A BRITISH grandmother who flew to The Gambia to marry her younger lover believed she had found love and a new life.
But for Zena, from Oxted, Surrey her fairytale romance quickly turned into a devastating nightmare.
She says she was scammed out of her life savings, and her devastating journey from love to despair was captured in a now-viral TikTok video, which has viewers across the world in tears.
The emotional clip captures a moment of raw vulnerability and regret, with many on TikTok speculating it was filmed just before her appearance on the reality show 90 Day Fiancé.
In the video, the grandmother, now reportedly stranded and broke, speaks directly to the camera, her voice trembling.
“I’m not expecting any sympathy, don’t think that,” she begins.
She goes on to reveal the heartbreaking truth: she got married, only to discover her new husband had a wife and three young children in his village, two of whom were under the age of two.
“It’s made me feel sick,” she confesses, adding that she’s “all of a shake.”
Now stuck, with “bugger all” to her name, she recounts her desperate situation, explaining that her only possessions are a chicken pie, a tin of cream soda, some cheese, and bread.
She claims to have called her ex-husband for help and is hoping a friend will set up a GoFundMe page to get her home.
“I don’t know why I let it happen,” she expresses, acknowledging that it was her own fault but adding that “we all live and learn.”
The clip has many people talking on TikTok with viewers who are now connecting it to her journey before she was to be married on the popular US reality show.
We previously revealed the story of Zena, the 65-year-old gran from Oxted, Surrey, who found love with a much younger man she met on holiday.
Now, new details have emerged about her whirlwind romance, including her appearance on the show 90 Day Fiancé UK, where she defended her relationship against a wave of criticism.
Zena’s love story began two years ago in The Gambia, where she was swept off her feet by a handsome waiter at her resort, Ebrima.
It is not clear if this viral clip is talking about Ebrima or not, but social media users believe this is the relationship before Ebrima.
At 44, Ebrima is 21 years her junior, but Zena says their age gap is a perfect fit.
90 Day Fiancé
“I thought he’s rather nice, he’s tall, he’s handsome, we’ve had a few dates and we’ve had a relationship ever since,” the mother-of-four shared.
The gran admitted she has no interest in men her own age, who she says she is not attracted to.
“Men in their 60s, I’m not attracted to. They’re all bald and have big fat guts. They’re like washed-up coleslaw. I don’t fancy young men, I like an in-between,” she said.
But while Zena is happy to have found her one and only after three long-term relationships, her family remains unconvinced that Ebrima has her best interests at heart.
Their suspicions were only confirmed after they discovered his secret social media profile.
The romance has also been a financial one, with Zena buying her new man a brand-new iPhone, a mattress, and sending him over £1,000 for birthdays and Christmas to help his struggling family.
She has also appeared on 90 Day Fiance UK series[/caption]
Zena has hit back at those who accuse her of being a “visa vagina” or a “sex tourist”[/caption]
She also revealed that he has asked her for an additional £3,000 to help him start a taxi business.
Despite the generous gifts, Zena hit back at those who accuse her of being a “visa vagina” or a “sex tourist.”
“He’s extremely fit and I am so attracted to him. When I put a few posts up on my social media, a lot of people said ‘You’re just a visa vagina’ or ‘You’re just a sex tourist.’ No, I’m not a sex tourist because if I wanted [to have] sex in England I would, even at my age.”
The gran also defended her financial generosity, telling critics: “I am a generous person and if I think someone needs money, I will give it to them because you can only keep so much for yourself.”
5 red flags that you’re dating a catfish
New data has revealed that 40 per cent of us know someone who has been catfished, while 22 per cent have fallen for catfish themselves.
April Davis, founder and president of LUMA Luxury Matchmaking, has shared five key ways you can catch a catfish.
1. You can’t find them online
Almost everyone has a social media presence – especially those who are willing to try dating apps. So if you can’t find them anywhere online, like a Facebook, Instagram or even LinkedIn account, this could be a major red flag.
April says: “If you’re suspicious, ask to add them on Facebook or Instagram. If they refuse or the account they send you looks new, that’s a red flag.”
2. Conversations got personal, quickly
Catfish are well known for ‘love-bombing,’ which is a form of emotional manipulation.
So, if the person you’re talking to immediately goes over the top with compliments, wants to communicate all the time, and makes statements like ‘I love you’ within a few days of speaking, it’s a big red flag.
3. They don’t open up
If someone is asking a lot of questions about you but is not willing to offer up much in return, this could be a catfish red flag.
This is because these scammers are, of course, not who they say they are and it can be hard for them to keep their lies straight.
As a result, most catfishes would rather not give out any personal info at all if they can help it.
4. They ask for money
Asking for money, no matter the reason, is a huge red flag.
Whether they want a bank transfer or your credit card number, catfishes have a wide range of sob stories to tell when it’s time to try to swindle you out of your cash.
5. They won’t show their face
Unsurprisingly, someone who doesn’t want to show who they are in a video call or real-time pictures could be a catfish.
The last thing a catfish wants is for you to see their real face because they usually steal pictures from someone else to use.
This means they are likely to refuse to send photos or do video calls.