Biniyam Shibre and his partner, Ariela Weinberg, have been making headlines after the 90 Day couple sparked pregnancy rumors on a recent outing. Biniyam starred on the second and third seasons of 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way alongside Ariela, who moved to Ethiopia to continue their relationship. The couple is now living in New Jersey and are part of 90 Day Fiancé’s ninth and current season. Bini appears excited to settle into his new life in the U.S. with Ariela and their young son, Aviel.
Biniyam is one of the most multi-talented cast members in the franchise, with a long resume showcasing a diverse array of hobbies including everything from martial arts to singing. Bini’s enthusiasm when it comes to perfecting new crafts is admirable, and his love for his family is endearing. Even though Biniyam is always eager to show off his skills, there are still plenty of things viewers don’t know about the reality star.
Biniyam Is A Man Of Many Talents
Biniyam is an artist and athlete who has held many jobs over the years. He has been a nightclub entertainer, a dancer, a wrestler, a gymnast, a martial artist, a choreographer and a singer. When viewers first met Bini, he was dancing at a nightclub with a dance partner who happened to be his ex-girlfriend.
Bini also recently released a catchy song entitled “Dancey Dancey,” featuring an energetic Ethiopian pop beat. Now in the U.S., Biniyam is pursuing a career in fitness, with the creation of a program he calls Binifit. According to an Instagram video, “Binifit is my new fitness platform! Work out with me from your home! Learn to dance, get in shape and have fun!”
Biniyam Is Proud Of His Cultural Heritage
Biniyam is proud of his Ethiopian roots, and uses his platform to teach others about his home country. His music videos regularly showcase Ethiopia’s rich cultural heritage, and he often incorporates visual pride for his country in his performances, such as the Ethiopian flag he donned at his MMA fight.
He’s also eager to teach his son, Avi, about the country he was born in, and appears to be teaching the young child to speak both English as well as Amharic, Bini’s native language. Ariela, who fell in love with the country during her first visit, shares Bini’s appreciation for Ethiopia and recently became a partner in an Ethiopian tour business.
Biniyam Has Two Sons
Some of Ari and Bini’s season nine 90 Day arguments raised red flags, especially those concerning their son, Avi. However, what viewers might not realize is that Avi isn’t Biniyam’s only child.
Biniyam has a 5-year-old son named Simon from a previous relationship. Simon lives in the U.S. with his mother and, now that the reality star is living in New Jersey, Biniyam has officially filed for joint custody of his eldest son. Biniyam appears eager to strengthen his relationship with Simon and to make up for lost time.
Biniyam Is An MMA Fighter
Biniyam may have many jobs, but one in particular has been producing quite a bit of fanfare lately. Biniyam, who has trained in martial arts, kickboxing and wresting, as well as other combat sports, has also dabbled in MMA (mixed martial arts) fighting. Now that he’s in the U.S., he appears to be pursuing MMA fighting full-time.
It seems like Biniyam might have a promising career in the sport, as he participated in his first fight a few weeks ago, which took place in New York, and won, taking down his opponent in just over 30 seconds. According to Comparably, MMA fighters in the U.S. earn a medium income of just under $45,000 a year, but can earn as much as $187,200 a year.
Biniyam’s Sisters Are Protective Of Him
Biniyam’s sisters, Wish and Mimi, threw one of the wildest 90 Day temper tantrums after Ariela voiced hesitancy over baptizing Avi. His sisters are not fans of Ariela and are worried that she will either leave him, separating him from his young son, or that she will rip Bini away from his family in Ethiopia.
When Ariela and Biniyam announced they were moving to the U.S., Biniyam’s sisters, who don’t support the move, became enraged, throwing wine in Ari’s face. Now that the couple is living in New Jersey, viewers are hopeful the added distance will help smooth over their family drama.
Biniyam Is Religious
Biniyam is a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian faith and he is extremely religious. According to Pew Research, nearly 36 million Ethiopians are Orthodox Christian, more than any other country in the world besides Russia. The research site also points out that communities in Ethiopia tend to be stricter practitioners of the religion than communities in other countries.
Biniyam fought to have Avi baptized into his faith, and wanted Ariela, who is Jewish, to convert as well. She chose not to convert but allowed him to baptize their son. Biniyam isn’t the only Orthodox Christian in the 90 Day franchise. Andrei, who is from Moldova, is also a member of the faith, as is his wife, Libby, who unenthusiastically converted in order to have a wedding in her husband’s hometown.
Biniyam Is A Romantic
Biniyam proposed to Ariela during a festival surrounding Timket, an Ethiopian Orthodox religious holiday celebrating the baptism of Jesus. He proposed in front of a large cheering crowd, even utilizing a green lemon, as per tradition. Ari and Bini don’t always see eye to eye, but Bini manages to keep the romance alive in their relationship.
Ariela has boasted about Biniyam’s romantic gestures, including a sweet Valentine’s Day surprise in which he decorated their bedroom with rose pedals and a bottle of champagne. Biniyam appears to enjoy making Ariela feel special.
Biniyam Was Married Before Ariela
Biniyam is not always one of the most likable 90 Day season 9 stars, but he gained sympathy from fans when he explained that his fear of Ariela leaving and taking Avi to America without him stemmed from a painful experience with his ex-wife.
According to Bini, his American ex-wife Bria took his older son to America after they’d been living together in Ethiopia. Bria and their son never returned to be with Bini. Both Bini and his family have expressed suspicion of Ariela’s intentions as a result of the similarities between this relationship and the one he had with his ex.
Biniyam Has A Strained Relationship With One Of Ariela’s Best Friends
Biniyam and Ari had many wild fights on air, several of which involved her ex-husband, Leandro, who also happens to be one of Ari’s best friends. Ariela invited Leandro to visit Ethiopia and allowed him to stay in the house with her and Bini. Bini wasn’t happy with Ari’s ex-husband staying there, and many arguments ensued.
To make matters worse, Ariela admitted she never officially broke up with Leandro, who, at that point, she’d been married to for a decade. Rather, they were on a break when she decided to travel to Ethiopia and randomly met Biniyam. Ariela and Leandro finalized their divorce soon after, but the bad blood between Biniyam and Leandro has remained.
Biniyam Wants A Big Family
Biniyam has been vocal about wanting a big family. In an interview with Us Weekly Ari spoke about wanting to have two children, while Biniyam announced he’d like to have 10, a number Ari said she’d negotiated him down to from 12.
Biniyam said in the same interview, “I love kids. I love playing with kids. If I had more kids, I’d be happy. I want a big family.” The 90 Day star might be in luck, as the Ariela has been fielding recent pregnancy rumors. Fans are eager to see how Ariela embraces Biniyam’s oldest son, Simon, and, of course, how Avi likes having siblings.
