90 Day Fiance couple Pedro Jimeno and Chantel Everett appear to be taking steps in the right direction to fix their marriage and put an end to their sparring families as shown on The Family Chantel, but did they make it as a couple and are they still together?
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Chantel and Pedro first appeared on Season 4 of TLC's 90 Day Fiance and then starred on Seasons 2, 3 and 4 of its Happily Ever After? spinoff. They are currently starring on TLC's spinoff, The Family Chantel.
Chantel met Pedro online over four years ago when she was looking to learn Spanish and a friend connected her with Pedro, who was also hoping to improve his English.
After communicating over the phone and video chat, Chantel decided to travel to the Dominican Republic so she could meet Pedro face to face.
It didn't take long for the couple to fall in love, although a friend of Pedro's family, Obed, claims Pedro meeting Chantel was a setup by his sister Nicole and mother Lidia.
After Chantel visited Pedro in the Dominican Republic a couple more times, Pedro proposed marriage and she accepted. Pedro then moved to the United States on his K-1 visa when he was 24 years old.
The pair got engaged, but Chantel decided to downplay the significance of their relationship in fear of how her family would react or what they might think.
Chantel, who was 25 at the time, therefore told her loved ones that Pedro was just visiting on a student visa.
Chantel's family was definitely suspicious of Pedro and his motives once they finally learned she and Pedro would be getting married. They worried he just wanted Chantel's money and/or a Green Card.
RELATED LINK: 'MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO BROKE UP? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
As a result, Chantel's parents demanded Chantel and Pedro sign a prenuptial agreement in order to protect Chantel's financial interests before their wedding. They also hired a private investigator to research Pedro's family background and determine if he already had a wife or any children back in his native country.
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOWChantel's family thought it was strange Pedro was constantly sending money home to his mother and sister in the Dominican Republic and wondered if he was hiding something.
Pedro hated that Chantel's family didn't trust him, and Chantel found herself in the middle of her relatives and the man she loved.
As fans may recall, Season 3 of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? concluded with Pedro getting into a blowout fight with Chantel's family at the dinner table.
When a conversation at the table got heated, Pedro apparently told someone to be quiet and then River yelled at Pedro for being disrespectful.
Pedro then ran across the table and seemingly tried to hit River, which resulted in a broken light and food scattered about. Tempers flared, weaves were pulled off, and the scene culminated into Chantel crying in a chair.
Chantel subsequently revealed she was not ready to try for a baby and expand their family due to all the chaos and family tension.
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE: BEFORE THE 90 DAYS' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT?! WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Chantel believed Pedro was out of line, regardless of who had started the fight, and she was angry he refused to apologize to her family and take some responsibility. Pedro, however, was waiting for Chantel's brother to say sorry and for Chantel to stand by him.
ADVERTISEMENT
As shown on 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?'s fourth season, the couple met with an immigration attorney to discuss the renewal of Pedro's U.S. Green Card, and Pedro mentioned potentially opening a business in his home country while continuing to live in the United States.
"Was this your plan all along? To come here and marry me just for a green card so you can leave me, use me and start your business?" Chantel vented to cameras.
Pedro then hopped on a flight to the Dominican Republic to visit his family with a heavy and confused heart. Neither Pedro or Chantel knew whether their marriage was going to last, with Chantel even saying she felt they were "doomed."
While in the Dominican Republic, Pedro's mother Lidia and sister Nicole tried to convince Pedro to end his relationship with Chantel. One of Nicole's friends, Coraima, also flirted with Pedro and danced with him one night to try to get him to loosen up and have fun.
Chantel eventually crashed Pedro's trip -- against Pedro's wishes -- and found out Coraima had given Pedro a lap dance.
RELATED LINK: 'BIG BROTHER' SHOWMANCES NOW: WHO'S STILL TOGETHER? WHICH COUPLES HAVE SPLIT UP?? (PHOTOS)
The trip also included many awkward and heated meetings for Chantel and Pedro's loved ones, but no solution was ever reached and neither side apologized for their ongoing problems.
"You're the cause of all of this. You don't deserve Pedro," Nicole told Chantel.
Chantel vented her "marriage [was] over" and "it's done." She accused Pedro of acting like "a little b-tch" around his family.
Chantel later learned from her friend Obed that her marriage might have been a setup.
Obed said, "I heard they were finding an American for him to marry... Any American. I don't think [Pedro] knew about it."
