Ben Rathbun from 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days has always been in the news for the wrong reasons since his season 5 debut with Mahogany Roca. Ben was a 52-year-old fitness model when the much younger Mahogany sent him a friend request after coming across his photos where Ben flaunted his fit and muscular body. However, Mahogany found it difficult to trust a man she met on the internet. Ben was a youth pastor. He married his church’s children’s ministry partner, Lisa, and they were together for 24 years, during which they had four children.
Ben and Lisa tried counseling to save their marriage but filed for divorce when things didn’t work out. Ben later got engaged to a 27-year-old woman who he had been with for three years, but she didn’t accept his children. When Ben met Mahogany from Peru, they connected over their faith. Ben had told the cameras that despite the age gap, “The Lord is blessing this relationship.” Ben began dating a woman who was his daughter’s age on the show, while fans could never trust Mahogany, who was dishonest from the start.
Ben & Mahogany’s Storyline Had A Catfish Angle
Ben and Mahogany might not be well-liked cast members, but they’ve had one of the most interesting storylines just based on the number of plot twists in it. Ben and Mahogany met on social media after she DM’d him on seeing his modeling photos. Yet when it came to talking on video chat, Mahogany was suddenly the shy one. Ben said Mahogany, and he had a 28-year age difference and had “Jesus in common.” However, Ben later learned that Mahogany was not 24, but 22 years old. Ben knew Mahogany only through the highly filtered pictures she posted online.
Ben mentioned he sent about $1000 to Mahogany during the three months they dated, even though he was skeptical, since he’d been previously scammed by someone in Nigeria. Mahogany stood Ben up at the airport when he reached Peru to see her in person. Relentless, Ben then went to her hometown of San Bartolo where Mahogany showed up and looked nothing like the woman in the photos online. She also acted awkwardly with Ben. Mahogany did not say “I love you” back, which Ben had found to be “concerning.”
Ben Was Arrested In March 2020
Ben was arrested in March 2022, after he did not appear at a probation violation hearing. Ben was originally booked for operating while under the influence and driving with a suspended license in 2020. He missed a scheduled appearance at a probation violation hearing in February 2020 after being sentenced to 18 months’ probation. Ben was taken into custody and his bail was set to $10,000 as per UsWeekly. Ben later informed InTouch that he was fired from his Michigan Lupus Foundation following news of his arrest.
“[it was] falsely reported that I had been picked up late at night for drunk driving…But still, I had committed a crime and put myself and others in danger. And … I had hid it from them and even my family.”
According to Ben, in September 2020, he went to help a homeless couple living at a Red Roof Inn, and when they offered him a little plastic cup of wine. He claimed the couple spiked his drink with flubromazolam due to which he “completely lost 24 hours” after he left. He said he stopped at a hotel and when attempting to drive home the next day, he hit the curb and disabled the car. His breath analyzer had shown no alcohol, but a blood draw at the police station confirmed flubromazolam.
Mahogany & Ben Were Spotted Filming
A few months after his arrest, Ben was spotted in Peru where he seemed to be filming for a new spin-off. Reddit user The_Chuckness88 posted a photo that shows Ben and Mahogany standing next to each other alongside a film crew and security. According to the OP, the leaked picture is from the “celebration of Fiestas Patrias” sometime between “July 28 and July 29.” While Ben and Mahogany weren’t holding hands in the photo and standing apart, they were dressed up and seemingly enjoying a date.
Ben Announced He Was Engaged To Mahogany
Ben and Mahogany never really let fans know that they were together after the show ended. The Tell All never provided any clarity on their relationship status. However, Ben posted a video on their joint YouTube channel in August 2022 to announce his engagement. Ben had filmed himself visiting a jewelry shop and purchasing an 18-carat white gold ring. “I’m in love with this just like I’m in love with Mahogany,” Ben laughed. He added that no one believed in him and Mahogany, and no one thought it was possible, “but I am going to make her my wife.”
Ben proposed to Mahogany at the La Milonga del SanTito restaurant featured on 90 Day Fiancé . Mahogany said yes to being Ben’s wife. The couple were joined by Mahogany’s dad, who gave them his blessing.
Mahogany shared a post in January 2023, where she posed for a selfie with Ben. She captioned it, “I had company last week. Did you guessed?” Along with a naughty selfie, Mahogany shared a picture where Ben was lying down in bed. Fans such as Reddit user solitachol noticed a shiny ring on 90 Day Fiancé star Ben’s left hand in the last photo, which made them ask, “Soooo they’re together and what’s with the wedding band ???”
Ben & Mahogany Got Married
Ben and Mahogany returned to the franchise in an episode of 90 Day Diaries. Ben revealed he and Mahogany married in a civil ceremony. However, Ben expected Mahogany to build trust with her. They were going through a “really difficult transition” because Ben didn’t have a steady job. He was shown giving blood at a blood bank for money. Ben wasn’t able to get Mahogany a visa because of his financial issues. However, Ben had found a way to fly to Peru. Mahogany was still trying to ghost Ben despite their being married. Mahogany was not happy with her decision.
Ben Has Been Arrested Again In November 2024
Since Ben and Mahogany both don’t have public social media accounts, fans don’t get to interact with them as they do with other 90 Day Fiancé stars. Ben and Mahogany also manage to stay out of the news, but in November 2024, viewers shockingly learned that Ben was arrested. Blogger Shabooty posted that Ben was arrested on November 22, 2024, and charged with failing to pay child support in Macomb County, Michigan. Ben is currently being held at Oakland County, Michigan jail with no trial date.
Moreover, Starcasm posted that Ben is facing a felony count of embezzlement from a non-profit or charity. While Ben was arraigned on Monday, the charge was originally filed in October 2018. Ben allegedly embezzled his former employer, the Michigan Lupus Foundation, from where he was previously fired. Shabooty claimed that Ben had been hiding in Peru with Mahogany. His passport was flagged when he came to the U.S. He was extradited to Michigan from Washington DC. That’s why it has taken six years for Ben to be charged.
Ben Reportedly Has A Medical Condition
As per Shabooty, the 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days star allegedly has cirrhosis of the liver and was hospitalized in Peru. After Ben was hospitalized in Peru, his family wished to bring him to America for treatment. Ben’s family members paid for his return, after which he was arrested. It appears Mahogany accompanied Ben, and she is also in the U.S. now. Mahogany seems to be staying with Ben’s family in Michigan. However, some family insiders think Ben has made up the narrative about being unwell, so his family would pay for his trip back home.
