Like every season of “90 Day Fiancé”, I like to play a game called “fake or sad”? For those of you who watch this show, you know that suspending all belief is beyond a rational person’s ability because of the outrageous couples that are casted. It has you questioning everything! But the truth has never stays buried for too long thanks to good Samaritans who have done the social media deep dives for us- and then some- to bring the complete, most juiciest exposés on each cast member.
Season 7’s target? Rose and Ed. Rose is a young woman living in a small village in the Philippines who met Ed via Facebook. Ed is a 50 year-old man from San Diego, CA who goes by “Big Ed” and has Klippel-Feil syndrome, a genetic disorder that results in a noticeably shorter neck. Literally 2 months before the season finale, Big Ed had already been taking interviews left and right, getting him recognized by Access as this season’s “breakout star”. So let me stop them right there. Big Ed is nothing but an opportunistic, deprived, superficial, disgusting creep who took advantage of a 23 year-old and then played victim when things didn’t go his way. Did I forget to mention he’s delusional?!
Now, Big Ed received some hate and at first I sympathized with him, but it’s his personality that infuriates me the most! Let’s start from the beginning. His first appearance is set in his bathroom where he’s seen applying a “mayo mask” to his hair- which has been clearly dyed. Off the bat this guy shows us that he values appearances, but not so much his own by the looks of this. Skip to where Rose and Big Ed meet for the first time and he reveals that he’s been lying to her about his height this whole time! Strike one. Funny thing about this scene, Big Ed has the balls to ask Rose, “You like?”. I wouldn’t be surprised if he catfished her with pictures of his younger self, since Rose admits that he’s older than she thought.
Oh yeah, he also casually slips in that he cheated on his first wife while talking about hoping to find true love! Yep, he’s a cheater and a liar. Strike two. How does he have the audacity to be so cautious about finding true love? Perhaps he wants to be cautious of people like himself. But it’s just frustrating to see that he acts like the victim of his infidelity and acts skeptical of women. If his ex-wife is watching this, I wonder what she must be thinking of all this bull.
This bull poop only continues to pile high as Big Ed continuously interrogates Rose about her past relationships and current Facebook friends on his first day there. He continues throughout his stay since he’s fearful that she may be using him to buy her things and actually talking to other men. He must be mistrustful because he was once a random creep requesting to be friends with Rose on Facebook! Rose never gives in and remains stern on the fact that she’s being faithful to their relationship. The cherry on top is when Big Ed asks Rose to take an STD test the same day he arrives and even storms out of the restaurant after she refuses to do so. Rose meets him outside, seething mad after he left her in the restaurant crying. She expresses how disrespectful that was to her. Strike three, he’s out!
Ok. So Rose didn’t kick him to the curb that time, but Big Ed really brings it home when he constantly picks at Rose’s hygiene. Big Ed, the mayo-man who never changes clothes throughout his stay in the Philippines, believes unshaved legs are gross. After extensive bragging of how he had finally had sex after 25 years to the crew, it cuts to the scene where Big Ed attempts to give Rose an ultimatum: if she shaves her legs, he’ll shave his beard. Her facial expression says it all- “seriously”? Then in another scene, Big Ed gives Rose her presents- most notably, the lingerie and toothpaste. First, gross. Second, can he be any more self-centered? He tells her that her breath is “not pretty” and was not sure if she had toothpaste there so he bought her one. Here’s the worst part- Rose has a condition that makes her breath smell and she’s aware of it, but can’t do anything about it.
The last straw was probably when he visited her hometown and met her family. Big Ed reveals that Rose’s sister asked for money and worries that he might be used as a “meal ticket”, not that he has money (some sources say he’s deep into debt). Big Ed couldn’t be anymore condescending and disrespectful during his visit, constantly being shocked about the condition of her home, the lack of technology and other ways of living, He even asked to sleep in a hotel! Rose actually has a son, who Big Ed claims to love but never did attempt to interact with him or even talk about him with Rose. How could someone attempt to marry a single parent without acknowledging their child?
With all those red flags and his final crime, corny pickup lines, Rose showed Big Ed the strong, self-respecting woman that she is when she broke up with him! A definite and satisfying victory as Rose not only broke up with Big Ed but she told it to him straight. If the facial expressions of disgust weren’t enough before, Rose shatters his self-image as the “good guy” with a long list of his bad behaviors and unfair actions towards her. Simply put, she let him know she’s not wasting time with him anymore. On top of that, Rose created her own social media account just to respond to the rumors that Big Ed spread about Rose and her family. She stood her ground and unraveled every lie Big Ed told on the show that defamed her and her family. Rose’s valiant efforts to set the record straight, despite breaching her contract with TLC, won’t go unnoticed by viewers and I will continue to stand with her!