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In a world where algorithmic matchmaking and digital romance often dominate the search for love, Greg Chillak’s story defies the conventional playbook.
Far from swiping through endless profiles or meticulously crafting online personas on dating sites, this Long Island native discovered his soulmate through a serendipitous encounter and a trip to Uganda.
Chillak, 35, of Islip Terrace and his fiancé Joan Kruchov, 27, of Kampala, Uganda, are among a handful of couples starring this spring on the 11th season of TLC’s 11 hit reality show “90 Day Fiance,” which airs Sundays at 8 p.m.
The program centers on Americans’ use of the K-1 “Fiancé” visa to help bring their international love interests Stateside for marriage. With the visa in hand, the couples then have 90 days to decide to whether to marry or send their partner packing.
An East Islip High School alumnus who has held several jobs including baker and currently freelance plumber, Chillak said that meeting Kruchov, a director of the non-governmental organization Nakajo Hope for Girls Foundation, was purely a function of not one but two chance encounters.
The first chance meeting happened on an airline flight to Arizona in 2018 when Chillak met Amos Wakesa, founder of a well-known Ugandan company, Great Lakes Safaris. The two connected and became friends, which led to Chillak visiting Wakesa in Uganda in 2019, resulting in a second chance encounter, this time with Kruchov.
Instantly fell in love
“I met her in a guesthouse in Uganda that my friend Amos was staying at,” Chillak told Greater Long Island. “I saw her and just I instantly fell in love. It was amazing.”
Kruchov would later relocate to the United States, following Chillak’s proposal in December 2023. The couple’s living arrangements — for the time being in Chillak’s divorced mom’s house in Islip Terrace — have made for some compelling, amusing and at times, tense reality TV, as Greg’s mom Lucille questions Kruchov’s frequent showers (which vary from two to three times daily).
But Chillak, an easy-going, down-to-earth Long Islander, said it’s just a matter of cultural differences.
“It’s more common for people in Uganda to take frequent showers than we do since they walk much more and it’s much hotter there,” he explained. “Also, water costs are less there than on Long Island.”
The couple have discussed moving out of his mom’s home and getting their own, but that’s still a bit down the road.
Trying to follow mom’s wishes
Meanwhile, Chillak said that for the time being it’s all about following his mom’s wishes.
“My mom is set in her ways and I respect that,” he said. “She wants things done a certain way … Joan is from a different culture, her diet is different, she doesn’t eat much sugar.”
The problem is that in an Italian household, food is ubiquitous.
“My mom is very old-school Italian, there are always cookies and pastries in the house and Joan doesn’t eat that stuff,” he said, adding that declining food in someone’s house can be taken as an insult.
He also noted that Kruchov loves his ability to cook.
“I consider myself an amateur chef,” he said. “I’ve showed her how to make lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, and many other dishes, in addition to cakes and cookies.”
Chillak said pizza is very popular in Uganda, so much so that he’s considered opening a New York style pizza shop there at some point.
“The pizza (in Uganda) — it’s good but not the best,” he said, noting that there are no slice shops in Uganda. “If you want pizza, you have to buy a whole pie.”
But, despite his amateur cook status, Chillak said he still has to control himself around food, especially since embarking on his weight loss journey, where he has lost considerable weight after peaking at 470 pounds.
“I was huge,” he recalled. “I couldn’t even tie my own shoe at one point — it was crazy.”
He said his dad, George Chillak, a retired New York City corrections officer and Long Island bus driver, discovered a diet for him to try, one that was all-natural and he ended up losing about 150 pounds over 63 days.
“It was difficult trying to maintain the diet while being at home, in an Italian household where food is a central part of life,” he said. “It was hard trying to break out of that pattern of eating.”
As far as being considered a celebrity, Chillak, who exhibits a very down-to-earth appeal, said he and his fiancé have been noticed a couple of times around town.
“I personally don’t feel like a celebrity … but millions of people watch the show, so it’s very interesting,” he said. Being recognized “is not something I’m used to.”
Looking to the future, Chillak said that if things work out, he would love to remain in the United States with Kruchov and perhaps establish a dual citizenship with Uganda.
“We’d love to go back to Uganda, possibly to retire,” he said, pointing out that the cost of living there is much less than on Long Island.
Chillak said Kruchov remains involved with Nakajo Hope for Girls, which helps create opportunities for women and girls in Uganda. She has an active GoFundMe page, encouraging donations.
“Uganda is such a unique, amazing place,” Chillak said. “The people are very warm, friendly and inviting.
“Hopefully, we make it to marriage,” Chillak continued, revealing that he also has thought of possibly moving to Uganda and “just be with Joan there.”
Top photo: Joan Kruchov and Greg Chillak (TLC).
