Get to Know Elise Benson’s New Boyfriend Joshua Lawson Ahead of ‘Before the 90 Days’
What To Know
- Elise Benson, previously featured on Hunt for Love, is returning to the 90 Day Fiancé franchise for Season 8 of Before the 90 Days.
- She is dating Joshua Lawson, a yacht broker from Sydney, Australia.
- Unlike other couples, Elise and Joshua were not photographed together for the show’s promotional materials.
If the new 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days cast announcement had you doing a double-take, trust us, you are not alone.
On November 5, TLC released the list of couples who will be making their franchise debut on Season 8 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, which follows American citizens traveling abroad to meet the person they have been dating online for the first time IRL. While the new season features a couple that is legally married (without having met in person) and a famous rapper from Belize, one cast member has already caught the attention of fans far more than the rest: 90 Day: Hunt for Love star Elise Benson.
Elise joined the Hunt for Love Season 1 cast as a 90 Day newbie, staying at a singles resort with franchise stars like Colt Johnson, Cortney Reardanz, and Tim Malcolm. As a clear standout from the cast of newbies, Elise was heavily featured throughout the season and sat on stage with the returning cast for the entire duration of the Tell All. Now, she’s making her own return to the franchise — this time, with a new man.
Scroll to find out everything we know about Elise’s new boyfriend, including where he’s from, what he does for work, and why the duo appears to be the only couple in the cast who was not photographed together. Plus, we’re giving you a much-needed recap of Elise’s time on Hunt for Love.
Who is Elise Benson’s new boyfriend?
According to TLC’s official announcement, Hunt for Love star Elise is currently dating an Aussie named Joshua Lawson. The network stated, “Elise, 32, a glamorous Miami real estate agent, met Joshua, 39, a yacht broker from Sydney, through Instagram. Five months later, they’re finally meeting in person.” We’re thrilled to learn more about how Joshua and Elise met during the premiere of Before the 90 Days Season 8.
Who is Joshua Lawson?
While Joshua Lawson is currently private on Instagram, he has publicly revealed a little bit about himself on LinkedIn. According to his profile, he is based in New South Wales, Australia, just outside of Sydney. Before he moved into his current position as a yacht broker, Joshua played as a stopper for multiple Australian football (i.e., soccer) clubs, including Manly United, Rockdale Suns, and Sydney Olympic. Based on a Manly United Facebook post from 2014, he is 6’2” and his favorite food is chicken parm.
What is Joshua Lawson’s job?
Elise’s new boyfriend, Joshua, works as a yacht broker at One Brokerage in Sydney, Australia. Ahead of celebrating five years at the company, he wrote on LinkedIn, “Having grown up on the water, my connection to the ocean runs deep. Yacht brokerage is not just a profession for me; it’s a passion.” Could this be another Pirate Johny from 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way scenario?
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Why weren’t Elise and Joshua photographed together for the Before the 90 Days cast announcement?
While the rest of the Before the 90 Days couples posed together for their Season 8 promotional pictures, fans were quick to note that Elise and Joshua were clearly photographed separately and photoshopped together. When we took a deep dive into these photos, we found that Joshua’s picture comes from the About Us section on his company’s website, and Elise’s appears to be an outtake from her Hunt for Love cast photo, as she is wearing the same outfit.
Now, we’re not going to immediately jump to putting on our tinfoil hats for this one, but it is a little suspicious that the couple seemingly still hasn’t met in person, and Before the 90 Days happens to be the only 90 Day Fiancé spinoff that can include catfishing narratives. While this could simply mean that Joshua and Elise have yet to film for the new season, seeing as the show releases next month, that would be cutting it a little too close. Could Elise be ghosted in Sydney? Only time will tell.
Who did Elise date on Hunt for Love?
During her time in Tulum for 90 Day: Hunt for Love, Elise fell for Carlo Nowlan. However, between filming the season and the Tell All, Elise made it clear that she and Carlo weren’t meant to be. At the Tell All, she revealed, “We lasted probably a solid month and a half, two months after Tulum and I broke up with him.” When it comes to why their relationship fizzled out, Elise shared, “I think the distance—he was very controlling. He wasn’t what I was looking for. And he was a manipulator.”
At the Tell All, 90 Day regular Tim Malcolm asked Elise out, following some heavy coaching from others at the Tell All. While Tim asked her, “Are you free this evening, after we get done with this oh-so-lovely Tell All?” and Elise said yes, she confirmed on Instagram that they never went out.
Could Joshua be Elise’s happily ever after? Are you excited to see Elise return to 90 Day Fiancé? Sound off in the comments below!
90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, Season 8 Premiere, Sunday, December 7, 8/7c, TLC
