Chantel also shares how she and Pedro got their super fit physiques.
90 Day Fiancé star Chantel isn't here for the haters when it comes to her getting her BSN and graduating from nursing school. ET spoke with the reality star about the new season of her hit 90 Day Fiancé spinoff, The Family Chantel, and she addressed her family cracking jokes in the premiere about her taking a long time to graduate.
Because of the pandemic, Chantel took part in a graduation parade in her car on the season 3 premiere of The Family Chantel on Monday, and her husband, Pedro, joked, "After 10 years!" Her brother, River, also poked fun at Chantel during a confessional, noting, "Chantel is the first person in my family to spend 12 years in college."
Chantel explained her situation to ET's Melicia Johnson.
"My brother's so crazy," she said. "I was working as a nurse's assistant, like, right after I graduated from high school. I started working in the healthcare field and taking classes one at a time here and there. So, it wasn't like I took a full load and it still took me extra time to graduate. So, I was just taking classes here and there when I could. So, yeah, it did take me a long time."
But Chantel did hit back at River.
"Well, as far as River, because I know he was throwing some jabs at me, I mean, he can come at me when he gets his degree," she says. "Like, what is he doing?"
During Monday's premiere of the new season of The Family Chantel, Chantel also said Pedro needed to find a career other than working at a warehouse. As for what career she envisions for Pedro, she has two options in mind.
"One of the things that I would love to see Pedro doing is, I think he would be a good firefighter," she shares. "Yeah, being like a sexy strong firefighter, but also, Pedro, he has a lot of charisma. He's very charismatic so I think that he would do well in anything business-minded. ... First of all, Americans are in love with him right now. I feel like he just has that big smile -- you know, the big white smile and the trustworthy face."
Chantel said she definitely does not plan to be the sole breadwinner of their family, and that she and Pedro do want kids.
"That is my nightmare!" she said when asked about Pedro potentially being too comfortable now that she's a nurse. "But I don't feel like it's in his character, like, I don't feel like that's him. Since he is from a Hispanic background, I know they take a lot of pride in being the provider, so I really don't see that becoming an issue with us. But yeah, it would be a problem with me."
As for the two both looking extremely fit, she said the two do partner fitness routines together and reiterates that she's never had any cosmetic procedure done aside from Botox.
"This is the body that I was born with and, honestly, it's not perfect," she shares, admitting that it bothers her when she gets constant Instagram comments speculating that she got plastic surgery. "And, I mean, I feel like it is a compliment that they would think that, thank you, but there's things that I have to do to sort of keep everything in and keep everything together, but I haven't had any plastic surgery on my body or my face. ... This is literally the same face from season 1. ... I'm just 30 years old now, and the makeup has changed."
"I guess it did do something because everybody thinks that I got surgery," she adds of how getting older has changed her. "I did gain weight, though, since they saw me on 90 Day, because I was like a child, I was skinny. Now, I'm a woman."
Meanwhile, Chantel also commented on her family's strained relationship with her brother, Royal, after some drama ensued last season at his wedding in the Philippines to his wife, Angenette. During the season premiere, Royal and Angenette didn't want to be filmed.
"No, I don't regret anything that happened in the Philippines," Chantel says. "I think that we're a family, and we should be able to be honest with one another, be raw and vulnerable, and I don't regret anything."
Despite the strained relationship, she's extremely happy about Angenette and Royal currently expecting their first child together.
"I was so excited, and I still am, like, this is such great news," she says. "My parents, they're going to be grandparents, and I'm super happy for the both of them."
The Family Chantel airs Mondays on TLC.
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