90 Day Fiance star Armando Rubio has yet to introduce Kenneth Niedermeier to his family, nevermind reveal the fact they're engaged, on Season 2 of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, so were the pair able to overcome their obstacles and are they still together -- or have Armando and Kenneth split?
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[90 Day Fiance Spoiler Warning: This report contains spoilers revealing if Kenneth and Armando have broken up or if the 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way couple is still together.]
Kenneth, a 57-year-old from St. Petersburg, FL, and Armando, a 31-year-old from San Felipe, Mexico, are the first pair of gay men to star on the 90 Day Fiance franchise.RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? (PHOTOS)
Kenneth, originally from Ohio, came out at age 19 and was supported by his family, but Armando felt the need to hide his sexuality from his family for most of his life since people in Mexico aren't welcoming or accepting of the LGBTQ community.
Armando even married a woman to save face in society, and his former wife gave birth to a daughter, Hannah, who was six years old at the time of filming. However, Armando's wife sadly passed away in a tragic car accident.
Armando and Kenneth met on a social media page that served as a support group for gay fathers.
Kenneth has a son Bricen and triplet daughters -- Taylor, Cassidy and Madison -- who are all in their twenties. He welcomed his kids with a friend who had been willing to undergo in vitro fertilization.
Kenneth told Entertainment Tonight in a recent interview he and Armando had no dating agenda when they met online and just grew to be sincere, long-distance friends.
However, the pair's dynamic changed once Kenneth visited Armando in Mexico about a year after they began communicating.
Kenneth told ET that Armando took their relationship out of the friendship zone and made the first move because their personalities just meshed and he didn't care about their age difference.
90 Day Fiance: The Other Way premiered with Kenneth preparing to move to Mexico because he said he was in the best relationship of his life.
Kenneth was devastated to leave his family, and he predicted he'd face struggles in Mexico, but he was ready to follow his heart and sacrifice for the love of his life.
But Armando still had to come out to his parents. He apparently revealed he was gay to his parents once before, about three years prior, but their emotional reaction sent him "back into the closet" for a while.
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Armando therefore told his parents that a documentary was being filmed about life in Mexico, not about his blossoming relationship with Kenny.
Kenneth planned to leave for Mexico around Thanksgiving 2019, and he told his family he had already purchased an engagement ring and was going to ask Armando to marry him.
During a lunch with his parents Virginia and Armando Sr. in Mexico in Episode 3, Armando decided to come out to them for the second time because he was tired of hiding who he really is.
Armando's mother broke down into tears and said she'd love her son no matter what, but the fact he's gay was clearly difficult for her to embrace and understand.
Armando Sr. said, "You're my son and I see you the same," but he felt uncomfortable about the idea of Armando living with a male partner in Mexico and knew he needed some time to come around.
After a long drive to Mexico with his 15-year-old dog Truffles, Kenneth reunited with Armando. The men got an apartment several hours away from Armando's parents and sister.
Kenneth told Armando that he's his "dream come true."
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"I don't know how they're going to feel about me; I don't know if they're going to accept us together. It's just a lot of pressure."
In addition to concerns about the future, Kenneth had to adjust to life in a different country. He didn't speak the language or know how to use the currency. Kenneth also complained his apartment had no central heat or air conditioners. The nearest bank was also apparently 40 minutes away.
Kenneth said spending the night with Armando was "amazing," but he clearly had to get over his "culture shock."
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Armando also wasn't used to public displays of affection with a man, and he refused to hold Kenneth's hand or kiss him while the pair walked around their neighborhood.
"He does not like any kind of PDA, but I moved here and this is our life now. And I know I plan on asking him very soon to marry me. I would think he would be further along than what he is," Kenneth told the cameras.
Armando admitted Kenneth can be "pushy" and was more comfortable with his sexuality because he's been out since age 19. Armando therefore thought Kenneth's expectations were a little high and unrealistic.
"I have to admit I am worried about our safety as a gay couple. Our culture is very macho-centric and people in Mexico are still homophobic... I'm afraid that we might get hurt," Armando told the cameras.
Kenneth told Armando they couldn't live in fear, and Armando felt bad for allowing Kenneth to feel "rejected" and hurt. Armando asked Kenneth to be patient with him because people in Mexico barely accepted homosexuality and his culture was very different from Florida.
"I am where I am because of you, and that's the truth," Armando told his boyfriend.