Ironically, Chantel's mother previously accused Lidia of running an operation to help women from the Dominican Republic find American men -- a financial venture Pedro had denied.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pedro later apologized to Chantel for behaving recklessly that one night out and for betraying her trust. He also insisted he was never involved in a marriage scheme as Obed had suggested.
"You need to believe me... I am going to do everything to make you happy... Nobody loves you the way that I love you," Pedro told his wife.
RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)
Chantel seemed to buy what Pedro was selling, but she still didn't trust Nicole and Lidia.
Chantel and Pedro later returned to the United States together because Pedro wanted to prove his wife was his priority.
The Season 4 finale of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? showed Chantel and Pedro returning home to Atlanta.
After a few days, Chantel realized Pedro had resorted back to his old ways. She accused him of playing video games constantly and not being present in their relationship.
But Pedro felt he had given up everything for Chantel and she didn't appreciate all that he did for her. Pedro told her to go find another man if he's not enough.
"Sometimes I want this thing over, you know? Damn!" Pedro vented, as Chantel cried alone in their bedroom.
During the Part 1 of the Tell-All special for 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?'s fourth season, Chantel admitted there was "a lot of friction" between herself and her husband.
Chantel then watched footage of Pedro taking off his wedding ring, partying and dancing with his sister Nicole's friend Coraima. Chantel immediately broke down into tears, accusing Pedro of wanting to "hang out with hoes."
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: 'SURVIVOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO'S STILL TOGETHER?! WHICH SHOWMANCES SPLIT UP? (PHOTOS)
Pedro said he had been in depression over the past couple of months and felt "really down" because his wife never took his side. He and Chantel weren't sure whether their relationship could bounce back from all of this drama and family tension.
"I don't know whether to stay in this marriage and stay here with my wife... or f-ck off," Pedro admitted.
During Part 2 of the Tell-All special, Chantel was feeling "pretty hopeless" about her marriage. She didn't know whether she could trust Pedro. The pair both left the taping fed up with each other and tired.
The Family Chantel, starring the couple and their lively in-laws and siblings, then premiered on July 22 on TLC.
The debut episode of The Family Chantel featured Chantel reuniting with her family following her emotional trip to the Dominican Republic.
"I basically found out that our whole marriage is a scam," Chantel told her family.
Karen that gloated that she "knew it" and saw that from the beginning.
"It's almost borderline body trafficking," Karen said, referencing how Pedro's family allegedly used Chantel.
Karen told Chantel the family would help her get out of her marriage, and then Chantel vented about how Pedro threatened her to go find another husband.
Karen and Thomas felt the need to step in and handle the situation because they believed Chantel's husband had "crossed the line." The pair, along with Chantel's sister Winter, therefore drove to Pedro's place for a confrontation.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chantel said her family hadn't been in the same room with Pedro since he physically fought River at the dining table over one year ago.
Pedro was not happy Chantel's family bombarded him with questions -- and a taser -- in his own apartment, but Karen and Thomas demanded answers about his flirtation with other women.
Pedro refused to talk, so then Karen changed the subject and asked about Chantel's marriage being an alleged setup so that Pedro's family could benefit from and have access to the American economy.
"Is this true?" Karen asked in reference to Obed's claims.
Pedro said "yes" just so Chantel's family would hear what they wanted to hear and stop talking. Pedro insisted the situation wasn't true but he was tired of fighting them and defending himself. It had been about four years of drama at this point.
"You must think my daughter is like a business, like a store. But guess what? Nothing is for sale!" Karen yelled.
"He has lost his mind. I'm concerned about him, but most of all, I'm concerned about [Chantel]. I do not 100 percent feel Chantel is safe in her marriage, and that upsets me tremendously."
Chantel felt "hopeless" and confessed she "never thought things would get this bad."
Pedro told Chantel after her family left that they had no manners or right to tell him how to behave in their marriage.
"Alright, I'm finished," Chantel said in tears, leaving the room.
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT?! (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
Although Pedro pushed back on the idea at first, he ultimately agreed to attend counseling sessions with his wife's family because he loved her and wanted to support her.
Pedro then dropped a bomb on viewers, that he wanted to bring Nicole and Lidia over to the United States so they could share in the American dream with him.
Pedro, however, was afraid to tell Chantel about his plans in fear of how she'd take the news.
"Listen to me. You have to say to her, 'Either you accept it or if you don't want to continue with me, then leave me. We'll end this. We'll get a divorce.' Period. Get a divorce. Leave her," Nicole told her brother over FaceTime.
In a subsequent episode of The Family Chantel, Pedro was shown meeting with an immigration lawyer, Erin Elliott, to discuss how he could bring his loved ones over to the United States permanently. Pedro learned he must become a U.S. citizen before he could sponsor them.
