As some 90 Day Fiancé franchise cast members arrived in America, they struggled financially and emotionally, which meant that they became too dependent on their parents. When entering a long-distance relationship, expenses can add up quickly, for flights, gifts, and other bills. Then, there are the K-1 visa expenses, so it’s easy to understand why many of these reality celebs have money problems.
However, it’s not just financial difficulties that cause cast members to rely on their parents. Sometimes, it’s the emotional turmoil of being involved in chaotic relationships that drives them to seek comfort. Many 90 Day Fiancé stars appeared onscreen with careers and their own homes, ready to support their partners as they transitioned to living in the US. Alas, that wasn’t the case for all 90 Day Fiancé alums.
Some co-stars, like 90 Day Fiancé's Paola and Russ Mayfield, depended on parents for a little while, until they could get their affairs in order. Newcomers Jibri and Miona Bell are doing the same with his parents, until they can afford to move to Los Angeles. Then, there are 90 Day Fiancé stars who earned bad reputations for mooching off their parents during most of their time onscreen.
Colt Johnson
When Colt Johnson first appeared on 90 Day Fiancé, it was clear that he was a mama’s boy, and he and his mother definitely enjoyed their cats. Colt lived with his mother, Debbie Johnson, not because he had to, but because the two were really close. Following 27 years of marriage, his father passed away. After that, it was the two of them against the world, and Colt wasn’t ready to let go of his mother. 90 Day Fiancé's Debbie turned out to be the major source of his relationship problems, as it appeared that Debbie was as attached to Colt as he was to her.
Brandon Gibbs and Julia Trubkina
When Brandon Gibbs brought his fiancee Julia Trubkina to America, he had a job, but it wasn’t paying enough for the couple to live on their own. However, his parents owned a farm, where they could live rent free in return for helping to care for the animals. Julia was less than enthusiastic and wanted to move away from the farm. Brandon eventually did the work for her, as well as his own job. The couple moved out of Hummingbird Acres Farm, but ended up returning. The second time, Julia appeared to have a more positive attitude about rural life.
Andrei Castravet and Libby Potthast
Andrei Castravet might not have relied on his parents, but he sure had no problem pushing 90 Day Fiancé's Libby Potthast to depend on her mom and dad. When they arrived in America, they moved into one of her father Chuck Potthast's rentals. Andrei, supposedly being uncomfortable relying on her father, pushed to move out. However, he then accepted Chuck's gift of an expensive truck that he could use in his trucking business. After the trucking business failed, the couple asked for a $100k loan so they could open their own house flipping business, which would ultimately be in direct competition with Chuck's company.
In the end, there’s nothing wrong with occasionally relying on parents. After all, a little help can go a long way. However, many viewers believed that these franchise stars took advantage. After spending years living rent free and relying on financial help from their parents, they should’ve been able to leave the nest much sooner than they did. 90 Day Fiancé's Colt’s case was a little different, but still proved that being overly dependent on a parent can cause problems. Some newcomers, like Emily Bieberly and Kobe Blaise, are in a similar boat, and 90 Day Fiancé viewers are eager to see how they will fare compared to their predecessors.