Reality TV has become just as scripted as any other TV show. Gone are the days of throwing seven strangers in a house and watching them like lab rats. Now there has to be drama and controversy and networks are only too happy to create the circumstances for that themselves. For example, the American half of one of the old school "90 Day Fiance" couples despises his wife's BFF, and the feeling is totally mutual. The BFF actually tells the camera on the regular that he's actively rooting for their relationship to fail and will do his best to help that along. This storyline dates back two seasons, with the wife always trying to get them to hang out and then somehow being shocked when it becomes arguments and chaos between the two men. I have no doubt a lot of this is stirred up by TLC producers wanting the men in the same room, and the couple obliging because they know drama will keep them on the show. If two people loathe each other, they loathe each other and even the biggest idiot wouldn't keep trying to make fetch happen. 90 Day is becoming increasingly hard to believe because the line between created storyline and real life is as blurry as its ever been. That's what it was a pleasant surprise last season when one of the couples appeared to have pulled one over on the network. Supposedly, we were watching as they counted down to the 90th day where they would either get hitched or cut bait. But really, the foreign half of the equation, who was 26, had pestered his 40-something fiancee into going down to the courthouse and secretly marrying. She didn't even tell her two daughters about the marriage, and she certainly didn't tell cash cow TLC that she'd likely violated their agreement. Not surprisingly, things went south after the papers were signed and she kicked him out. When asked by a TLC producer if she believed he would be going back to his home country now that his fiance visa would be expired, she said he actually wouldn't have to do that because they were already hitched. From reaction alone, and the scenes that followed, I don't believe the producer on site knew anything about the marriage. That's one scam they probably didn't expect.
It seems as though TLC may be in the process of being scammed again, this time by a new couple. Rachel is a 30-something single mom from New Mexico, divorced from the father of her 7-year-old daughter and mother to an 8-month-old daughter. She's a little frumpy and kind of boring, which is perfect for Englander Jon, who is also in his thirties and a bit odd and frumpy. I had an off feeling about Jon before we even met him, way back during the previews of the season. Going into the season, Rachel and Jon had the most intriguing storyline, if only because of the sheer oddity of it. They met on a karaoke app that allows users to duet with each other and began talking outside the app. Somewhere in the midst of this flirting, Rachel allegedly hooked up with some local guy and got knocked up. When she told Jon about it, he didn't flinch and said they should get married and raise the baby as their own. Rachel's mom, who is her BFF, was apparently on board with the plan until Jon tried to obtain a U.S. visa to be present for the baby's birth and was denied because he has a number of convictions in England for fighting, one incident so serious that it's basically a felony. Mom put the brakes on after that, but Rachel was not fazed and even had Jon on video chat as she was giving birth (she would later send him a piece of the baby's umbilical cord via the mail...yeah). Now that the baby is old enough to travel, Rachel is going to England to meet Jon for the first time. So where is the scam, you ask? Well, there are a lot of clues that it may be the bulk of the relationship.
Two years ago, a GoFundMe account was set up by Rachel and Jon to "fund our fairytale". That is, they were asking for money to pay for her to go see him. Rumor has it they raised a couple thousand dollars, but yanked the campaign when they were cast on 90 Day. However, a second GFM account popped up four weeks ago when their season premiered and was taken down when people began to question what they were raising money for now. And that's when the tide of public opinion started to turn. That and the fact that we actually met Jon and he's...difficult to read. He played American football for years and I wonder if he doesn't have CTE or some other after effects from that. He has dead eyes that often look glazed over, he takes forever and a day to answer questions and everyone in his orbit, from his mom and sister to his mates, seem to be very worried about what he's gotten himself into. And not in a normal way, but in a way that says none of them believe he can handle being a father and husband. I'm sure this worry is partially fueled by the fact that he's dated "hundreds" of women and been faithful to none, but I get the sense there's more to it. Adding to suspicion of what stage the relationship is in is how their supposed first meeting went. Rachel and baby flew across the pond, only to get a text from Jon saying he couldn't meet them at the airport, so get on this train and I'll meet you there. Separately, we see the reason Jon can't make it because he's hungover. When he finally does meet Rachel at the train station, they're both dressed awfully meh for a first meeting with the supposed love of their lives; sweatshirts, not particularly well-groomed. I would think you'd at least run a brush through your hair before such a meeting. And their immediate interaction is so odd...not first time meeting kind of vibes. Jon lives with his mom in a small house and that's where Rachel and baby will be staying. Mom doesn't seem particularly thrilled by any of this, but she's cordial to the guests. Jon has set up an entire nursery in the house (he's also paid for the baby's American daycare since Rachel went back to work) that was not cheap. After about an hour with Rachel and a well-behaved baby, Jon has to excuse himself to take a break and have tea with his mom. He remarks over and over again how stressful this is and how easy he thought parenting would be. He goes to check on the baby before bed, wakes her and Rachel is in another room wondering if she should go assist this total stranger with her own child. It's all bizarre.
I don't believe this is the first time Rachel and Jon have met. In fact, I think the baby might actually belong to him. I'm all for a yours/mine/ours kinda family and kudos to the ladies and lads who step up and love their partner's children like their own, but I don't know of too many people who would do that in this particular situation. Going by the timeline Rachel and Jon have laid out, they were already in loving conversation for two years when Rachel got pregnant. So they're in love and she goes out and gets knocked up and he just says, "Oh well, that's okay"? It's especially weird considering the anger problem he appears to have, you don't get multiple fighting convictions if you have all your marbles. I find it hard to believe he'd have been happy go lucky about it if he feels the way he says he does. And who would want the umbilical cord of someone else's baby? It's said that while women immediately bond with the baby they're carrying, some men need it to be tangible before they do they same. He'd seen the baby via video chat, but never held her. Holding the umbilical cord is supposed to be the same thing, I guess? Then, there's the attire both wore to bed, which was more indicative of long-term couple than first night together. He had on a shirt and flannel PJ bottoms and she had on a dingy sweatshirt full of holes and PJ pants. I'm not saying they should get busy right away (remember, his mom is downstairs), or that she needs to be donning hooker heels and a bustier, but it's like neither of them put in any effort to their appearances at any point. Like they already "had" each other, if you will. Add to this the fact that both of them are strangely combative on social media, going for the jugular of anyone who even floats the thought that maybe they've not been truthful about their relationship timeline. If you know you're truth, and that's what you're presenting, you don't get that upset. You let people believe what they want. The last thing that seems to point to some kind of story fraud is they married in June of this year, which would be less than six months from when they first met, sometime during the 2017 holiday season. You can't start the K-1 process until you've met in person, and even then it takes some time to approve it. It usually takes longer when the person wanting to come over is a criminal. I think it's more likely they met well before last year and the baby is his, but they won't cop to it because they've applied to be on this show before. And they would know you have to be interesting to be chosen. And we all know neither of them is particularly interesting. But the story is. At this juncture, a story is all it seems to be.