Erin revealed Pedro had two years until he could become a U.S. citizen and then the process of bringing his mother over would probably take a year-and-a-half. There was an exception, however, if Pedro was married to and living with a U.S. citizen, which he clearly was.
Pedro needed to show evidence of his marriage and then Chantel would be forced to participate in an interview with him.
Pedro didn't think Chantel would cooperate, and he was disappointed to learn it would cost him about $10,000 to bring his mother and sister over to America.
RELATED LINK: 'LOVE AFTER LOCKUP' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Nicole predicted Chantel's family would try to "sabotage" the process of their immigration, and Lidia called Chantel "a phony."
Pedro later broke the news of his plans to Chantel and her family during their first counseling session.
ADVERTISEMENT
"What did he just say?!" Karen yelled.
"What the hell?" Thomas noted.
Chantel said she was "so, so furious" Pedro "dropped that bomb in family counseling." She called it "such a betrayal."
Chantel was confused and had no idea about this. It took everything in Chantel not to get up and leave the room, but she didn't want her loved ones to watch them argue during the session.
Pedro said having his loved ones around would make things better for him, and Karen alleged Pedro always had "ulterior motives for marrying Chantel."
Chantel added that Lidia and Nicole coming to America was just going "to make matters worse."
"I don't want them to come here, because all they care about is making my life hell," Chantel said.
Chantel and Pedro later got into an argument over what had transpired during the counseling session, resulting in Pedro nearly stepping out of Chantel's idled car on a busy street.
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE: BEFORE THE 90 DAYS' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT?! (PHOTOS)
"You act like you don't trust me. All I want is someone to be honest and open with me... We used to be able to finish each other's sentences. Now, I don't even know who you are," Chantel told her husband.
"So you saying I'm a stranger? Kick me out of the house. This is how you want it," Pedro replied.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chantel argued Pedro was a mama's boy and would be happier living with his family than with her, so she threatened to move back in with her parents. She also demanded Pedro just move back to the Dominican Republic.
Pedro was proud of paying his family's bills, but Chantel said she couldn't live that way any longer.
After taking a day to cool off, however, Chantel felt guilty about how she had behaved and therefore apologized to her husband.
Chantel said she had unleashed months of pent-up emotions and problems within herself, but she asked Pedro to be honest with her going forward about all of his financial and immigration plans.
Pedro, however, had yet to tell Chantel about his visit with the lawyer in which he had discovered Chantel must attend an interview in order to bring his relatives over.
In the latest episode of The Family Chantel, Pedro embarked on a guys' trip to a dude ranch, where Chantel's father was hoping to bond with Pedro and make him feel part of the family. River also begrudgingly went along for the outing.
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Pedro wasn't sure he could trust Thomas, but he wanted to learn things from him as a father figure. He also figured mending fences with Thomas and River might influence Chantel to fix things with his mother and sister once they arrive in America down the road.
Chantel was very pleased her husband was putting in the effort to fix problems within the family.
So did Chantel and Pedro work out their issues? Did they stay together as a couple after filming The Family Chantel?
Rumors recently swirled Chantel and Pedro may have split, and Chantel posted a May 4 comment on Instagram that prompted speculation her relationship is in trouble.When a fan speculated Chantel and Pedro have split, Chantel just replied, "Seriously."
ADVERTISEMENT
Chantel also posted a cryptic message in June on Instagram in which she wrote, "When the storm has passed, put your energy into rebuilding your life, don't waste time looking back."
But it appears Chantel and Pedro are still together and married after all!
Chantel and Pedro are secretive about their relationship and largely refrain from posting photos and updates of themselves together on social media -- presumably due to their contracts with TLC -- but it seems pretty clear their relationship hasn't ended.
Not only were the couple an item when they recently filmed The Family Chantel, but in July, Chantel said she and Pedro were still trying to fix the problems in their marriage.
"We have our differences that we're still working on. We have our challenges, but that's something that will play out on the show," Chantel told E! News in an interview.
"There is no such thing as a perfect relationship, and we have our flaws."
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
Despite their flaws, Chantel also told People in late July if she could go back and do it all over again, she'd still choose to be with Pedro.
"I would still choose to marry him, but I would definitely have more realistic expectations," Chantel said.
Chantel and Pedro wouldn't still be working on issues if they had split and gone their separate ways!
Want more 90 Day Fiance spoilers? Click here to visit our 90 Day Fiance Spoilers webpage!
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
