Review
Stevi Nichole’s dismissive attitude toward Mahdi Al-Saadi’s Iranian culture on 90 Day Fiancé raises doubts about the future of their relationship. Stevi, 37, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, met 26-year-old Mahdi from Tehran while helping him learn conversational English online. Due to political tensions, Stevi couldn’t visit Iran, so they met in Turkey. After spending just a week together, Mahdi proposed. It took him nearly a year to arrive in the U.S. on a K-1 visa, only to face unexpected cultural clashes that may threaten their bond.
Mahdi’s journey to America and the culture shock he’s experiencing are being documented on 90 Day Fiancé Season 11. He’s doing his best to adapt to American life, but there’s something about Stevi that doesn’t sit right with him. Mahdi appears frustrated that Stevi doesn’t fully respect his cultural values, even as he works hard to reassure her that choosing him as a future husband was the right decision. As tensions grow, one has to wonder whether Stevi’s reluctance to understand his beliefs will ultimately cost her the relationship.
Stevi Doesn't Understand Why Mahdi's Upset About Her Nude Paintings
Stevi's Art Speaks Volumes, But It’s Not What Mahdi Wants to Hear
Stevi initially loved painting abstract art but had recently shifted her focus to painting nudes. She told the cameras she enjoyed it because it helped normalize different body types. She explained that people often forget how beautiful they are, and her art serves as a reminder of that. While painting was Stevi’s true passion, she also taught English online to make a living. After she and Mahdi became friends, Stevi even created a sketch of him, showing how much she valued their connection through her art.
“Mahdi’s probably the only guy I’ve ever sketched.”
Stevi thought it would be a nice gesture to gift Mahdi the nude painting. She was aware that in Mahdi’s country, “people tend to cover up,” and admitted she wasn’t sure how he’d react to her sketching nudes. Still, she believed Mahdi was the “king of checking himself out.” After their lessons ended, Mahdi had sent her a link to his social media. Stevi was surprised to discover that the supposedly “shy guy” had “tons” of female ers and was even more shocked to see that many of his photos showed him shirtless.
Madhi's Wondering If Stevi Is Bisexual
Mahdi Has Questions & Stevi’s Not Giving Straight Answers
Stevi was genuinely excited to have Mahdi in her home and hoped he would feel comfortable there. “I’ve never seen this part of the house,” Mahdi said, surprised as he noticed Stevi’s paintings scattered around. “Why do you have boobs everywhere?” he asked. “I see b**bs everywhere… b**bs, b**bs, b**bs. Like, too many,” he told the cameras, clearly overwhelmed. He couldn’t understand the reason behind it. Mahdi explained that coming from a country where he could be arrested for possessing a picture of a naked woman, it was jarring to see a house filled with what he called “b**b pictures.”
“Like, I’ve seen, like ten b**bs since I got in the house.”
Mahdi swore he had no idea Stevi was into painting nudes. He was especially surprised to see a nude painting she had created of him, using his shirtless mirror selfie as a reference. Mahdi questioned why, out of all the things Stevi could have painted, she chose that. He admitted he was trying hard to see the “artistic thing” in it, but just couldn’t. Her art didn’t make sense to him. Mahdi also confessed, “I’ve always wondered if Stevi is into women.” According to him, Stevi had repeatedly said she didn’t like men or painting them.
“If Stevi tells me that she’s bisexual or something like that, honestly, I think I’m catfish.”
Stevi had told Mahdi that she doesn’t like being “close” to men, which had always left him with questions. But after seeing her art, those doubts only grew stronger. He admitted that Stevi was starting to lose his trust. In a more recent episode, just as Stevi and Mahdi began wedding planning, they visited a potential venue where they met up with one of Stevi’s girlfriends, Claire.
It Takes Time To Get Used To American Life
From Culture Shock To Naked Truths: Mahdi’s World Is Spinning
The woman told Mahdi that Stevi had painted her nude before. However, Claire hadn’t just sent a photo… it all happened in person. “She has never, ever mentioned that she’s painted girls naked, in person,” Mahdi told the producers. He added that Stevi had never kept anything from him before, and learning she had been nude with a friend was shocking. “To be honest, she’s giving me bisexual vibes again,” Mahdi said. In his culture, two women being together is considered wrong, and he admitted he was not okay with what he had just learned.
Unlike Mahdi, American woman Stevi didn’t understand what the problem was. She didn’t believe she’d done anything wrong or given Mahdi a reason to be upset. Stevi felt she had never made Mahdi question her sexuality or who she was as a person. When Mahdi said she should’ve told him about her meeting with Claire, Stevi assured him that it was different from what he was used to back home, but it was “normal” for her. However, she avoided giving Mahdi a direct answer about whether she liked girls and abruptly ended the conversation, leaving him more confused than before.
Will The Couple Make It?
Secrets, Doubts & Tension Could Tear This Stevi & Mahdi Apart
Mahdi felt betrayed by Stevi after finding out about Claire’s painting. He had somehow deduced that Stevi was lying about her sexuality. He just wanted Stevi to be honest with him so he wouldn’t have to feel trapped or set up in the relationship. Meanwhile, Stevi told the cameras that she loves women’s bodies and paints them to celebrate them, but that doesn’t mean she was attracted to women. Mahdi asked Stevi if she was bisexual for the last time. Stevi said “no” but knew Mahdi was still going to make assumptions about it and wanted him to leave her alone.
«I think it’s crazy. I don’t want it brought up any time I’m doing something or painting someone.»
Stevi assured Mahdi that he was «enough» for her and that she loved him and wanted to be with only him. While their storyline suggests that Mahdi probably backed out of marrying Stevi because of her secretiveness, the couple is still together in real time. The timeline of when Stevi and Mahdi filmed the show cannot be deciphered. However, Mahdi is still living in America, which confirms that he married Stevi within the 90-day window and is now awaiting his spousal visa.
Whether or not 90 Day Fiancé star Stevi is bisexual doesn’t change how she feels about Mahdi, and that’s what matters. When she’s with him, she’s not thinking about gender, just their relationship. Her nude paintings likely started at a client’s request, and since she was good at it, she accepted more work. Mahdi needs to understand that in America, nude figure painting isn’t taboo, it’s a legitimate art form. Claire, who’s married with children, likely felt comfortable posing because of her strong friendship with Stevi. It wasn’t about anything inappropriate. It was about trust, art, and professional respect.
90 Day Fiancé airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EDT on TLC.
