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Fans of TLC’s popular 90 Day Fiancé franchise are certainly no strangers to watching relationships with large age gaps play out on-screen. On the upcoming eighth season of 90 Day Fiancé – which premieres on TLC on Sun., Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. EST – one international couple’s 25-year age difference could play a role in their relationship troubles.

90 Day Fiancé season 8 star Stephanie hails from Grand Rapids, MI. She’s 52 years old, while her fiancé, Ryan – whom she met in his home country of Belize – is just 27. In TLC’s recently-released trailer for the upcoming season, Stephanie worried that she was bankrolling too much of her younger partner’s lifestyle.

Who are Stephanie and Ryan?

Stephanie is a successful businesswoman, having run two spa businesses over the course of her career. But according to Nicki Swift, Stephanie’s busy professional life didn’t leave much time for love or marriage. In fact, the 90 Day Fiancé star was never in a long-term relationship before now.

Enter Ryan, whom Stephanie met on the beach during her breezy vacation to Belize. Ryan and Stephanie immediately felt sparks, and the pair quickly entered into a hot and heavy romance. They decided to get married not long after their first meeting – and the rest is K-1 visa history.

Ryan and Stephanie on '90 Day Fiancé'
Ryan and Stephanie on ’90 Day Fiancé’ | TLC

Ryan’s flirtatious antics worried his bride-to-be

Despite Stephanie and Ryan’s intense chemistry, their differences in both age and income could lead to some problems in their relationship.

Ryan continued to flirt with women both on- and offline, which worried his fiancée as well as her family and friends back home. While Stephanie’s future husband insisted he was just having fun, she wasn’t so sure she could trust him fully. Given their age gap, she also wasn’t sure he was really to settle down just yet.

What’s more, Stephanie started to help Ryan financially almost immediately after they began their relationship. She bought expensive gifts for both him and his family members, in addition to paying some of his relatives’ rent. On 90 Day Fiancé season 8, Stephanie became concerned that Ryan might be using her for money and a green card.

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Stephanie worried she was becoming Ryan’s ‘sugar mama’

TLC’s latest 90 Day Fiancé preview showcased the biggest issue between Ryan and Stephanie: money. In a FaceTime chat, Ryan asked Stephanie to bring even more luxury gifts with her when she visited him in Belize.

“How many watches, sweetie, do you want me to bring you?” a resigned-looking Stephanie asked Ryan.

“Maybe two more of the ones that you got me already, and then you can bring the rest for the guys,” Ryan told his bride-to-be matter-of-factly, as if she’d done this many times before.

“I feel like I’ve kind of turned into a sugar mama,” Stephanie told TLC producers begrudgingly.

Ryan is far from the first 90 Day Fiancé star to be suspected of using his partner for something – whether that “something” is looks, age, sex, money, a stint on reality TV, or a visa. 90 Day Fiancé fans will just have to tune in and see if their relationship if the real deal or merely a farce.

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