Tiffany Franco and her South African husband Ronald Smith faced the challenges of long-distance marriage and co-parenting on 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way. But after facing divorce rumors and visa challenges, are Tiffany and Ronald still together?
28-year-old Franco met 30-year-old Smith when she was on vacation in Smith's native South Africa. After a whirlwind engagement, Franco and Smith married in South Africa. However, their relationship was strained due to Smith's gambling addiction. As featured on The Other Way, Franco and her 10-year-old son Daniel (from a previous relationship) moved to South Africa due to Smith's visa difficulties, but Franco ultimately decided to move back to the United States due to safety concerns. The couple welcomed their daughter Carley Rose in July 2019. Unfortunately, Smith was unable to be present for his daughter's birth, which took place in the United States. He also missed Carley's first birthday this summer.
In the 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way Tell-All special for their season, Franco and Smith announced that they were officially beginning the visa process to bring Smith to the States. But in January 2020, Franco took to Instagram to announce that she and her husband were separating. "Some things are just irreparable," she wrote. "We both deserve much better than what we can offer at the moment." Smith also confirmed the split on his own Instagram account, accusing Franco of refusing to register their marriage in the United States and alluding to potential infidelity on her part. He then apologized to Franco for the accusations and told fans to refrain from attacking his estranged wife: "I apologize to her for making her look like the bad guy... I took her for granted so please don't give her trouble."
Fortunately, the couple reconciled only a few months later. Franco addressed the controversy in an Instagram story: "I'm sorry everything was so public when things got really bad we both regret doing that and feel quite embarrassed... We both hope to fight for our marriage and spend the rest of our lives together." Franco shared a sweet photo on her Instagram to commemorate the couple's anniversary on October 20.
The coronavirus pandemic has further complicated life for the couple, who still live in different countries. Smith shared a video of his children to his Instagram account, expressing his frustration at being separated from them. As of now, neither Smith nor Franco appear to have plans to move in order to be together.
Source: @tiffanyfrancosmith, @ronaldsmith_tlc