90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days couple Vanja Grbic and Božo Vrdoljak’s storyline in season 7 didn’t have a great start on episode 9. Vanja is a 41-year-old woman from Orlando, Florida. She is multitalented and does four jobs. Vanja is a professional belly dancer, she is a permanent makeup artist, a vegan baker, and a medical sales rep. Vanja is originally from Bosnia. Vanja has painful memories of surviving on boiled flour and onions while air raids were happening, and bombs were dropping everywhere. Vanja managed to change her life for the better as she grew up.

Vanja was engaged to a man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with 11 years ago. However, they started having arguments, and she couldn’t figure out what was going on until Vanja walked in on her partner making out with a different woman on a couch. It may have been like a scene from a movie playing in slow motion for 90 Day Fiancé star Vanja, but she needed years to bounce back from the shock of knowing her husband-to-be was leading a double life.

How Did Vanja Meet Božo?

Vanja Was On A Solo Trip In Croatia

Vanja is originally from Bosnia in Eastern Europe. Eight months before filming Before the 90 Days,Vanja took a solo trip back home to reconnect with her culture, her country, and her people to get her “groove back” after her broken engagement. Vanja went to Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia and Croatia. She went to a lot of different cities that she’d never been to before and ended up in Split. While she had to spend a night in the city, she was bored and was swiping through a daring app when she saw a man she described as “absolute perfection.”

“And it was like, ‘whoa, my God.’”

Vanja introduced Božo by saying he was a very successful basketball player. She said she had never dated any athlete before and Božo was “very hot, like really hot.” Božo had a six-pack that Vanja wanted to wash some laundry on. It was an immediate right swipe, but Božo didn’t respond until she had already left the city. It was time for her to go back home from her solo trip, but Božo and she had started talking, and it continued over time. She felt butterflies in her belly every time she received a message from Božo.

Božo’s Biggest Red Flag Revealed

Božo “Froze” His Relationship With Vanja For His Ex

Vanja knew that Božo could hurt her in person as he had done so once in the past. Vabja was planning her trip to Croatia a few months into the relationship. However, she suddenly realized Božo was acting a little strangely. He was not picking up the phone and not being as communicative. He finally called Vanja to inform her he wasn’t going to see her anymore. “I’m seeing somebody here, sorry,” Božo said. However, a couple of months passed when Božo told Vanja he was no longer with the other woman and wanted to work on his feelings for Vanja.

Božo Did Not Tell His Family About Vanja

Božo Was Afraid His Mom Would Push Him To Marry Vanja

Vanja and Božo were talking all the time. She liked that he had an interesting sense of humor and made her laugh. She was flying to Croatia to meet Božo for the first time in real life. She was excited to know where their relationship would go once they were together in real life. Božo lived with his mom and aunt. He called himself an “old, rusty Cadillac.” Božo’s aunt and mother were a religious pair, praying for him to find a new girlfriend and move out. His mom wished for Božo to have a partner that would complete him.

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He said his mom would “probably” be thrilled about Vanja, but she didn’t know that Vanja existed. He thought his mother would get his hopes up and push him to marry Vanja. While he envisioned a future with Vanja, he imagined his mom would put pressure on him and start planning the wedding. He only told his mom about his new romance a day before Vanja was about to arrive in Split. “I don’t want my mom to get hopes up, and it’s all for nothing,” he added. He said that his mother would tell Vanja “some things” that he wasn’t ready to deal with.

Božo Has No Job

Božo Wasn’t A Professional Footballer Anymore

Meanwhile, Božo did tell his mom that he was going to be meeting Vanja in Croatia while she spent three weeks there. As expected, his mom’s first reaction was “Thank God.” She wished for Vanja to help Božo find himself. She asked Božo if Vanja knew that he didn’t have a job. “She doesn’t. I told her I play basketball,” he admitted. Božo’s mom mentioned that he couldn’t make a living through basketball because it was more of a recreational thing. Božo didn’t think he “needed to” tell Vanja that. Božo had been replaced by “better, taller” players in his team.

“She’s successful woman and I’m not even close with her qualities and hard workings. So it feels a little bit less man.”

Božo Ghosted Vanja As She Traveled To Croatia

Božo Was Having Second Thoughts About Even Meeting Her

While she was on her way to meet the love of her life, Vanja only had 10 minutes to make it to her connecting flight, and she had not heard from Božo at all. She had been reaching out all day and Božo had not been picking up. She missed her flight, but the airlines were able to book her another flight. Meanwhile, Božo had not picked up her calls before she left. He didn’t message her when she was flying, and it had been an entire day since she’d heard anything from him. She worried he’d changed his mind.

Božo Said Vanja Is His “Nice Friend”

Vanja Did Not Expect To Hear This From Božo

However, Božo did answer Vanja’s call when she reached Frankfurt. He didn’t tell her why he had ghosted her and Vanja didn’t ask either. Talking to his mom had made him anxious about meeting Vanja. He was “consciously and subconsciously” moving away from her, but he suddenly remembered that Vanja was something special for him and that they had a bright future ahead of them.

He made her feel special by gifting her a live plant upon receiving her at the airport. Instead of going to her apartment for her check-in, Božo took her to a cooking class on a date (via ET.) While introducing themselves to the other couples who were making Soparnik, someone asked them if they were official or “something in between.” Božo told them that he and Vanja were “just nice friends.” Vanja was hurt by Božo’s declaration and said, “No we’re not.”

Vanja Expected To Be Engaged To Božo On The Trip

Did Božo Propose To Vanja?

Vanja told the producers that she was hoping to get a ring at the end of the trip. To her, it would have been the “best gift” he could send her home with. Vanja was confused when he heard her saying they were just friends when she was in Split to pursue a potential connection. It was very hurtful for Vanja to hear it. She didn’t know what was going on in Božo’s head, even though she knew that he joked around a lot. Vanja admitted she was “completely speechless.”

Are Vanja & Božo Still A Couple In 2024?

Are Vanja & Božo Still Together?

Božo didn’t want to take a “huge step” into the dark without knowing there was romantic chemistry between them. He refused to sleep with Vanja in her apartment. Vanja confessed Božo’s behavior was a shock to her, but she hoped for a behavior change. However, she started feeling like she may have been a fool all along. It cannot be deciphered if Vanja and Božo stayed together after 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, but they follow each other on Instagram if that is anything to go by.