Several 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days fans are speculating that Mahogany Roca is an actress after watching her finally meet Ben Rathbun during episode 10. Something about Ben and Mahogany’s B90 relationship always felt strange, be it their age gap of 30 years or the way that she never video-called him. While Ben refused to believe that Mahogany was scamming him, it’s 90 Day Fiancé viewers who feel like they’re being conned.
The entire "first meeting" scene between Ben and Mahogany looked scripted to them, from Mahogany’s accent to her saying “oh my gosh” over and over again to her eating empanadas with a fork and knife. Do all of these clues suggest that catfish Mahogany was acting and TLC producers were trying to recreate the David Murphey and Lana storyline? While 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days is no stranger to catfish storylines, Ben and Mahogany’s relationship has kept fans on their toes since their late introduction in season 5.
The B90 star Ben’s religious cult background (he's a former pastor with four kids and an unhappy ex-wife) brought him attention. So did the odd statements and thirsty selfies that Ben posted on Instagram. Mahogany was a different case altogether, as she didn’t even look like a real person thanks to her use of layers of filters on her social media selfies. However, Mahogany’s natural face was revealed by TLC in the season promo photos, when she finally met Ben in San Bartolo. Mahogany’s scene with Ben felt scripted to many, thanks to her seemingly rehearsed lines, over-the-top reactions, and accent-free English.
While Mahogany filtering her photos excessively, and the fact that the B90 star claimed she was 22, not 24, were both good enough reasons for fans to doubt her, they found other reasons on Sunday night. “Wait, I thought Ben said Mahogany didn't speak English that well? She seems to be doing OK for herself. And her accent seems off. Both the English and Spanish accents. Am I the only one?” asked Twitter user @PigsBFlying. A different fan @Crymearivrx chimed in, “Mahogany is giving ummm ... Improv actress?? Lol She's trying to get discovered. Definitely an aspiring actress or entertainer of some sorts." TLC viewer @TweetsFromAnRN posted, “This is an actress 100% … #Mahogany was never real, she’s planted by production 🤔”
Fans Think That B90's Mahogany's Scenes Seemed Scripted
To many, Mahogany’s entry scene with the heels clicking on the restaurant floor felt like something straight out of a telenovela. Interestingly, Ben recognized Mahogany instantly when she walked in, although she looked nothing like the filtered pics she’d sent him. Fans argued that Mahogany from B90 was actually prettier than the edited photos. She spoke fluent English, although Ben has claimed, “her English isn’t perfect.” To fans, this suggested that she’s a hired actor in a fake storyline with Ben. Mahogany seemed too outgoing for someone who was refusing to video chat with Ben. Reddit user Illustrious_Ad_00 called Ben and Mahogany’s first scene together “the most awkward ‘first meeting’ in 90 Day history” and asked, “Where did TLC find these -F rated actors? 🥱” They explained that the way Mahogany behaved during the dinner is exactly how a Spanish drama unfolds. “It’s like she memorized everything line by line and is exaggerating her actions,” the commenter added.
There are 90 Day Fiancé viewers who couldn’t buy Ben’s story for a second and wondered if he was there on the show simply for clout. A throwback video from 2019 of Mahogany, posted on the Misión Internacional La Roca page on Facebook, suggests she does love to act. Mahogany being disingenuous while conversing with Ben, even though they have discussed having kids in their three months of chatting, was suspicious to many. So was her refusing to tell Ben that she loved him and swerving to avoid his kiss when she left. Another couple on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, Usman Umar and Kim Menzies, have also been accused of faking their relationship. So, could it be that Ben and Mahogany partnered to be on the show for fame, or is Mahogany from B90 just a producer plant in a made-up plot to boost the show's drama quotient?
Sources: @PigsBFlying/Twitter, @Crymearivrx/Twitter, @TweetsFromAnRN/Twitter, u/Illustrious_Ad_00/Reddit