90 Day Fiance: The Other Way viewers were devastated when Kenneth and Armando were denied a marriage license.
But some have accused the couple of not “doing their research.” Kenny is clapping back.
“I have seen so many negative comments out there,” Kenneth Niedermeier’s Instagram Story post begins this week.
He continues: “on Armando and my journey to get our marriage license approval.”
Kenneth observes that these comments come “from people who obviously are not watching the scenes clearly.”
Kenneth knows that they are not watching clearly “as they are saying why didn’t we do our research.”
“I am wording it much nicer here,” he then adds.
“And,” Kenneth adds, critics accuse that “we are obviously acting as it was all scripted.”
“We are not actors and nothing was scripted,” Armando affirms.
90 Day Fiance is not scripted, but producers and editors can still nudge events and how they are portrayed.
Kenneth points out that his and Armando’s surprise, shock, and hurt is genuine, which attentive viewers would know.
“It’s clear in the scenes,” Kenneth correctly asserts, “if you watch clearly and without judgment.”
“We did the research and knew The Supreme Court of Mexico ruled same-sex marriage legal throughout Mexico,” he adds.
“We even checked to make sure [that it was legal in] our state in which we live,” Kenneth notes.
“It is,” he affirms, adding that “34 same-sex marriages had been performed at that time.”
“We called the marriage office in the large city we were going to to let them know we were coming,” he recalls.
Kenneth adds that they were sure to make it clear that they are “a same-sex couple.”
“We asked what we needed,” Kenneth describes. “They told us what documentation to bring.”
“And because we are a same-sex couple,” he notes, “we needed to write a letter of our intent to marry.”
“They gave us no indication we were going to be denied,” Kenneth reveals, “so it was a shock when we were.”
“The promo scene you see coming up is us picking up our official letter of denial,” Kenneth explains.
“And,” he laments, “the wording in it was horrible.”
“You only get part of it so far in the clip coming up,” Kenneth warns, referring to the promo for Sunday’s episode.
“So my reaction is mixed with pain and being pissed,” Kenneth expresses.
He then affirms: “Nothing scripted, nothing acted, and our research diligence was done.”
Kenneth wishes that people would pay more attention to the full scenes, but also thanks the majority of fans who have been supportive.
Kenneth hit upon some major points, starting with the insistence from some fans that he and Armando should have done more “research.”
No amount of research can prepare you for every outcome. Same-sex marriage is legal where they live, on the state and national level.
Armando did note, before they arrived, that he had read horror stories of denied licenses — but these were the exceptions, and thus unexpected.
There was some discussion among fans, including us here at THG, of the idea that they might have filmed a rejection on purpose.
It does make a lot of sense to walk viewers through the uphill battles that marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ community face just to live their lives.
But a discussion of how reality TV sometimes works and an accusation are very different things.