90 Day Fiancé’ Star’s Shady Moves Could Be Their Biggest Mistake Yet

90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? couple Ashley Michelle and Manuel Velez claim to be on better terms, but the duo might just be delaying the inevitable. When reality TV stars Ashley and Manuel first appeared on the OG 90 Day Fiancé series, the red flags were glaring, starting with the fact that Ashley knew nothing about Manuel’s kids. It wasn’t for lack of trying, though. Ashley asked numerous times to meet his children or at least learn more about his financial habits in Ecuador, but the star remained tight-lipped. Throughout their segments, the couple fought endlessly and struggled to see life from the other’s point of view. Manuel thought Ashley was irresponsible, and she thought he was shady.

Unfortunately, their time on Happily Ever After? has been no better, as their segments showcased the duo at an all-time low. The marriage didn’t seem to improve their relationship. If anything, their vows added a new strain to their relationship because Manuel was as secretive as ever and refused to tell Ashley what was really going on with his family in Ecuador. This led to a few bombshell truths that shook the foundation of their marriage. They’ve been trying to recover and at the beginning of the Tell All, Ashley claimed they were “good,” but the red flags were still waving. If the couple doesn’t address their problems, sooner rather than later, then the next spin-off they appear on might be 90 Day: The Single Life.

90 Day Fiancé Star Manuel Velez Is Still Secretive

Perhaps the biggest problem of all has been Manuel’s secretive nature. Despite the Happily Ever After? couple knowing each other for over a decade, there still seemed to be many unanswered questions and confusion between the two. Ashley didn’t know what Manuel’s home life looked like. She knew very little about his children and therefore was cautious about giving money to Manuel. She begged on and off-screen for Manuel to be more transparent and to tell her what was going on with his family, but Manuel only became more tight-lipped. He would demand more money, but refused to explain why. Manuel believed “it’s for my kids” was a good enough explanation to request that Ashley send thousands of dollars a month. It wasn’t until Ashley asked Manuel’s friend the truth that she learned her husband still spoke to his ex.

In truth, the actions or the facts Manuel tried to cover up weren’t wrong, which made the situation all the more confusing. Sending money abroad for his children and speaking to his ex isn’t indicative of him being a scammer or wanting to be with Ashley in America for the wrong reasons. It’s Manuel’s lack of transparency, though, that seems to be the issue. This became more obvious once Ashley confirmed she wasn’t mad that he was communicating with his ex, just that he hid it. Ashley asked him clearly and multiple times: who was he talking to on the phone, what family he has that lives in New York, where was the money going, who was it for, and what it was being used for? Her family even asked for more clarity. Yet, in both seasons, Manuel would answer vaguely and dismissively, claiming she knew all she needed to know. Ashley communicated and expressed her needs clearly. However, Manuel kept brushing her off and disregarded her feelings, which would likely turn into an even bigger issue down the road.

The 90 Day Fiancé Couple Uses Physical Intimacy to Solve Issues

Perhaps there’s an even bigger issue between the two: how they choose to solve issues between them. How a couple solves a problem is just as important as deciphering the concern itself. If couples, like Jasmine Pineda and Gino Palazzolo, for example, regularly use unhealthy coping or communication techniques, then it will likely lead to more issues in their relationship. Unhealthy coping mechanisms are more of a blanket for issues and will rarely help a couple get to the root of a problem. Unfortunately, though, Ashley and Manuel have one particular method for fixing most of their issues: physical intimacy. In both their appearances, anytime the couples’ emotions or arguments became heightened, the duo were looking for some privacy to sneak away for a quickie.

Even in public, with Manuel’s friend waiting for them, the couple snuck into a public bathroom at a café. While sex can release hormones that ease stressors and can help a couple get closer, it’s not a band-aid. Physical intimacy won’t solve all their problems. If the couple used intimacy to de-escalate their emotions and then revisited the conversation calmly and with a more open mind, then maybe they wouldn’t have as many issues. That’s not what’s happening, though. The couple sneaks off, gets their fix, and then avoids the conversation that got them there in the first place. As a result, they tiptoe around the bigger issue until it festers enough for one to speak up again, ultimately recreating the vicious cycle. Overall, the more the 90 Day Fiance couple keeps using sex to bury their issues, the more damage they’re doing to the foundation of their relationship if they don’t take the next step to actually address their original concerns.

90 Day Fiancé Star Manuel Has a Weird Relationship With Money

Manuel’s secretive nature affects another, maybe even more important, aspect of their lives: their finances. Since Ashley is the sponsor and Manuel doesn’t work, she’s responsible for supporting Manuel. Additionally, since Manuel has kids and the rest of his family in Ecuador, she also agreed to send money abroad to help him with his child support payments. However, as mentioned in the first point, Manuel was very secretive about the money and how it was being sent. He never explicitly said he was sending the money to his ex, just his “kids” or his mother. He would demand more money, but refused to tell Ashley why he needed it. The situation with their finances doesn’t end there, as Manuel’s using Ashley’s money to pay his debts in Ecuador while simultaneously bashing his wife for her 100,000-dollar student loan debt.

In his defense, he owes a fraction of what Ashley does, but to berate her for spending money and having debt while not being truthful about his own debts is a major red flag. The situation got extra muddy when Ashley revealed she gave Manuel a thousand dollars, only for him to ask for more money a few days later. Now it seemed like Manuel might have been hoarding money. Ashley wanted to know what happened to the grand, but still, to this day, it’s unclear if Manuel sent it to his family or is saving it for a rainy day. Unfortunately, though, Manuel’s secretive nature continues to be an issue. His secretive demeanor affects other areas of their lives, and he’d rather avoid questions at all costs instead of admitting if he’s saving the money to leave Ashley.

Ashley and Manuel have a lot of history. Before they appeared on the 90 Day Fiancé franchise, they met a decade before and were engaged. Time wasn’t on their side, and they broke up, but their chemistry was undeniable. When Manuel reached out again, it was almost like the couple got a second chance at first love. So considering the couple has some time under the belt, it’s possible that they might know what they’re doing. Every couple thinks and acts differently and maybe how Manuel and Ashley cohabitate truly works for them. With that being said though, Ashley, being the spiritual being that she is, probably knows that the more and healthier tools the partners have in their toolbox, the more chances they have at blossoming into a happy and healthy couple. Ashley and Manuel have a lot of the makings for a successful relationship, but it’s time for them to address their problems head-on if they’re going to make it work.

90 Day Fiancé and its spin-offs series air on TLC, and are available to stream on Max.

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