forward? Do you want to continue working in this sort of field?

Annie: Yes. Yes. I will continue working ...

David: It'll be a great family business.

Annie: Yes, because of fashion ... [it] is like lady fashion is something [that] can come out every single day.

David: Mm-hmm.

Annie: So that's why the idea of mine is like, you can buy [from] me every week because it's always changing. And also the price is very affordable compared to many ... what do you call?

David: Boutique? Okay. Yeah.

Annie: Yeah.

David: I think that answers the question.

I think that's an amazing plan. And speaking of how things form, how did your new series form?

David: It's [that] we thought and believe that having Amber and Jordan, because Annie basically raised them, come to America, is going to give them the opportunities like Annie's having and she's talking about. And we feel that showing that journey is just showing, continuing where we came from. And I think we're in a better place to raise kids because we have thought about having children — more so, probably, I have, but we even are looking at a clinic in Bangkok that can do the vasectomy reversal, the extraction ... so these are things about having a family and wanting to share that journey.

Was sharing that journey something you pitched to the network or is that something the network came up with?

David: Yeah. I don't know if it's a matter of pitching. I think it's just –

Annie: It's something we're going to do and –

David: Yeah. I mean, I think it's just a continuing of where –

Annie: Life.

David: Of life, where we've been. We've been so honored because we're not celebrities. We're everyday people who just happen to be on TV.

Annie: Yeah. And try to survive every day. And ...

David: And the fans are everything. The "90 Day" fans are not even "90 Day" fans; it's family. So like everybody in the "90 Day" universe, whether cast, production, fan, whatever you want to call [it], I call it our "90 Day" family. We have all laughed together, we have cried together, we've all been through hell the last couple years together and we're still together. I mean, the show is amazing. And I think what you're going to love about "David & Annie: After the 90 Days" is really seeing the Thai culture and cultural differences.

Annie: Yes. Because since the first season, after we were filming in Thailand and we moved back to America, all, everything, you see us is in America, but this one is a new show, is coming up, is going to be all in Thailand. You will see a lot of Thailand, Thai culture, Thai teenager[s], Thai family.

David: Well, I mean, you're going to see a lot of different things and I think you're going to see some differences in culture. And I think you're going to see some teenage issues that we have here and there. Lot to look forward to. Some things, obviously, I'd stay tuned for, and we're excited about it and can't wait till Monday.

How was your experience filming this series different from filming "90 Day Fiancé"?

David: We're in a better place now.

Annie: Yeah.

David: Coming ... when we did "90 Day," I hadn't been in America for a few years, five years. So I was unprepared when I came back to America. Everybody says, look, you blame this, you blame it. I blame myself for the life that we had [at the] beginning, but we stuck together. And as we've said to everybody and I'll say it to you, and I've said to everybody, if two people stick together ...

Annie: Nothing bad can happen.

David: And positive thinking ...

Annie: ... creates very positive outcomes. 

David: And that's why we're in the position we are today.

Annie: Yes. And to me, the experience from this show, the "David & Annie: After the 90 Days" show is very, very different than any experience filming I have [had] because it was so, like ... I think I have cried in this show more than the entire show, [of] any "90 Day Fiancé" series we have been on. And also when we left Thailand, my brother and my cousin, they are young. They [were] babies, like 9 and 12. When we go back –

David: Yeah, 9, 11.

Annie: Yeah. No. Yeah.

David: Because Amber's 16.

Annie: So yeah. Yeah. So when we go back, we want to bring them. Now they are teenager[s].

David: Yeah.

Annie: They [are] adults; they [are] able to have a conversation with me, like ...

David: Very different.

Annie: Yes.

David: Very different when you ... It's like a snap of an eye and it's a little boy to a teenager.

Annie: Mm-hmm.

How was your experience filming an international series during the pandemic?

David: I mean, obviously the protocols were in place, so, I mean, it's no different than filming here in America with the pandemic because the rules are still the same when you film, you know, for cast and crew. I mean, they still have to ... So it's different now, we also went through some other difficulties as, as you'll find out.

