How I Misjudged Brian Muniz on ‘90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days’
When Brian Muniz met Ingrid on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, I thought his tactics for revealing his story were manipulative, but I think I may have unfairly judged the newcomer. In the early 90s, 51-year-old Brian was the victim of a carjacking that left him a wheelchair user. Ingrid knew about him being a wheelchair user, but the 90 Day Fiancé franchise star had no idea about his sordid past that led him down that path. Brian hid the truth about his accident for about two years as they chatted online.
Brian hid the truth about his accident for about two years as they chatted online. His plan was to tell her the story in Brazil after they met. Brian told Ingrid the truth, but the situation didn’t go as planned, which painted the 90 Day Fiancé star in a negative light. However, the newcomer recently shared more of his story in a gut-wrenching, heart-to-heart conversation with Ingrid. After hearing more about his story, I think I might have judged Brian’s book a little too quickly.
I Thought ‘Before the 90 Days’ Brian Muniz Was Manipulative
Before going to Brazil, in his confessional, the Before the 90 Days newcomer revealed he wasn’t completely honest with Ingrid about his past. He told Ingrid about his disabilities, but he waited to tell her the truth about how the accident happened. According to Brian, he used to be a drug dealer, but he grew tired of the lifestyle. He wanted out and wanted to divorce his second wife. Brian’s second wife didn’t like his plan, so she ordered the carjacking that left him wheelchair bound and later confessed. While I understood his reasoning for waiting to tell Ingrid the truth, I disliked the manipulative essence of his actions.
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Brian knew the backstory behind his disabilities might turn some women off, Ingrid included. As a result, I think he waited until he was in Brazil, so Ingrid would likely feel more pressure to bend to his whims or wouldn’t be able to ghost him as easily as she could through text. To take this a step further, I also think he was borderline emotionally abusive and manipulative when he got upset over her reaction. Brian took away Ingrid’s choice and I thought her taking time to evaluate was more than appropriate.
90 Day Fiancé’s Brian Muniz Turned His Life Around
Brian’s initial introductions to the franchise rubbed me the wrong way. At first, I was empathetic of his disabilities, but as he started to showcase more manipulative tactics, I grew worried about Ingrid. However, in Before the 90 Days Episode 6, he shared more of his vision and how being a person with a mobility disability helped him turn his life around, which has me looking at him in a different light. Now he’s no longer a drug dealer but a contributing member of society who helps other wheelchair users be more comfortable with their conditions. He does this by playing international rugby and helping other people with disabilities become more comfortable with sports, meditation, and viewing the world differently.
Although I still think he should’ve told Ingrid sooner, I found his story moving. His story helped me, and Ingrid, realize that everyone deserves a second chance. Brian has some growing to do, especially in regard to relationships. However, considering he hasn’t had the best of luck with relationships, it’s unfair for me or his future partners to expect him to have all the answers. In the end, Ingrid will have to decide if the good outweighs the bad and if she’s willing to work on Brian’s shortcomings with him.
I’ll admit, much like Ingrid, I’m still wary. 90 Day Fiancé‘s stars’ red flags often come in groups, so if Brian’s struggling in some areas of his relationship, it makes me wonder where else he might struggle. In the end, though, I think he has genuine intentions and I may have been a little quick to judge. While some of his actions, like giving gifts to Ingrid’s children, might seem like love-bombing, there’s a thin line between being caring and manipulative. Nobody is perfect, but Brian seems to try to make up for his shortcomings in other ways and I hope Brian can find a woman who will appreciate the good he does. 90 Day Fiancé and its spin-offs series air on TLC, and are available to stream on Max in the U.S.
