Chantel Jimeno Reveals Why America Loves 90 Day Fiance
Sometimes, when we're three hours into a binge-watch of TLC's 90 Day Fiancé, we ask ourselves why we feel so personally invested in these strangers' lives. Sure, the international love stories featured on the show are interesting and of course the circumstances of these people's situations often deliver some train wreck-ish disagreements and misunderstandings. But, the accelerated 90-day timeline of the relationships featured on the TLC reality show certainly is not something very many of us can identify with. So, what exactly is keeping millions of viewers tuned in? Perhaps we should turn to one of the show's stars, Chantel Jimeno, to find out.
Chantel first appeared on the fourth season of 90 Day Fiancé with her then-fiance, Pedro Jimeno, who is from the Dominican Republic. The language barrier and frequent bickering between Chantel and Pedro, plus the explosive feuds between their two families, made the couple watch-worthy enough to be featured on the spin-off, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After, and to land their very own series, The Family Chantel (via TLC). Here is the 90 Day Fiancé veteran's theory on why America loves the show.
Chantel Jimeno says 90 Day Fiance is relatable
To understand exactly what it is we love about watching couples from diverse backgrounds try to find their "happily ever after," we can turn to an interview Chantel Jimeno did with the Chicago Tribune in 2019. She told the outlet, "It's a relatable show," adding that before she was a cast member, she was a fan. Chantel said, "Before I would watch the show and look at the situations the couples were going through, I'd think 'Oh, we're nothing like that. Our love is perfect. We're going to have a fantasy life.'" She added, "Once I got on the show, I realized no relationship is perfect. We have our flaws. A lot of them, too. It's hard to watch during those difficult moments of your life."
Chantel is likely referring to uncomfortable moments like when her family refused to eat food Pedro's mother had prepared for them, or when Chantal's disagreement with Pedro's sister erupted into a physical fight between family members (via YouTube). Those scenes were hard to watch for sure but it's also real life. While it can sometimes be tough to own up to our weaknesses in our own lives, the struggles that play out on 90 Day Fiancé certainly do remind us that, at the end of the day, no one is perfect.