’90 Day Fiancé’: Rose Vega Says Her Family Struggled Being Publicly Criticized When the Show Aired
Watching reality TV is a guilty pleasure for many Americans. Getting the promised unscripted antics of people who have put themselves in the spotlight seems like a great mix of entertainment and actual life. Since we all know that the cameras are rolling and the editing room gets its say in the final product, we can sometimes forget that there are actual humans on the other side of our screens. For example, Rose Vega had her life showcased on 90 Day Fiancé, and the results left her whole family feeling judged and misunderstood.
Rose Vega appeared on ’90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days’
TLC’s popular dating show 90 Day Fiancé has gone through many iterations. Since the original show premiered in 2014, fans have been treated to a wide variety of spinoffs. It was on one of these that Rosemarie “Rose” Vega appeared. In Season 4 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, Vega appeared alongside a show participant known as “Big Ed” Brown.
At the time, Vega was struggling financially, and the show featured her and her six-year-old son, Prince, living in a one-bedroom house that many found lacking in basic necessities. The small home didn’t EVEN have windows or doors. Viewers pointed out everything from the home flaws to the condition of Vega’s skin as evidence that she was not doing well, and many fans were shocked to see what her home life was like.
To make matters worse, Vega’s time on the show had an astounding reach. Beyond the series’ regular viewers, clips from this particular interaction went viral, making Vega’s living conditions a point of discussion across the internet — even for people who had never seen an episode of the show. In one viral clip, Vega tells Brown he has embarrassed her, making it look as if she is unclean and unable to care for herself.
Criticism impacted her family
All of those comments about Vega’s living conditions and mothering skills stung. As VICE reports, Vega found herself the center of internet controversy after viewers saw her home, “which had a thin cushion on the floor in place of a bed, exposed electrical wires, a leaky roof, and no doors.” When Brown questioned her oral hygiene, Vega defended herself as having an ulcer that caused bad breath, but the implication was that she couldn’t even take care of basic health needs.
The criticism extended to Vega’s whole family, and she admitted that her “family was probably not used to” being the center of such harsh words.
Rose Vega used her fame to improve her life
As for Vega’s own stance on the criticism, she considers it a blessing. “That was God’s way for me to achieve the life I have today,” the reality TV star explained. She has used the platform she gained from her viral fame to make major improvements in her life. These include renovations to the home on the show, many new belongings, and plans to build a new home on a piece of farmland she owns. She’s also used her fame to launch a product line selling clothing items through Teespring.
Since appearing on the show, Vega went viral again. However, this time, it was clear that she was in control of her own image and how people perceived her. Vega did a makeover photoshoot that featured a stunning new look and was captioned with the quote, “Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them May we raise them.”
While Vega may have gone viral out of pity and judgment, she has turned the attention on its head to provide herself with the tools she needed to improve her life, and without Big Ed.
RELATED: ’90 Day Fiancé’: Big Ed’s Attempt to Badmouth Rose Vega Backfires in a Big Way