Well, since you sort of went there, are there any sort of surprises or unexpected moments that fans can expect to see in this new series?

David: You know what I'll tell you? I will tell you one.

Okay.

Annie: God. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [There are] just so many, but yeah.

David: I lose a little weight towards the end. [Laughs]

That's so funny.

David: Stay tuned, stay tuned. There's a reason why we say stay tuned and coming up next week because there's a lot to say.

How long did it take to film this show?

David: I'd rather not get into that because I don't ...

Annie: Because we are still filming.

David: Yeah. It's weird.

Oh, gotcha.

David: So it's, I don't like to give away time, dates, stamp some, it's not something you film overnight and it's been –

Annie: Mm-hmm.

David: It's been a long journey.

Annie: Yes.

David: Quite honestly. And good question, probably toughest question I've had yet.

Are you able to reveal what has been one of your favorite memories from filming this show?

Annie: We have learned a lot. 

David: Yeah, so many ...

Annie: We have learned a lot of family stuff. And when we['re] filming, honestly, sometimes the family issue[s] you have in [the] family unit will stay until somebody ask[s] and this journey ... it bring[s] us a lot, like, what do you call ... like, relief?

David: Yes.

Annie: We can talk to each other; we can open up [about] how we feel. It's going to be a lot — some, not a lot ... some drama, some fun times, some adventure.

David: Yes. I just think there's ... everything has been ...

Annie: Yes.

David: So exciting. Just being back in Thailand ...

Annie: Yes.

David: Makes me happy because I miss living there.

Annie: Oh yeah, you do.

David: So yeah.

Annie: You already packed your bags to go back before I wake up.

David: So I think –

Annie: Yeah.

David: That's probably, the just most exciting, just being back. It's my favorite thing.

What are your favorite things about living in Thailand?

David: I love the weather. The food — I'm healthier there. I can go get a foot massage for $3 an hour. When I was teaching on Sundays, I'd walk 53,000 steps. So I'd spend eight hours. I'd go get a massage, walk, go eat. It's just a healthier lifestyle. I love just the culture. I love the temples, I love all the aspects of Thailand that whether you're going to a rural area that –

Annie: Thai humor is funny.

David: Yeah, it's –

Annie: We can laugh at everything.

David: You could be pouring ice into a cup or to pour some whiskey and like somebody spills the ice and everybody starts giggling. It's just ... Kind of slapstick comedy. I just love it. It's a laidback life; they live for today because tomorrow's not guaranteed.

Annie: Yes.

It seems like we, in America, should learn some of those ideals.

Annie: Be happy and ... be happy.

David: Be happy. I mean, look, the last two years have been taxing on all of us. And I told Annie and I said this to everybody. I really, truly believe by sticking together better days are truly yet to come. And I feel that we are going to get through this together and soon things are going to get better. It's going to get worse before it gets better, but we're all going to get through it. And I think things are being optimistic. Just staying optimistic.

That's truly the best way to live, right?

David: It is. Live your best life.

Annie: Yes. Yes, yes.

Sort of shifting gears a little bit, what are some of your life goals as a couple and as a family?

David: Be successful in business, to make sure that all of our families are provided [for], taken care of, and prepare them for the next generations to come. At some point — obviously I'm 53, Annie's 29 — some point [we] want to be in a position where we can all travel and see the world because I've been to 67 countries. I've taken Annie to several of them and she's traveled. And I really would like for family — all, both sides — to travel and see the world. That's the best educator in the world. I have a master's degree, but I learned more traveling than I did sitting in a classroom.

Annie: No, sometimes [it] doesn't matter how much you want [to]; if they don't want [to], you cannot –

David: No, no. I'm saying, for those that want [to], I'm just saying, but not everybody wants to, but for those that want to enjoy –

Annie: Yes, enjoy travel, to see and [educate] themselves and get –

David: Experiences.

Annie: And see life. That's our goal because that's what we love.

