90 Day Fiancé: All About Newcomer Ben’s First Marriage
Some 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days viewers are curious about newcomer Ben Rathbun's first marriage. Audiences were finally introduced to Ben recently. He surprised many with his belief that God led him to a mysterious Peruvian woman named Mahogany. Ben grew up in a strict religious sect of Baptism that he described as cult-like. His intense religious upbringing led to him marrying a woman in the church and having four children with her.
Ben's ex-wife and three of his four children agreed to be on Before the 90 Days, and they all appeared highly skeptical of his claims that he was going to Peru to visit a woman he had chatted with online for three months. Ben's family expressed their shock and concern since he has already been catfished and appears to be remarkably naive in his dating life. One of Ben's daughters described how he tends to get lost in his relationships and alienate himself from his children, including one failed relationship with a younger woman who tried to come between them. While viewers are certain that Ben is the latest Before the 90 Days cast member to be catfished, they are curious about his former life and past marriage to the mother of his children.
Ben's ex-wife was raised in the same church as him, which means she was subjected to the same strict rules growing up. Ben shared that this included no TV or movies and having no friends outside of the church. The way Ben talks about his former marriage suggests he didn't have love from his ex-wife. Some Before the 90 Days viewers have theorized that their marriage was arranged by the church, though it doesn't excuse Ben being disrespectful to the mother of his four children by claiming he never experienced love or true affection before Mahogany. Ben also revealed the church controlled him, his marriage, and his family life.
Ben described his past marriage as being full of "neglect," which caused many viewers to feel bad for his ex-wife as she was subjected to the same strict upbringing. Ben appears to have been divorced from his former wife for a number of years, with the split coming after 24 years of marriage. Since Ben tends to get carried away in his relationships, it appears his ex-wife has been the one to primarily raise their children after their separation. Though she also left the church with Ben, she scoffed at his notions that God was leading him to Mahogany.
Many Before the 90 Days season 5 viewers already have a lot of sympathy for Ben's children and his ex-wife. Many feel that Ben is behaving in a shockingly immature way for a father in his 50s, as he is clearly being scammed. Meanwhile, Ben's children earned viewer approval for their appropriately shocked and disapproving reactions when Ben told them he was seeing a woman close to the age of his kids. Few, if any, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days viewers believe there is a future for Ben and "Mahogany."
90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on TLC.