Ben Rathbun from 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days is reminding viewers of David Murphey and Caesar Mack as he romances his Peru-based girlfriend Mahogany Roca in season 5. Just like Ben, David, and Caesar get dragged for being former 90 Day Fiancé cast members who were blind to obvious red flags and being scammed by their online lovers.
On Sunday’s episode 7, Ben took a leap of faith and followed God’s plan by flying out to Lima against Mahogany’s wishes. So far, fans have spotted several clues which suggest that Mahogany is a "catfish" that uses over-the-top filters. She refused to get on a single video call with Ben during their three-month relationship.
52-year-old Ben was oblivious to the world of dating, as he spent most of his childhood and adult life in a strict religious cult. The Michigan man said goodbye to his pastor job (and marriage of 24 years), and eventually found love with Mahogany, a 24-year-old Peruvian woman. The 90 Day Fiancé romance of Ben and Mahogany began after she fell for his “old dude with abs” fitness modeling photos. However, in the 115 days that they’ve chatted, Ben realized that despite the 28-year age difference, he feels like B90 star Mahogany is his soulmate. Not only did Mahogany and Ben share the same religious beliefs, but she also didn’t get turned off when he revealed that they could only have sex after marriage. Getting intimate might not even matter to Mahogany, who is not even ready to meet Ben.
Is Ben Just Gullible?
After Mahogany asked Ben not to come to Peru because her father was doubting his intentions, he revealed that he planned to meet her a month ago on her birthday, and both were counting down the days (and even the hours). However, just a couple of days before Ben could catch his flight, Mahogany claimed that he should come, as her parents (whom she wanted him to meet) weren’t home. Both the incidents should have been wake-up calls for Ben, as he was in situations similar to the ones David and Caeser went through on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. In B90 season 3, Caesar, 26, from North Carolina, was communicating online with Maria Divine, his Ukrainian girlfriend of five years, whom he’d never met in person. While Ben has only spent $1000 as a “loan” on Mahogany, Caesar had given Maria $800 a month. Since they began chatting through an international dating service, he gave her $8000 in total.
Is Mahogany Playing A Game?
While the couple never met on the show, and their Mexico trip was a bust, Maria made an appearance on the finale and proved to 90 Day Fiancé viewers that Caesar wasn’t being catfished. Recently, Mahogany also told a Facebook follower that she's 22 years old and a real person. Whether Mahogany from 90DF isn’t serious about dating Ben and is seeing other men on the side, like Maria was, is something that only future episodes can reveal. On 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days season 4, viewers met David, who had tried meeting Lana from Ukraine four times before he actually saw her. Each time, Lana made an implausible excuse as to why she could not meet him, just like Mahogany is doing with Ben. Lana even admitted that she didn’t feel comfortable giving her real address to a man she’d never met, which could be the case with “shy” Mahogany as well.
Moreover, David revealed that he had been to Ukraine 20 times and spoken to 1,000 girls before meeting Lana. Ben was also in relationships with younger women before Mahogany, although he claims he’s not going through a mid-life crisis. The 90DF alum David from Las Vegas may have spent up to a quarter-million dollars (or even more) on Lana over seven years of dating, via a website. He even hired a private investigator to track her down, which added to the catfish suspicions. In the most dramatic fashion, David and Lana got engaged, but she was still on the dating site and couldn’t communicate with David. Ostensibly, it was not possible for Lana to use an iPhone with her long nails. Regardless, Maria and Lana were both real, and mostly scamming the older and desperate American men for money. Ben also fits the bill because the 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days trailers don’t show him meeting Mahogany face to face. Fans hope to see her in the Tell-All, if not in the finale.