Getting catfished is a common occurrence among 90 Day Fiancé stars, but some cast members seemed as though they were getting catfished, when they were actually speaking to a real person. Because 90 Day Fiancé focuses on international relationships, many of the relationships on the show begin online. When speaking to someone on an app or a website, it's easy to pretend to be someone you're not. In many cases, people even upload photos of someone else to pass off as their own. This practice of faking another identity on the Internet is called catfishing.
The most famous case of catfishing on 90 Day Fiancé involved Yolanda Leak on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days season 4. Yolanda started an online romance with a man named "Williams," who claimed to live in England. However, there were many clues that Williams was not who he said he was. Eventually, Yolanda realized he was a scammer, and the two stopped talking entirely. Luckily, she did not go to England to visit him as she had planned. The actual identity of "Williams" was never revealed.
There was another famous case of catfishing in the show that ended very differently. 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way star Jenny Slatten began talking to a man named "Michael Jones" on Facebook in 2012. When Jenny discovered that Michael Jones was actually a man named Sumit Singh who worked at a call center in India, the two began a 10-year relationship. After a tumultuous union involving secret marriages and suicide threats, Jenny and Sumit recently got married. However, there have also been some 90 Day Fiancé cast members who seemed like they were being catfished, but actually weren't.
Caesar Mack
On Before the 90 Days season 3, Caesar Mack tried to meet Maria Divine, his 28-year-old Ukrainian online girlfriend, many times. Nail technician Caesar planned to meet Maria in Mexico. However, Maria never showed up. Fans were certain that Caesar was getting scammed. Therefore, they were stunned when Maria turned out to be a real person. She later ended up dating Jesse Meester, Darcey Silva's ex.
David Murphey
Yolanda Leak's co-star David Murphey from Before the 90 Days season 4 has another "almost catfish" story. Las Vegas man David traveled to the Ukraine five times to meet his online girlfriend, Lana. Each time, Lana didn't show up. Fans were positive that David was being catfished. Therefore, viewers were shocked when Lana was a real person. David and Lana got engaged on the show, but are no longer together.
Marta Maldonado
Marta Maldonado was only in four episodes of Before the 90 Days season 2. The single mother had began an online relationship with a Tunisian man named Daya, whose last name was never given. She planned on visiting him in Tunisia, but in order to do so, he needed to send her a signed invitation letter. However, he never did. In addition, the photos of him displayed on the show made many viewers think he was actually a Moroccan man named Aboubakr Ziani who made online prank videos. In a recent interview, Marta claimed that Daya is real, and they are still in contact.
Ben Rathbun
Ben Rathbun, 52, started an online relationship with Mahogany Roca, 22, in Before the 90 Days season 5. The Michigan man started having intense conversations with Mahogany, whom he believed was 24. They confessed their love for each other, and Ben made arrangements to visit her in Peru. Fans were concerned that Mahogany was a catfish, because they had never video chatted. Right before Ben got on the plane, Mahogany told him not to come. Nevertheless, he took the flight. When the 90 Day Fiancé franchise star arrived in Peru, Mahogany ghosted him. However, Mahogany eventually met with Ben, and was in fact the person she said she was, albeit with a different age (and maybe a few filters).