Yara Zaya was just trying to put a smile on her fans’ faces by playing a joke on her husband, Jovi Dufren, but it backfired.
The 90 Day Fiance star proved she has a sense of humor and showed it off on Instagram, but her critics didn’t find it very funny.
Jovi recently returned home from a work trip, and to conjure up some laughs, Yara made a cardboard sign to welcome him back.
Yara filmed herself and her daughter, Mylah, carrying a sign into the airport parking lot for Mylah to hold when Jovi landed.
The sign read, “Welcome home from rehab, Daddy,” and the song Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home) by Usher played in the background.
At the end of the video, Jovi held the sign, expressing disapproval to the camera with his face as he realized he’d been punked.
In the caption of her video, Yara explained, “Welcome from #rehab. it’s going to be new tradition for me to meet jovi at the airport with fun sign. PS: I forgot to make a sign so I was doing this 20 minutes before he land and made him wait 😂.”
Thousands of Yara’s fans and followers found the humor in her post and realized it was a joke.
But others didn’t find Yara’s video funny and took to the comments section to lay into her.
Yara Zaya put on blast for mocking rehab
“Insensitive behavior,” wrote one of Yara’s critics. “Some people will do anything for views.”
Another disparager called Yara’s post “distasteful,” mentioning people who actually struggle and go to rehab.
The Instagram user also took a shot at Yara, writing, “That would be like us holding a sign for you saying Welcome Home from the Plastic Surgeon.”
Instagram user @heathersitek also found Yara’s Reel to be “distasteful,” adding, “This isn’t funny.”
“I love the two of you, but, as a sister of [an] addict who has almost died three times, this is very distasteful.”
Yara received harsh criticism but also had support from many of her followers.
Yara’s fans show their support and appreciate her humor
One such fan commented that Yara’s intent was not to be “hateful,” noting that she was “just messing around with her husband!!!!”
“If you’re offended by this you need your internet license revoked,” penned @michellewilkinson6621. “You’re too sensitive to be here.”
Some of Yara’s fellow 90 Day Fiance cast members (Ashley Michelle and Anfisa Nava) appreciated her humor.
Ashley wrote that she literally laughed out loud at Yara’s post, while Anfisa wrote, “I can’t with these.”
The 90 Day Fiance star apologizes for offending her critics
Yara took notice of the harsh criticism she received on the post and headed to her Instagram Story to clarify her intent.
“I go to my comment section on my last post, and oh my goodness, what’s happening over there?” she began as she recorded herself from an unidentified public location.
“You guys, when I make any kind of video on my page, the one thing I only want all the time is to put a smile on your face,” Yara continued.
“I definitely don’t want to offend nobody,” she added.
Yara then apologized for hurting some of her followers’ feelings and thanked her fans for understanding her humor, which she says is different since she’s from Ukraine.
Season 8 of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? premieres on Sunday, March 17, at 8/7c on TLC.