90 Day Fiance’s Johnny Returns to China but Promises He’ll ‘Be Back’ With Ella in U.S. Soon

90 Day Fiancé star Johnny Chao has returned to his native China after spending nearly two months with girlfriend Ella Johnson in the U.S. However, he promises his time in the States is not finished. 

On Monday, August 28, Johnny took to Instagram to share an update on his visit to Ella in Idaho. He shared a series of photos from a Chinese airport, along with a meme of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Terminator saying, “I’ll be back.”

“After stayed in USA for 2 months i decided to go back to China for a while to prepare more money to bring with me next time only wanna say: I will be back. See you states,” Johnny captioned the post. 

Johnny revealed on July 4 that he finally made it to Idaho to meet Ella for the first time. “After 12 hour flights I made it,” he captioned an Instagram post. He and Ella took their first selfie together, delighting fans. 

A few days later, Johnny expressed how grateful he was to be there and shared some of the things he had done since arriving in Idaho. 

“Life is about to experience new things,” he wrote in a July 9 post. “First time touched real shot gun quite heavy one i didn’t touch the trigger. Touched real big dog husky, really feel dogs after well trained could be so good to touch and feel. First time rode horse just feel like Yo man i am floating . First time experienced ranch life, a lot of bulls s–t and pee and mud could be quite slippery few times really slipped almost fell down.”

Johnny continued, “Thanks for pick me up and drove so far away this time i didn’t feel any difference just feel like back to my hometown, just quite harmony and many good people never regret to fulfill this trip I am beyond grateful.”

Ella had a great time, too, as she revealed to fans on July 10. She shared a video filled with moments from Johnny’s visit and wrote that it was “really great to finally be in person” with him. “It’s like the drama from the show and before in person is gone. I am so glad our communication stays open always,” she added.

Johnny, a divorced father from Jinan, China, and Ella, a livestock rancher from Idaho Falls, Idaho, made their debut on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days season 5, which aired from December 2021 to April 2022. They met on a dating site for white women seeking Asian men and quickly fell in love. However, coronavirus pandemic restrictions and travel bans kept them from meeting in person. 

Johnny planned to move to the U.S. to be with Ella when travel bans were lifted in 2021, but he hesitated when coronavirus cases spiked again. Ella was frustrated by this, as she previously had a long-distance relationship with an Indian man that ended because he didn’t want a “sexual relationship” with her after they met in person. She feared Johnny would change his mind about her if he waited any longer to meet her. 

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Ella proposed that either she and Johnny meet halfway in Dubai, or he make their relationship open so that she could see other men in her area. Johnny wanted the relationship to stay monogamous, but he postponed his Dubai trip again and Ella cheated on him. Though Johnny was hurt, he continued trying to plan a visit to see Ella.

When Johnny finally made it to Idaho, Ella said they wanted to start planning their future away from TLC’s cameras. 

“If we do plan to continue our future together, which hopefully we will be able to, because that’s what we’re feeling,” Ella said on Instagram on July 8 after the couple received backlash for taking Cameo video requests. “This time is not going to be filmed everyone, so I will not be making any money other than the money that we make from the businesses that I’m starting.”