Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘My Korean Boyfriend’ revolving around 5 Brazilian women as they travel to Seoul, South Korea, in the hopes of securing their forever love, we get a romantic original. It is essentially a blend of ’90 Day Fiance’ and K-dramas since all the dynamic, vibrant women are at different stages of getting to personally know their respective local potential beaus. They thus arrive with the sole aim of figuring out whether their connection can survive daily challenges, only for Mariana “Mari” Tollendal to find the entire experience quite eye-opening.
Mariana “Mari” Tollendal Hails From a Supportive Family
Born on August 27, 1997, in the wondrous city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Mariana “Mari” Tollendal grew up surrounded by unwavering affection, care, love, and support. It appears as if she was always encouraged to be her most authentic self as well as pursue her passions no matter what, which gave her immense confidence in her abilities and who she is. She hence ended up following in the footsteps of her ancestors, who were big in the music/entertainment industry because they knew it was what brought people from all walks of life together.
Mari is actually the great-granddaughter of the legendary Maria Cerise, who reportedly broke a lot of glass ceilings as the first woman ever to conduct an orchestra in Minas Gerais. She was inspired by her when she touched a piano for the first time at the tender age of 13, following which she took some lessons and then continued learning various other instruments on her own. She had no idea it would set her up for the future, with her parents, siblings, cousins, and extended loved ones all rooting for her at every step of the way, as made evident through her social media.
Mariana “Mari” Tollendal is a Proud Entrepreneur and Public Figure
Despite Mari’s keen interest in the world of music as well as performing, it seems as if she initially chose to pursue a more traditional path so as to build a solid foundation for later years. She reportedly kick-started her career as a journalist before spreading her wings as a marketing professional and model, too, taking up every opportunity she could to make a name for herself. She posed for Zack Magiezi, worked with Acqua Marina Pousada Hotel, promoted Tauá Group resorts, and marketed the brand Urban Forms Atelier, all the while also dabbling in photography.
However, Mari had realized by 2021 that she had a different calling altogether, so she continued down the path she was on to make ends meet, but her priorities had drastically changed. After all, she soon launched herself as a singer-songwriter and established Toll, with the latter being a clothing brand that deals in her signature pieces — hats, sunglasses, dresses, and more. Her business’s physical store is located in the Federal District of her former base of Brasília, Brazil, but they also have an online store and offer customizations before shipping throughout the nation.
Coming to Mari’s music career, she told RealNews that she never planned on being an artist. She candidly said, “The artistic streak has always been there, but the process of becoming a singer is still happening… I’ve worked in many fields, but I never imagined the possibility of performing as an artist. Life is what happens between our plans.” Under the stage name Tollendal, she released “Voando Pela Noite” (“Flying Through the Night”) in 2021, followed by “Seus Olhos” (“Your Eyes”), “Pescador” (“Fisherman”), and “Poder de Atracao” (“Power of Attraction”) in 2022.
Since then, Mari has come out with records like “Eu Te Falei” (“I Told You”), “Junho” (“June”), “Sem Voce Aqui” (“Without You Here”), and “Me Amo Mais” (“I Love Myself More”) in 2024. Most recently, though, she released “Stories No Role (Mulher Decidida)” (“Stories on the Go (Determined Woman)”) and a love song entitled “Brazil to Seoul” alongside Hyuny in 2025. As if that’s not enough, the recording artist has even been performing these singles — she held her first concert in March 2024, and her most recent live set was at the BNB Fest in December 2025.
Mariana “Mari” Tollendal is Family-Oriented and an Animal Lover
While Mari’s relationship status is unclear as of writing, since she has preferred to keep the details out of the limelight in lieu of the reality show, she and Danny Kim do still seem close. She had first come across the Korean content creator on Instagram, just to be so enamored by his confidence, presence, and style that she ended up sliding into his DMs without hesitation. Thus began their long-distance situationship, which appeared to turn into something concrete during her visit to Seoul in 2025, but they still seem to be in touch without having explicitly defined their bond.
Coming to Mari’s personal experiences, whenever she is not focusing on her career as a rising star, giving interviews, or maintaining her fitness, she appears to be spending time with loved ones. These include her parents, siblings, extended relatives, close friends, possibly Danny, as well as her beloved animals, all of whom have stood by her through thick and thin over the past few years. In fact, it looks like the 28-year-old recent São Paulo resident is not only a cat lover and horse enthusiast but also has them as pets, whom she absolutely loves to be around whenever possible. We should mention that we asserted “recent São Paulo resident” because she relocated there from Brasília in December 2025.
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