James Cristia and Alla Subbotina were the most prolifically discussed couple to come out of the reality series Love After Lockup. James came on the show as a committed boyfriend who corresponded with Alla, an inmate, through a pen-pal dating website used by prisoners.
Alla, a drug-crime prisoner turned model, was familiar to audiences through her addiction, release from prison, relapse, and tangled romance with James. Theirs was tale unfolded over the years into one of tragedy, heartbreak, and hope.
As of 2025, we all want to know: Are Alla and James still a couple? Based on what has happened since they were on television, the question is not necessarily a trivial one. In this article, I will take you through the facts: the timeline of their romance, the public records, the break-up (if any), and the untimely death of one of the couple. You’ll learn what the records show and how that determines the answer today.
As of 2025, Alla Subbotina and James Cristia are no longer together. The reason is deeply sad: Alla overdosed in August 2021 at the age of 31. Her passing put an end to their extended and complicated history on a definitive note.
Before she died, James and Alla had already experienced their highs and lows. They were still with each other on set when they were filming the show and attempted to rekindle again after that, but the relationship was dashed by her continued relapses and prison terms. James was quick to acknowledge that he still loved her but at the same time knew that she needed to work on herself and get well before they could ever have a future together.
Her early passing shocked her fans and left James heartbroken. He gave eulogistic words of sorrow and remorse, talking about how much she was to him despite the upheavals they experienced together. In 2025, the plain and straightforward response is no, but in good faith, their tale continues to live on in the fans’ shared memory who lived it out.
Relationship Status Explained
The James and Alla relationship was not smooth. They were not a TV couple on screen; they were two actual people struggling to get their bearings in the large, behemoth struggles of love, trust, and sobriety. Towards the end of Love After Lockup, it was evident that their relationship was one of love and passion but one of pain and continuous cycles of separation.
Unfortunately, there were never any lasting joyous moments. Alla’s addiction issue always drove her back into a lifestyle that strained her own and that of James. They were no longer a couple in action when she died in 2021, but James’s enduring love for her was spoken of in what he said about her and his public grieving.
Briefly, but technically, they were not together at the time she passed away. Theirs was never a relationship of neat conclusions. It was one of love that existed in some capacity in the midst of tragedy, a love that could never quite bloom because of the circumstances beyond their control.
When and Why Did They Break Up?
The primary cause of their separation was not that they didn’t love each other but the sheer strength of addiction and relapse. Trust problems, time spent apart due to jail, and the sheer weight of having to support someone through repeated failures made it impossible to sustain a healthy relationship.
By 2018, James had affirmed they were no longer together, although he never bad-mouthed her. Their relationship was a complicated one, with the hope of getting back together, only for the cycle to go on. Alla’s shocking death in 2021 provided closure in the worst possible manner, with James grieving not only a past girlfriend but someone he cared for immensely despite it all.
How It All Started?
James and Alla met on Love After Lockup, a reality show that matched individuals on the outside with their partners in jail. The couple stood out immediately because James was characterized as a patient, soft-spoken man coming to the aid of Alla, who was dealing with addiction, making their storyline incredibly unpredictable and emotional.
They began dating during the filming of the first season, and viewers quickly became invested in James and Alla’s storyline. James offered consistency, while Alla offered hope of what a second-chance life and second-chance love look like. But reality set in quickly. In 2018, Alla relapsed, went back to prison, and they began their cycle of temporary separations and reunions as a couple.
Latest Public Appearance or Mention
The last major public moment related to their relationship occurred in 2021 when James publicly mourned Alla’s death. James expressed his sorrow and the profound loss he experienced while reflecting on her quality of life, how she changed his own, etc. Since that time, James has not spoken publicly very much about Alla, but his tributes certainly left the impression that she is going to be with him for the rest of his narrative.
Clues from Social Media and Public Life
Throughout their relationship, social media was a source of excitement and turmoil for fans. On occasion, James or Alla could be seen on social media liking or commenting on posts to each other, which made fans think the two were possibly reconciling. On the other hand, when James did not post anything for long stretches, deleted their mutual photographs, and gave vague social media responses, it implied that the couple was no longer together.
Finally, one of the biggest revelations took place in 2021 when James went from being cautiously optimistic about Alla’s recovery to posting public grief after her death, which confirmed what fans had already feared: she had decreased in health and their relationship could no longer continue.
Career or Life Developments That May Affect the Relationship
James’s life outside of the series consisted of being a father, as well as having a steady job. He often commented that walking that fine line between ensuring the well-being of his family while trying to support Alla was not easy. Alla’s road to a new future was limited, considering her repeated trips to jail, and her troubles with addiction were a concern for her to be able to ever find normalcy again.
The conditions of their lives gave their relationship a very unstable foundation. While James was trying hard to think about settling into stability, Alla was constantly pulled back by personal challenges. Their living situations provided probably the most defining issue that kept them from forming lasting relationships in the end.
What Fans Are Saying?
Even after James and Alla’s story came to an end, fans of Love After Lockup are still talking about the couple, even years later. Many identified their story as one of the highlights of the show, not necessarily because of a happy ending, but because of their honest and raw depiction of love under pressure. Some fans were heartbroken over Alla’s death, and others admired James’s loyalty and willingness to help Alla even when the relationship seemed to be collapsing.
There have also been discussions surrounding whether reality TV produced any extra stress in James and Alla’s situation, with some viewers believing that the filming made the situation worse. Nevertheless, the fan responses were still mostly empathetic, with many fans showing sadness for what they both went through.
What’s Next for Them?
For Alla, her story was over far too soon, and her fans will remember her for her fortitude, even in the face of enormous obstacles. For James, his future is about healing and moving on while honoring her memory. He may not be in the public eye the way he was during the show, but his reflections in the aftermath of her death leave little doubt he is still carrying her with him in spirit.
There is no chance of reconciliation, but James’s story is a reminder to viewers about the necessity of showing kindness and that love can endure in a significant way, even if love itself doesn’t endure in the more traditional sense.
Conclusion
In conclusion, in 2025, James and Alla are not a couple. Their relationship ended long before that, and Alla passed away tragically in 2021, signifying the end of their story. They had a story of love and joy but were plagued by addiction, incarceration, and emotional turmoil. Since then, James has openly grieved for her and has shared with fans that he loved her long after the relationship was officially over.
While James and Alla’s relationship may not have ended in the way that fans had hoped, their story is still meaningful to fans who followed them. Whether it is the moments of joy, pain, or the tragic ending, James and Alla’s relationship remains one of the most compelling stories to come out of Love After Lockup, for better or worse. Fans will continue to look back, reflect, and remember them in the years to come.
