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TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé has had its share of messy and chaotic couples. But few relationships featured in the hit reality TV franchise have been as volatile as Michael Ilesanmi and Angela Deem’s. 

For the past six years, fans have watched as Angela, a 50something grandmother from Georgia, and Michael, a 30something man from Nigeria, have tried to make their unlikely romance work. The pair have battled cheating allegations, a years-long separation due to the pandemic, visa setbacks, and other hurdles. In the end, the challenges were too great to overcome. In 2024, their relationship permanently broke down not long after Michael finally made it to the U.S. Where did things go wrong? Let’s look back on the timeline of Michael and Angela’s relationship.   

August 2018

Michael and Angela make their TLC debut in 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days Season 2, which premiered in August 2018. The show followed Angela as she traveled to Nigeria to meet Michael, whom she’d connected with online, in person for the first time. 

Despite a 22-year age gap, Angela and Michael decided to pursue a relationship. However, it wasn’t exactly a fairytale romance. From their first meeting at the airport, there were signs they weren’t really compatible. The couple fought over everything from whether to have children to his relationship with his family to her decision to have weight-loss surgery. Their arguments often ended with an irate Angela screaming at Michael. Her jealousy was also an issue, and she frequently accused Michael of being unfaithful. 

January 2020

Despite their rocky relationship, Angela and Michael married in a ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria in January 2020. Soon after, Angela began the process of getting her husband a visa so that he could move to the United States. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 severely delayed that process, forcing the couple into a long-distance marriage. 

December 2022

After two years apart, Angela finally visited Michael in Nigeria during an episode of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? that aired in December 2022. Shortly after that trip, Angela worst fears were realized when she learned that he had been cheating on her with another woman. Michael said it was an emotional, not physical, affair. But Angela – who’d long harbored suspicions about her husband – was still devastated by the betrayal.

“He broke my heart. He really broke my heart. He really broke my heart,” she said. “I didn’t deserve this.”

January 2023

Following Michael’s infidelity, Angela decided it was time to end the relationship, In Touch reported in January 2023. But the split was short-lived. But by March 2023, they were back together. 

August 2023 

Michael and Angela agreed to appear on 90 Day: The Last Resort, which premiered in August 2023. Because Michael still did not have a visa, he attended the retreat virtually. During the show, she revealed that she’d already had divorce papers drawn up. But after her and Michael’s conversation with a therapist, she agreed to set those aside. The season ended with the pair recommitting to their relationship. 

December 2023 

After years of waiting, Michael finally arrived in the U.S. in December 2023. His and Angela’s reunion at the airport was documented in 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Season 8, which began airing on TLC in March 2024.  

February 2024 

In February 2024, Angela went on social media to inform her followers that Michael had disappeared. She said she was worried about his safety. He later resurfaced and informed police that he was OK. But she shared with her followers that he’d told authorities he feared for his life. 

June 2024 

On June 20, 2024, Angela filed a petition in Georgia asking for an annulment of her marriage to Michael. She claimed the marriage was fraudulent and that Michael only married her to get a green card.  

August 2024 

The breakdown of Angela and Michael’s marriage was a major focus of the 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Season 8 tell-all, which has been airing throughout August 2024. A PI hired by Angela delivered his report and said he found no evidence that Michael was scamming her, but Angela refused to accept the investigator’s finding. Other cast members were visibly disturbed by Angela’s behavior towards her husband, including Kobe Blaise, who stood up for Michael.  

On August 21, Michael responded to Angela’s request for an annulment. He denied the marriage was fraudulent and accused Angela of abuse. He asked to be granted a divorce, along with spousal support. 

How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

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