From Bar Hookup to “The One”: The Messy Timeline of Emma and Jamal’s Hunt for Love Romance — and Why Fans Are Split

She was left stranded in the desert. He is franchise royalty by blood. And before the cameras even rolled, Emma Perry and Jamal Menzies were already a secret. Their origin story is one of the messiest in recent 90 Day history: a drunken bar night, a best friend caught in the middle, and a necklace scandal on camera. Now Emma is calling Jamal “The One,” fans caught them calling each other “babe” at a San Diego mall, and the fandom is at war over one question: is this real, or the season’s best storyline?

How It Started: A Bar, One Drunk Night, and the Best Friend Problem

Emma Perry first appeared on Season 8 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, where Ziad El Yahyaoui left her stranded in the desert after she admitted she had once been engaged to another man from Morocco. Jamal Menzies, son of Kimberly Menzies, previously dated Veronica Rodriguez on 90 Day: The Single Life Season 4.

The twist: Emma had been casually seeing Jamal’s franchise bestie, Rob Warne. That came out at the Before the 90 Days Tell All, and the fallout was real — according to reports, Jamal quit the 90 Day Bad Boys group chat in May 2026 over it.

Then, the night before filming, they learned they would both be on the cast. They met at a bar, got drunk, and one thing led to another.

The Necklace Drama That Split the Fandom

On camera, Emma went all in: she named Jamal her number one choice and said she expected to leave the retreat with her future husband. Jamal, meanwhile, came to explore — and made no secret of keeping his options open.

Then came the necklace moment. According to reports, Jamal gave Emma a necklace early on, then publicly asked for it back so he could give it to another woman. The internet erupted — commenters called him out for making her look desperate.

That is when the fandom truly split: skeptics said it proved Jamal was never serious, while believers blamed the villain edit.

The “Wedding” Episode and the “Babe” Sighting

On Episode 3, they went official — and Emma did not play it cool. On the show’s commentary series Sheet Talking, she called it her “wedding” episode and called Jamal “The One.”

Off camera, the clues keep coming. On October 18, blogger MerryPants posted that a follower had spotted the pair at a San Diego mall — reportedly calling each other “babe.” Believers say they are still going strong, but nothing is confirmed until the Tell All.

Team Believers vs. Team Skeptics: The Fandom Picks Sides

Team Believers has the receipts: the “wedding” episode talk, the “babe” sighting, and months of matching San Diego posts. They argue the necklace drama was one bad edited moment, and that a guy does not call a girl “babe” at the mall for a storyline.

Team Skeptics has the timeline: Jamal explored other connections on camera and humiliated Emma in front of the cast. They say messy starts rarely get clean endings.

So now it is your turn: are Emma and Jamal the real deal, or reality TV’s best-edited romance? After the bar hookup, the necklace drama, and the mall sighting — are you Team Believers or Team Skeptics? Drop your verdict in the comments.