From the timereality televisionaudiences were introduced toAngela DeemandMichael Ilesanmion TLC’s90 Day Fiancé', fans knew the couple was doomed to fail. The likelihood of an overweight country cougar having a love affair with a Nigerian man over twenty years her junior has far too many scam variables for even the most hopeless romantic to become invested.Their interactions in their debut season felt like a train wreckthat90 Dayfans couldn’t look away from.
Angela seemed delusional and desperate and Michael came across as a stereotypical African man trying to secure a financially secure American woman for financial gain and possible relocation to America.Some fans villainized Michael for being ingenious with his intentions, while others pointed the finger at Angela’s naïveté in believing this man 22 years her junior could possibly be in love with her. Two things can be true and in this situation, it’s clear that Michael’s intentions were far from pure and Angela is not only delusional but also both physically and verbally abusive, a pattern of behavior that would not be tolerated if she were a man.
90 Day Fiancé
Using a unique 90 Day Fiance visa, overseas fiances will travel to the US to live with their partners for the first time. Each couple will have just 90 days to decide to get married or send their international mate home.
Angela Feels Justified In Abusing Michael Because He Is a Cheater
Cheating is not punishable by force, but early on many fans empathized with Angela’s desire to be loved at any cost and ignored her reckless rhetoric. The first time Angela discovered Michael was talking to another woman, she immediately erupted, screaming insults and accusations. Michael tucked his head and apologized, but it was no surprise when Angela revealed a brief time later that Michael was still cheating. Michael cheats, then Angela screams and cries and throws a pity party with family and friends.This pattern became status quofor the two and fans settled into the dysfunction, usually being thoroughly entertained by Angela’s verbal tantrums where she called Michael everything but a child of God.
Angela’s verbally abusive behavior isn’t something she ever felt obligated to hide or cover. She spoke disrespectfully to Michael in front of his friends and even his mother and immediate family. Even if viewers were ignorant about the cultural divide between Americans and Nigerians, Angela’s disrespectful behavior towards Michael’s family wasn’t lost on anyone.The family voiced no support of the marriagebecause of Angela’s age and the fact that she wasn’t able to have children. Michael’s culture allows men to have multiple wives and one of the primary reasons for marriage is lineage. Angela insisted on moving forward with the ceremony in Nigeria after Michael was denied his initial visa and unable to come to the States. Angela cussed and fussed at Michael before the wedding and immediately after. Her often demeaning rhetorical jabs would’ve been viewed much differently if she was a man and the target of her verbal assaults was a woman. Because Michael is a younger man and guilty of cheating and quite possibly strategically attempting to get money from Angela, audiences, and producers repeatedly turn a blind eye to Angela’s verbal and occasional physical assaults.
‘90 Day Fiancé’ Star Files for Annulment
This does not come as a surprise to the fans.
After Michael was granted his visa, he was finally able to come over to the States. This created an even bigger rift in the couple’s relationship, as Angela’s extreme jealousy kicked in, and she started monitoring Michael’s movements even more. Outlandish rumors of Michael being kidnapped hit the internet as the couple’s issues continued colliding and spilling over to blogs and social media sites. Angela filed a missing person report after Michael went missing from her Hazelhurst, GA home. Three days later,Michael resurfaced and somehow managed to share with a reporter fromEntertainment Tonightthat he ran away because the situation between Angela and himself got so bad he couldn’t take it. “I thought when I got here things would be better for us,” Michael said. “But I was wrong, you know? Things got worse when I got here.” Michael went on to suggest that their fights had become physically violent, and he knew he needed to leave before he got in trouble for retaliating. “I was just treated so badly by her,” he continued. “Whenever she’s upset, she can do whatever she wants. I don’t want any issue, I don’t want any bad record on my name, so I tend to keep it cool. Sometimes, when she’s very upset, she makes me feel scared," he said.
Angela Deem’s Is Out of Control
If Michael’s account of Angela’s unhinged behavior was questioned, the90-Day Fiancé: Happily Ever AfterTell All hosted by Shaun Robinson cleared up any doubt.Angela hired a private investigator to uncover all Michael’s indiscretionsso she could confront him on the show. Angela’s investment ended up backfiring horribly on LIVE television during the reunion. After weeks of investigation, Angela’s PI, Todd was unable to uncover any incriminating evidence on Michael besides his correspondence with a family friend that Angela already knew about.
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When several members of the cast tried to reason with Angela, she became enraged andaccused Michael of being able to trick the private investigator.Angela turned on the rest of the cast and started a vicious rant against Michael. She blasted Michael’s Nigerian heritage and suggested it was responsible for his behavior. If the same comment was made by a white man about a Nigerian woman, there would have been hell to pay and the network most likely would’ve offered an apology on behalf of the show. Angela didn’t stop with the insults, she got up and physically assaulted Michael in front of the television audience, spitting in his face. After showing off, Angela left the stage, but not before she insulted several of the 90-Day cast members.
Angela’s Violent Behavior Has Ostracized Her From The Rest of the Couples on ‘90 Day Fiancé’
Angela has enjoyed being a fan favorite on90 Day Fiancé', largely due to her firecracker antics. Some fans empathized with her heartbreak over Michael, while others enjoyed tuning in to laugh at her abrasive comments and her physical transformation after having plastic surgery and losing weight.Michael has never been 100% committed to his marriageand has been caught several times in compromising situations with various women over the years. After finally traveling to the US, he shared withETthat he is looking forward to meeting new women and possibly being on other reality shows.
It’s indisputable that Angela has reason to be hurt over the relationship, but her physical and verbal aggressions are inexcusable, even if she has endured heartbreak. If a man walked up to a woman and spit in her face in front of production, and other cast members, they would’ve been held accountable for their actions. Because of Angela’s age and gender, she has been granted an unfair pass to continue volatile behavior. Most of Angela’s cast members don’t want anything to do with her, and her official separation from Michael may be in the cards. She filed for an annulment to dissolve the marriage because Michael had abandoned her once moving to the states. Angela’s behavior presents a bigger problem for TLC. If a 58-year-old white woman is allowed to physically shove and spit in a man’s face while insulting his culture, the network is sending a dangerous message to fans and future casts on the90-Day Fiancéfranchise and others. There should be stipulations against physical and extreme verbal abuse regardless of age, race, or culture. Being cheated on does not give one the right to physically and verbally attack your significant other, even if you are on a popular reality show.
All episodes of 90 Day can be streamed on Discovery Plus.
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