That's amazing. And that's sort of — that's a theme in the show too, so I wanted to ask, outside of the focus on family in "After the 90 Days," what are some other themes and arcs we can expect to see in the show?

David: Good question. I don't know how I can answer that. Really, I'd rather not. I'd rather not answer that, but I think family and I think culture. I think you're going to find the differences of culture that I think those are the things that — I embrace Thai culture more than probably most people embrace their significant other's culture because I lived there.

[On embracing Thai culture in "After the 90 Days"]

David: But I think even sometimes I'm still fish out of water. I think that's the ... the arc, if you will.

Annie: Mm-hmm.

David: From that side of it. But I think this is why the show, not just, I'm talking the "90 Day" shows in general and all the spin-offs and why they're so popular is because we are showing life outside of America, culture[s] outside of America, food –

Annie: And struggle[s], and relationship[s].

David: Yes. So you mix it. I mean you mix travel, culture, food, legalities of moving from country to country and especially via the pandemic. I think that's why the show is so popular. I mean, we can't wait to see what they're eating in ... When Angela went to Michael or when you're in Ecuador with ...

Annie: Mexico with Kenny and Armando.

David: Yeah, we want to see what they're eating. We want to see what Jenny and Sumit are eating, like differences and how they break bread together.

Do you think that all of this franchise acts as a big escape for people?

David: It is. I mean, for obviously since 2014, when "90 Day" first aired. It is an adventure. Most people, most Americans don't even have a passport. They don't really travel. Like you said, the British population –

Annie: Yeah.

David: That travel so much.

Annie: Then you see more and more every year. Like Angela['s] first time travel[ing] to Nigeria.

David: Yeah.

Annie: We know where ... love to Nigeria.

David: And Corey moving to Ecuador with Evelyn.

Annie: Jenny moved to India.

David: I mean, can you imagine like Ari and Bini, when Ari goes over to Ethiopia from Jersey and back and then has a child. And you saw Sasha and Emily and how they even went back to Russia.

Annie: Yeah ...

David: So it's ... You look at all these different things [and] say, "Wow, people are very mobile."

What was your experience like getting onto "90 Day Fiancé"?

David: I didn't know what to expect. Honestly, I wanted to share the journey of what I went through in my life because there was a lot of guys who were my age when I went over there, which was eight years ago, and had lost weight and went through — I lost my home, my cars, my family, all that stuff, which you're obviously familiar with. I restarted my life, was working in China, met Annie, came to America again. Here I go, back down to this sinking. And I wanted to share like, look a lot of guys back in '08, '09, '10, they either killed themselves when they went through what I went through. It was true. And you see, you can go two paths. You can reinvent yourself. And even when you hit rock bottom and now we're in a relationship and hit rock bottom. When we were in the storage unit, we still stuck together.

Annie: I mean, to me [it] is for our relationship [to] have been on "90 Day Fiancé" and share with a lot of people around the world. I [am] humbled by that because we have a lot of fans, of fans [who became] friends, who all become friend[s] who love and support us. Even nobody we met before, but they [are] still like they know me already. And also we share our relationship, even though we have ... it is [a] very big difference — different culture, different background — but we're still together and we make it happen. And now I am living my American dream. [I] work hard and can't wait to play hard. [Laughs]

Speaking of making your relationship work, what is one piece of advice that you think you would want to share with other couples that works universally?

David: Sure. And we've said this and we said to you before: If two people stick together, nothing bad will happen, and I always say this. Happy wife ...

Annie: Oh, happy life, happy house. But anyway, for relationship[s], you have to work two way[s].

David: Yes.

Annie: [It] cannot just be one way. It has to be two way[s]. You are going to have to work together, have to change a little bit. [You don't] have to change yourself, just a little bit [of effort] if you love each other.

David: And yelling is never an option.

Annie: Yeah.

David: Same [with] words that you shouldn't have to ever say, "I'm sorry that" [or] "Oh, I made a mistake." Okay. We shouldn't have [to] say, "I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings," because that's just ... We really don't argue. And I know people say, "Well, that's — "

Annie: We don't.

