’90 Day Fiancé’: Has Thomas’ Controlling Behavior With Paula Gone Too Far?
Thomas and Paula from 90 Day Fiancé might not make it to the altar – and his aversion to deodorant could be to blame.
The couple have been sharing their international love story on the 12th season of the TLC reality series. She’s a quirky, fun-loving 41-year-old entrepreneur from Brazil who firmly believes in manifestation and the power of the universe. He’s a 31-year-old frugal minimalist from California who favors a spartan lifestyle. They’re best friends, but their very different lifestyles have been on stark display from the moment Paula arrived in the U.S.
Thomas has a big problem with Paula’s perfume
With just three months to wed, Paula and Thomas have been trying to merge their lives in a way that works for them both. But he has some major dealbreakers that threaten to derail their relationship entirely. Specifically, he has a problem with his bride-to-be’s use of perfume and deodorant.
In a recent episode of 90 Day, the pair clashed when Paula opted to wear deodorant because she didn’t want to get sweaty and stinky during a long day outside. Thomas was frustrated by her refusal to accommodate him. He called her deodorant the “most pungent and obscene thing” he’d ever smelled.
“And I really need Paula to to come up to speed on this and just accept that this is a boundary that I need in a relationship for us to be together,” he told a producer.
Is this ‘90 Day Fiancé’ cast member being unreasonable?
Paula, on the other hand, thought her boyfriend was being unreasonable and controlling with this “no scents” stance.
“Thomas never lets anything go,” she said in an interview segment. “Like, he’s trying to control every little thing that I do. … He’s micromanaged me like a kid and I’m not happy at all.”
Things got even trickier when Paula’s family arrived from Brazil ahead of their wedding in the August 9 episode. Thomas banned his baffled guests from using scented soaps or perfumes in his apartment. Meanwhile, they were grossed out when they discovered expired meat his in fridge. Her family quickly dubbed Thomas “annoying” and “childish,” leaving Paula unsure about her next move and whether they should go forward with the wedding.
“I just have one week to figure out if I will be happy, if Thomas will be happy, or if all this wedding stuff is a huge mistake,” she said.
“Thomas and I, we have so many things going on that I’m really don’t know if I’m going to say yes,” she added later. “I love him, but not enough to sign for a life of being not happy.”
90 Day Fiancé airs Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on TLC. Episodes also stream on HBO Max.
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