90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days viewers were startled to hear that Ben Rathbun had been arrested for breaking his probation, but the 90 Day Fiancé personality has since been released on bail. Viewers previously noted that Ben’s bail had not been posted, despite spending half a day behind bars. After Ben spent over 18 hours in jail, he has been released, which has caused more buzz among viewers about his surprise arrest.
Ben is currently airing his romance with significantly younger Panama woman Mahogany Roca on Before The 90 Days season 5. Viewers were disturbed that Ben uses his religion to justify dating a woman 30 years younger than him. The 52-year-old former pastor has been accused of being creepy, which has led to backlash from fans. Ben might have been a late addition to the season, but many Before The 90 Days viewers have lashed out at him for how he continues to pursue Mahogany, despite her obvious discomfort. Therefore, few viewers were shocked or surprised to hear that Ben was in jail following filming. However, fans have still been animated about the arrest, given Ben's villain status in the franchise.
According to TMZ, Ben was arrested for a probation violation after allegedly not appearing at his February 7, 2022, hearing following an OUI and suspended license arrest in 2020 that resulted in 18 months probation. Reddit user soobe shared a screenshot from CLEMIS Inmate Locator that confirms Ben was released on bond; Screen Rant verified the screenshot after checking the CLEMIS website. Ben was booked on March 15 at 12:21 a.m. and released that evening at 6:59 p.m. Viewers previously discovered that his bail was set at $10,000, meaning that someone likely had to provide $1,000 for the former pastor to be released from jail.
Due to Ben’s reputation in the franchise, not many commenters voiced sympathy for Ben's current predicament. However, fans were curious as to who posted bail for Ben. “I feel like he probably called his ex-wife to pick his dumb *** up. It just feels like something he’d do,” one commenter wrote. “He was there from 12:20 am to 7:00 pm—hope she let him stew if she did,” another user wrote back. Ben previously declared that he works as the Executive Director of the Michigan Lupus Foundation. This has led to viewers speculating if his recent arrest will cost him his job. “I’m wonder if he’ll keep his present job, if he hasn’t lost it already. I looked at his LinkedIn page today. He hasn’t been a youth pastor for almost a decade!” one user wrote.
While it is unclear if Ben will lose his job over his probation violation arrest, he has already soured his reputation among 90 Day Fiancé franchise fans. Since Ben repeatedly used God to justify his relationship with a significantly younger woman, many viewers are questioning if it was God who wanted to see Ben behind bars. While viewers are very curious as to what Ben's response to his arrest will be, he has so far remained silent, though he was only recently released. Viewers can catch the conclusion of Ben and Mahogany's televised romance in the final few episodes of 90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days.
90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EDT on TLC.