"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Kenneth replied, adding that he hoped Armando's parents would see their relationship was going to be "forever" and it wasn't "a fling or a phase."
Later on, Kenneth told Armando he wanted to go to a bank and open up an account -- and do it by himself -- but it was a cover-up story. Kenneth was actually headed to a hotel, where his daughters Taylor and Cassidy were staying.
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"I want my daughters to see the love between Armando and I have first-hand, and then maybe they'll understand better why I left," Kenneth shared.
Kenneth said he appreciated Armando's loving side and sensitive nature and added, "I love him and I couldn't marry him fast enough. It's a fairy tale for me -- and for Armando."
Kenneth and Armando were going to pick up Armando's daughter Hannah in a week, and Kenneth said he'd prefer potentially meeting Armando's family and father as Armando's fiance.
Kenneth also wanted Armando to be an engaged man when introducing a male partner to his family, which was obviously a huge and scary step in Armando's life.
"I am not having any second thoughts proposing to Armando. Nothing is going to stop me from getting married and living my life here in Mexico with Armando. He is The One for me, and I want to marry him," Kenneth said.
Kenneth then told Armando that they'd be going out to dinner together, but first, Kenneth suggested they should take some nice pictures down in the rocks near the water.
Kenneth asked Armando if he remembered the first time they visited the spot and Armando brought up their future together, and Armando nodded his head "yes" and apparently said it was "as wide as the ocean" at the time.
"I'm totally committed to you for life, but there is something I want to ask you," Kenneth said in tears.
Kenneth then took out a ring and got down on one knee, and Armando's jaw dropped and he seemed overwhelmed with joy and shock.
"I want to ask you," Kenneth began, presenting a ring.
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"If you will marry me," Kenneth continued.
"Baby, of course, yes!" Armando replied in tears.
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? (PHOTOS)
The men hugged and Kenneth put the ring on Armando's finger. Armando told Kenneth that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, and then people shot confetti into the sky from the top of the cliff.
"I love you!" Taylor yelled to Armando.
"Whoa, wow babe," Armando told his partner.
Kenneth was thrilled Armando had become his fiance, and Armando said this was a moment he had dreamed about for years.
Armando insisted he had never suspected a proposal, but he was a little upset his family was still struggling to accept him. To see Kenneth's children were there and supported their love, it warmed his heart.
"You are perfect," Kenneth told Armando.
Kenneth and Armando were finally and officially engaged, and so they celebrated an "epic" day at a nice restaurant. Kenneth had invited a couple of Armando's friends who were supportive of his sexuality, and Armando gushed he was "very happy."
"I don't want to hide our engagement. I think it's something to celebrate," Armando explained in a confessional.
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Kenneth acknowledged Armando was in a difficult spot but he wanted everyone to know -- and be proud of the fact -- he was committed to Armando and his daughter Hannah.
The group then toasted to "love wins" at dinner, and Kenneth could only hope for the best.
Did Kenneth and Armando break up after getting engaged or is the 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way couple still together now?
On August 18, Kenneth captioned a still photo of Armando and himself from the show and wrote alongside it, "With sharing our story with the world, we wanted to show...When two people are in love, nothing is impossible, anything is achievable. #lovehasnoboundries #gaycouple #90dayfiance #90dayfiancetheotherway #loveislove."Kenneth also gushed about his love for Armando on social media in mid-August after his marriage proposal aired on television, suggesting the couple is still happy and together.
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Kenneth posted a video of Armando saying "yes" to marriage and the men kissing each other, and he captioned it, "This was the best moment and the best day ever! Thank you everyone for the amazing reaction, love and support! Love is love #love is love #90dayfiance #90dayfiancetheotherway."
Kenneth later posted a photo of Armando showing off his engagement ring.
"You just know when it's right. #loveislove #lovewins #90dayfiance #90dayfiancetheotherway," Kenneth captioned the image.
As for Armando, he posted a photo with Kenneth from their dinner post-engagement.
"I said yes! #90dayfiance #90dayfiancetheotherway #90daytheotherway #proposal #engagement #lgbt #gay #pride #love #tlc," Armando wrote alongside the sweet picture of the men smiling in front of a big bouquet of flowers.
In late July, Kenneth also posted a photo of himself in Mexico on Instagram and wrote alongside it, "Roads that lead me to a beautiful destination. #lovewins #mexicanbeauty #myheart #90dayfiance #90dayfiancetheotherway."
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"What real relationships are about," Kenneth captioned a photo with Armando in which they were both sitting in front of an iconic Jesus statue in Mexico.
