Fans of 90 Day Fiancé know Shekinah Garner from her appearances on the popular TLC reality franchise. But 90 Day isn’t actually the makeup artist’s first brush with reality TV fame. Before she decided to let cameras document the ups and downs of her relationship Sarper Güven (whom she wed in the June 15 episode), Shekinah tried to find love on a different reality dating series. 

Shekinah was on ‘The Millionaire Matchmaker’

More than a decade before Shekinah made her TLC debut on 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way in 2023, she appeared on Jerry Springer’s dating game show Baggage, where contestants had to reveal embarrassing facts about themselves as they competed to win a date. Shekinah opened up about spending $400 per week on Botox and chemical peels. 

A year after that 2012 TV appearance, Shekinah popped up on Bravo’s The Millionaire Matchmaker. In the season 6 episode, which aired in 2013, she turned to expert matchmaker Patti Stanger for help finding love. Stanger set the single mom up with Adam Gaynor, the former guitarist for the band Matchbox 20. 

Gaynor ended up picking her as his final date in the episode. However, Shekinah’s budding romance with the musician quickly fizzled out after filming. But she did make a more lasting connection from her experience on the show. She ended up connecting with Rick Silver, who Stanger set up with Olympic speed skater Allison Baver. They didn’t click, but Shekinah and Rick started talking. Eventually, they began dating and were together for several years. 

Matt and Amani from ‘90 Day Fiancé’ Season 11 were on a Netflix show

Shekinah isn’t the only member of the 90 Day Fiancé Season 11 cast who’s been on TV before. Matt and Amani, who are two-thirds of this season’s controversial throuple – opened about their marriage and their finances on Netflix’s How to Get Rich with Ramit Sethi. Nor is she the only 90 Day personality who has turned to Stanger for relationship help. Darcey Silva was briefly seen in a 2017 episode of Stanger’s We TV series The Million Dollar Matchmaker.

Prior reality show and TV appearances aren’t unusual for 90 Day cast members. Molly Hopkins had her own Lifetime show, Double Divas, before moving to TLC. Patrick Cornett was on American Ninja Warrior, Angela Deem was a guest on Maury, and Geoffrey Paschel – who eventually went to prison for beating and kidnapping his fiance – acted in reenactments for various true-crime series, including Snapped, according to Starcasm. 

Sometimes, an appearance on 90 Day leads to other TV opportunities. Josh Weinstein’s ex Candice Mishler was seen in some episodes before signing on to Naked and Afraid and Naked and Afraid: Castaways. 

For more​​ news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.