When Debbie Johnson introduced her Canadian boyfriend Tony, 90 Day Fiancé fans were pleased for her, but that's not the case now, as they want him to stop appearing on the show. Fans met Debbie during 90DF season 6, and they enjoyed watching her relationship with her son Colt Johnson unfold. Debbie constantly argued with Colt's wife, Larissa Lima, and had negative thoughts about Jess Caroline, whom he later dated. When Colt started dating Vanessa Guerra, his mom approved of her. However, the dynamics of Vanessa and Debbie's relationship changed when Colt married his former "friend." Eventually, Colt distanced himself from his mom, which inspired her to start a new life. Debbie's life became happier when she met (and then started a relationship with) Tony, who wants her to move to Vancouver, Canada.
Fans were overjoyed when Debbie met Tony. One reason why viewers were pleased was the fact that she finally found love again, 13 years after losing her husband. Following Colt's father's death, Debbie remained single, and focused on her son. When he decided to distance himself from her, people who watch 90DF and its spinoffs were worried about her state of mind. Therefore, Tony coming into her life was good news for them. In fact, they have been rooting for the sweet lovebirds ever since. Debbie and Tony are still together, navigating their relationship journey. However, fans have turned against him, due to a possibly racist tattoo, as per a Reddit thread started by IlikeTherapy.
Fans Wonder If Tony Is A Racist
Fans noticed the gigantic tattoo on Tony's back when the 90 Day: The Single Life season 3 premiere episode aired. Immediately, the tattoo's design concerned many fans, especially those from Croatia. Although the tattoo on Tony's back resembles the Croatian flag, its pattern is more like the sigil used by the Ustaše, a Croatian fascist group. The group was responsible for killing many Serbians, Jews, and Romani people during the Second World War. The Redditor, IlikeTherapy, looked up the tattoo's origin, and posted an image of it. They added the caption, "Looked up DEBBIE'S "boy toy" tattoos and "evo zore evo dana" was a marching song used by the fascist Ustaše.The Ustaše were Croatian ultranationalist and allied with Hitler and apparently were more brutal than Hitler! The big checkered shield is the Ustaše emblem. He might be a racist or formerly one."
Debbie Defends Tony From Racist Claims
Following the discovery, many fans are livid with Tony, and want him off the show. Those fans believe that he has skeletons in his closet, and wonder if he is, or was, a racist. Hence, they firmly believe that 90 Day Fiancé producers should investigate further. If he is found to have connections with the Croatian fascist group, they want his days in the franchise to end. However, Debbie has been defending her boyfriend. She responded to multiple fans, and took Ton'y side, in a series of now-deleted social media comments. In most of Debbie's comments, she insisted that her boyfriend is not a racist. According to Debbie, Tony's tattoo did not represent white supremacy. She said it is a Croatian flag, rather than a Nazi flag. She also described Tony as the least racist person that she knows. Additionally, she bickered with a fan who was adamant that the tattoo has a racist meaning.
Does Tony Have A Future In The 90 Day Fiancé Franchise?
With many more fans joining the call for Tony's removal from the TLC TV show, a lot of people are wondering what action the show's producers will take. Earlier this year, fans discovered several racist social media posts from Alina Kozhevnikova. Following the discovery, the TLC franchise ended its relationship with Alina, and changed its casting process, so similar occurrences could be prevented. Something similar may happen in Tony's case. However, since the current 90 Day: The Single Life season is almost over, fans aren't sure when action against him will be taken.
On the other hand, TLC may ignore the complaints about Tony. After all, former 90 Day Fiancé star Deavan Clegg complained that the franchise consistently ignored some of its stars' controversies, depending on how important they were to their shows. Deavan's claims are not proven, but the continued presence of Big Ed Brown in franchise content, despite worrying accusations against him, may lead some viewers to believe that Tony will receive the same type of treatment, no matter what he has done. Debbie is a valuable member of the 90 Day Fiancé family. It's possible that producers could be influenced by that, while assessing the situation. Fans are waiting to see what eventually happens.
Source: IlikeTherapy/Reddit