"Yes differences but then understanding, communication, compromising and in the end moving forward together. #jesusloveslove #90dayfiance #90fiancetheotherway."
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Around that same time, Armando posted what appeared to be a throwback photo with Kenneth in which they were soaking in a sunset together.
"Two worlds, One love," Armando wrote, along with a heart emoji and two Earth emojis. "#90dayfiance #90daytheotherway #90dayfiancetheotherway #gay #lgbt #pride #love #tlc #jesuslove."
Kenneth also recently gushed about how he grew to love Mexico, hinting he "is" still living there.
"One of the many things I love about Mexico is the beautiful sky, the stars were never so bright... never more at peace, it was (is) serenity," Kenneth captioned an image of himself looking at the sky on Instagram, along with a smiley face.
Armando also shared a photo of the guys enjoying cocktails together and taking in a beautiful view in late July. Although the picture was apparently a throwback, Armando added a hashtag "#love" to his post.
"Cheers to finally reuniting #90dayfiance #90dayfiancetheotherway #90daytheotherway #love #movingforlove #gayfathers #lgbt #kennethandarmando," Armando wrote alongside the photo along with a red-heart emoji.
And in late June, Kenneth posted a photo of himself and Armando wearing matching #LoveWins shirts while taking a hike together.
Even if the picture was a throwback, Kenneth's caption suggested he was proud of Armando for coming out to his parents and they're still a happy couple.
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RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? (PHOTOS)
One week earlier, Armando and Kenneth's daughter Cassidy made it clear they've become extremely close!
Cass captioned a promo video for 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, "The time is now!! Get to know my family and hear my dads story airing TONIGHT at 9/8c on @tlc for the official premier of @90dayfiance:the other way @kenneth_90day @armando_90day."
Armando replied with an emoticon that has stars for eyes and then Cassidy wrote to him, "@armando_90day I love love love you! So excited."
Armando sweetly responded, "@cultivation.and.inspiration love youuuu!! Here we go!"
Armando has also commented on other photos posted on Cassidy's Instagram page recently.
Around that same time, Kenneth hinted he and Armando are still in "love" during an interview with E! News.
When asked why they signed up for 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, Kenneth explained, "We both went into this wanting to tell our story. We want to show our love and we want people to see that. I said in one of the teasers, love is a powerful thing. Love can stop wars. We're hoping that love can melt hearts and love can open minds."
Kenneth added that he hopes viewers "might tune in and watch out story and they might change their minds and open their hearts even wider."
According to hints made by Kenneth's daughter Cass Niedermeier in late April, Kenneth and Armando are also still living together in Mexico.
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"Literally in tears right now writing this, my daddy is my best friend and although I am so happy he's livin his best life in Mexico with the love of his life, my heart isn't the same without him around."
"And with this quarantine canceling my trip to see you at the end of March, and not knowing when I can book another plane ticket, it's got me feeling emotional. I love you with all my heart daddy!!!" she added.
The heartfelt message served as the caption to a photo of Cass and her father posing for a picture together in Rosarito, Mexico, which suggests Cass had visited Kenneth at his new home at some point.
According to Starcasm, Kenneth replied to the post, "Oh Cass, you have made tears come down my face...you will never understand how much my life has been about you, your sisters, brother and Coop, why my move was so hard, you guys have been my world...it was so painful and my heart was so sad when I moved... my love for you all has no boundaries, always know that."
"You will visit sooner than later I know that!" he added. "You are my child twin, the Apple definitely didn't fall far from the tree with you! Love your to life my beautiful daughter."
Kenneth revealed October 27, 2019 on Instagram he was moving to Mexico to be with Armando soon.
"#Countdown, little over a month and our #forever starts. #love him #gaycouple #movingforlove #mexico #maydecember #proudofhim #instagay #lucky," Kenneth captioned a selfie of the couple.
Armando replied, "Can't come soon enough my love! Been waiting for this moment so long, will be the best."
Kenneth's house in Florida sold in July 2019 for close to $350,000, and then he left for Mexico four months later on November 30 with his dog Truffles on a four-day road trip, Starcasm reported.
"When I left my hometown of Toledo Ohio when I was 19, I was running away from something, running from who I couldn't be... in Florida I found myself and who I was meant to be! Tomorrow I am running again, not away, but towards something, to love, #lovewins #loveislove," Kenneth reportedly wrote in part on Instagram at the time.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
