90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days alum Ben Rathbun has died at the age of 55, according to TMZ.
Rathbun, who appeared on season 5 of the TLC reality show with then-girlfriend Mahogany Roca, died on Monday, May 19, at his home in Greencastle, Indiana, according to the outlet. TMZ reports that Rathbun had been battling stage 4 stomach cancer since the end of 2024.
During Before the 90 Days season 5, Rathbun, then 52 and a divorced father of four, met Roca — originally from Peru — online. However, Rathbun’s loved ones (and some viewers) were worried he was being catfished because she refused to take part in video calls during their courtship. The couple eventually met in Peru and got married.
“Our civil ceremony was just brilliant, I could not believe how beautiful it was,” Rathbun noted on a February 2024 episode of spinoff show 90 Day Diaries, per In Touch. “But we are still planning on having a religious ceremony.”
At the time, Rathbun shared that despite the nuptials, he still needed to “build trust” with his new wife. “We’re just going through a really difficult transition. I’ve gone about six months without a really good job and bills have been piling up, of course,” he said. “Things are extremely tight now and I’m doing everything I can right now to pay all the bills and for my next trip to Peru.”
The couple previously detailed their engagement in a YouTube vlog published in August 2022.
The engagement came just months after Rathbun was arrested in March 2022 for failing to appear at a probation violation hearing.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, the reality star was originally booked for operating while under the influence and driving with a suspended license in 2020. He was later sentenced to 18 months of probation in January 2021.
Another helping of 90 Day drama! Throughout the fifth season of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, another group of individuals attempted to find love abroad. Like its predecessors, season 5 of Before the 90 Days followed seven couples as they got to know each other in long-distance relationships with the hope of applying for K-1 marriage visas […]
Rathbun missed a scheduled appearance at a probation violation hearing in February 2022. As a result, a judge issued a bench warrant the following month and the TLC personality was taken into custody.
In a statement to In Touch at the time, Rathbun said he missed the summons for his court appearance because he moved states and the document was delivered to the wrong address.
“This was my fault because I needed to make sure I was getting all notices, but by the time I found out, it was too late, and I missed my appointment,” he said. “So a warrant was issued for my arrest. I immediately drove 14 hours and turned myself in to the court and spent a night in jail.”