David: We laugh. We find the humor in everything. Laughter is the key to life. I mean, Betty White said it best. It's just about laughter about caring about ... I care for her and I have to make her fall in love. You have to make your spouse fall in love with you each day. Don't take it for granted because if you don't make that person fall in love with you, somebody else will.

Do you think that living and getting that experience in another culture like Thailand where you said everything was much more lighthearted and about living in the present, did that really help you guys?

David: It helped because I love Buddhism. Yes, I was raised Jewish. My children are Christian, so I'm familiar with many faiths in study. And I find that I learned a lot of words from the Buddhist teaching and that seeing people of the temple and how the karma and energy and positivity really help in relationships because –

Annie: Yes, yes, yes. And also your mindset is really very important. Like, if you wake up [and] you are already angry, you'll have a bad day all day.

David: Yeah. If you want to have a bad day, that's easier.

Annie: Yes.

David: It's making it a better day [that] is the work.

Yeah, definitely, but it's worth the work.

Annie: Yeah.

David: Yeah. It's worth the work because at the end of the day, when you can laugh or even cry together. You're together.

Absolutely. Those are amazing words to live by.

David: I still live by them.

I wanted to take a peek at your growth from "90 Day Fiancé" to your new series. What is something that each of you is really proud of in your growth?

David: Wow.

Annie: Hair!

David: Yeah. My hair, very proud of my hair. I think, I don't know if I'm saying I'm proud of ourselves for sticking through it together. I mean, we're the same people –

Annie: And believing in ourselves.

David: Yeah. Believing in ourselves. Yes, we're in a better place financially, but –

Annie: Yeah.

David: We're no different than we were five years ago.

Annie: Yes. To me, I'm really proud because we both never have changed. Even though we [have] live[d] in many different place[s] and different time[s], our relationship never has changed. As long as he [has] not change[d], I'm not going to change. And we will stay forever together until the last day of our [lives]. But that's because of ... he still make[s] me laugh every time I get up from my bed or before I go to bed and that's the thing I love about [him].

[On not considering themselves celebrities]

David: It's like I said, people say, "Oh, you're a celebrity. You walk ..." Yes, I take ... We're everyday people. We're not going to ... I'm not going to change that.

Annie: Yeah. We try to respond to every single message –

David: Yes.

Annie: From Instagram or Facebook. People [are] still like, "I can't believe you respond back to me." I say –

David: I respond to everybody.

Annie: Oh yeah, don't worry. I'm fine.

David: The bags under my eyes. [Laughs] I, when you get older, you don't sleep as much, so I literally, because I know it now, if, obviously, the person has no followers, no this, and they send some stupid message, I'm not going to answer it.

Annie: Yeah.

David: But I mean, in general, if it's a real person –

Annie: Yeah, a real person.

David: Until it gets to become a long conversation, I have to, sorry –

Annie: You have to go.

David: "I can grow your followers by 10,000" — they're trying to give me Bitcoin advice ... or whatever. I'm like, thank you, but not today.

Right.

Annie: Give your bank information.

David: Yeah, people want to send me their Cash App all the time, I'm like –

Annie: I don't need [it], keep it for yourself.

That's wild.

Annie: A lot of scammers out there.

David: If I just send $8,000, I get a $400 million transfer — how about $7,300, you keep $100.

Well, speaking of Instagram and everything, what has the fan reception been like for you as a couple?

David: Oh, I mean, we're so humbled by it. I mean, from every walk of life we've ... To other people and I don't know how to explain. We've had celebrities reach out to us and it's so humbling and it's –

Annie: Yeah, we become friends with Paula Abdul.

David: Yeah.

Annie: Donna D'Errico. 

David: Yeah, you end up very, very humbled by it because they were watching TV last year and we were on, just about every week and it's like, wow. And there was a mutual friend, how we met Paula and Paula's coming up, like "what's going on with this couple?" And I'm like, because obviously watching "[90 Day Fiancé:] Pillow Talk," it's humbling.

