’90 Day Fiance’: Grossed Out Fans Accuse Big Ed of Engaging in Sex Tourism
Big Ed Brown and Rosemarie Vega’s relationship seemed run of the mill when it comes to 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days. The popular TLC reality show focuses on couples in international relationships.
There are all kinds, so most fans didn’t bat an eye when they were introduced to Brown and Vega. He’s from California and she’s from the Philippines. The two have an age gap of more than two decades between them. She’s just 23, while Brown is 54.
Again, it wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary when it comes to the couples who usually appear on the show. But Brown’s behavior has led some fans to highlight one of the more serious implications of relationships like these. Brown is being called a “sex tourist” by the viewers of 90 Day Fiance.
Sex Tourism has serious implications
There are multiple examples of fans calling Brown a sex tourist. He and Vega have broken up, but they were intimate during his trip to the Philippines. It’s not clear if he ever intended to marry her as he claimed, or if he only wanted to use her for sexual gratification.
Both Vega and Brown are of age, and their sexual intercourse was apparently consensual. There was no money exchanged according to both parties. But sex tourism doesn’t always look so innocent.
Often times, sex tourism involves exploited commercial sex workers or even children. Travelers go to places where laws are more permissive, or where the government is less able to control the issue. Usually, sex tourism promotes human trafficking, as victims of trafficking are often forced into sex work. Plus, sexual tourism promotes the spread of STIs, like HIV, in communities, and therefore the practice poses a threat to public health.
Fans think Big Ed Brown engaged in Sex Tourism
Brown was clear about his intentions with Vega from the beginning. While she may not have known what he had in store, he showed off the condoms and spermicide he brought to camera crews. He packed them in his suitcase, along with lingerie that he bought Vega as a surprise.
In the first few days of meeting Vega, he asked her to take an STI test. They were physically intimate during his visit, which he made sure to tell camera crews. Vega was a little more discrete and didn’t tell crews what they had done.
Now that the show is over, Brown is keeping up with his fans on social media. He’s been vocal in his support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and he’s tried to raise funds for organizations like the NAACP. But some fans don’t even want his money.
As one fan put it, “do we really want money from a guy who went to the philippines as a sex tourist?” Other fans echoed the sentiment, urging others not to donate.
The Philippines is one of the most popular sex tourism destinations
It’s not crazy to think that the real purpose for Brown’s trip was sex tourism. The practice is common in the Philippines. Prostitution is illegal there, but still ubiquitous in some cities.
While Brown may have had questionable intentions for Vega, she has always stood her ground and fought for herself. She has said Brown never gave her any money, and, in fact, she thinks he used her.
Vega thinks Brown only wanted a relationship with her for fame. Intimacy was clearly one of the main goals of his trip, which has fans protecting Vega and lashing out at Brown.
In fact, Brown actually cut a side trip to visit Vega’s family short. Instead of staying in her house and getting to know her young son Prince, Brown took Vega on an island vacation for sexcapades.
