A Connecticut woman who once faced skepticism from family and friends after marrying a man she met online says her marriage has proved the doubters wrong.
In 2021, Shalonda Trent began messaging Precious Ubaka Spik, a Nigerian national, on Facebook. Within two months, the pair became engaged, and by November of that year, they met for the first time in Dubai before marrying shortly after in Nigeria.
Trent’s family and church community in New Haven initially expressed concern, warning that she might be the target of an internet scam. Despite the doubts, she moved to Astana, Kazakhstan, where Spik was teaching English, and the couple began their life together.
Over the next few years, they welcomed three children: Amaya, now 3, Adrian, 2, and Ameeyah, born in July 2025 in Connecticut.
Spik applied for U.S. permanent residency, and in March 2024 three and a half years after their wedding he was granted a green card. The couple, who prepared their application without a lawyer, spent about $1,500 on the process.
While living in Kazakhstan, the pair enjoyed financial stability but faced cultural and social challenges. Trent reported feeling homesick and uncomfortable with frequent attention drawn to their race. “I wanted my children to be surrounded by peers who look like them,” she said.
The family eventually relocated to the United States, where Spik now works multiple jobs, including caretaking, security, and retail, earning up to $22 an hour while training for higher-paying roles. Trent, meanwhile, is at home with the children while pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology, with plans to work in mental health.
Despite their relocation, Spik has expressed a desire to return to Nigeria in the future to enter politics, a move Trent says she fully supports.
Reflecting on her journey, Trent said their story shows that not every online romance is a scam: “Our story proves that not everybody you meet on the internet is a catfish. If I had listened to the doubts, I might have missed out on the greatest opportunity of my life.”
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