Annie: She wants "Pillow Talk," all "Pillow Talk." She loves the "Pillow Talk."

David: Yeah. We'll call each other and do another version of "Pillow Talk." That's the humbling part.

Annie: Yeah.

David: What's even more humbling, it's not just celebrity, it's when people come up to you and say, "My wife and I now say, 'boom, boom,'" or we now do our own version of it. We've grown over the last five years –

Annie: Yeah, and also someone said, "Oh, I watched your cooking video, and we just made it last night," something like –

David: We were in the grocery store and somebody was buying the spring roll wraps that Annie made on our cooking video. It's like, so –

Annie: Yeah. It's so good to be able to share, even to make somebody online, on Instagram, on Facebook, or on social media, even make them smile or make them laugh make[s] us feel good because we make their day.

David: That's why I try to respond to every comment they took the time to comment on my post. I want to try to take the time to respond because –

Annie: Yes.

David: It's important. I know how it feels. And just when people come up to you ... we've known people so long through social media and through the show, we've lost people who've lost their parents or grandparents. We've grieved with them, we've laughed with them, we've cried with them. We've done video shout-outs for people, and then I just got a message: "the one you did for my grandmother, I just wanted you to know that she passed." I'm so sorry. You feel like we're family with them.

Right. Oh, that's heartbreaking.

David: Oh, I mean, it's... I –

Annie: Yeah.

David: I can't tell you how many –

Annie: We share a lot [of] moment[s] [with] fan[s] and then [they] become friend[s] and –

David: Yes.

Annie: A lot of them, almost all of them on my social media, I still call them my friends.

David: You're still going to get hate. That's par for the course. You can't make everybody like you.

Annie: Yeah.

David: And to those that hate us, I'm sorry you hate me.

Annie: Yeah. You should feel bad for them because you don't like me.

David: I'm still happy.

Yeah, you can't let it take away anything from you.

Annie: No ...

David: I wish them the best.

Annie: Yes, that's all you can.

Alright, I guess this is my last question.

David: Sure.

Ending on just sort of a fun note: Are there any other reality series that you two would like to go on?

David: Reality series?

Annie: Tell me what you put.

David: Oh, I know for her. It would be "Naked and Afraid" except not naked, and it's only on Discovery+, by the way.

Annie: But if they let me wear the bikini –

David: Yeah, I can't go because I can't even barefoot it. Me, I would love "The Amazing Race" because of travel. I'd like to create our own Discovery version of it. The "90 Day" couples going, finding stuff from other people's country. There. That I would love to see.

Annie: We would have to find Jenny and Sumit –

David: Yeah, we got to find Jenny and Sumit. A clue: "Where is Sumit's ex-wife from?"

Annie: Where is Yazan's store? You remember when they called in Yazan? Where is his store? I want to go viral.

David: TLC next season. [Laughs] They can take this idea.

Annie: What do you call, the investigator, the one that's a spy?

David: What's that, hon?

Annie: The one like, David, that ... spy on people. What do you call?

David: Oh, like "Cheaters" you're talking about?

Annie: No, that type of work.

David: Oh, like detectives?

Annie: Yes.

David: Okay ... Yeah. I'm sorry, I thought she was talking about like I was showing her the show "Cheaters." They were showing reruns like one day. I'm like, "What is this show?" I'm like, "They go in there. It was like pre-Jerry Springer." Like these are the ones. That's as far as reality. I'm happy where I'm at. I love "Pillow Talk"; I can't wait for this season.

Annie: Anything, we're open to it.

David: We are so honored to have been part of "Foody Call" and "Journey," "Diaries," "Love Games."

Annie: We're open on everything.

David: Which you can still see on Discovery.

Annie: We [are] open [to] everything. Any opportunity.

David: Yes.

You can catch David and Annie on the series premiere of TLC's "David & Annie: After the 90 Days" on Monday, January 10th, at 9 p.m. ET.