Rachel and Jon of TLC's '90 Day Fiancé' on Her Pregnancy and His Criminal Record
When Rachel Bear found out she was four weeks pregnant, her heart dropped. How could she possibly tell Jon Walters, her long-distance boyfriend, that she was having another man's baby? In summer 2016 (just months into dating), the then-32-year-old single mother mustered up the courage to tell him.
From more than 4,000 miles away in New Mexico, Rachel started a video conference call with Jon, a former football player from the U.K., and said, "I have something to tell you." And with that, she broke the news.
To Rachel's surprise, Jon did not run or call off the relationship. He cried tears of joy.
"I’ve never had a girlfriend or a wife sit me down on the edge of a bed and tell me, ‘I’m pregnant. We’re having a baby,’ and when Rachel told me it just changed me," Jon tells GoodHousekeeping.com. "It was like my wonderful girlfriend and I were having a baby. That’s what it felt like."
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Rachel was shocked by Jon's positive reaction, and she was especially caught off guard by how emotional he was. She realized what a "rare breed" he is, and they began to plan for their new future together.
In the months that followed, Jon continued to support his long-distance girlfriend throughout her pregnancy, checking in several times a day and even FaceTiming Rachel from the delivery room. Likewise, Rachel made Jon feel a part of the birth by mailing him a piece of baby Lucy's umbilical cord after her delivery.
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In December 2017, Jon finally met Rachel and Lucy in person for the first time with the TLC cameras rolling for 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days.
Since season 2 premiered on August 5 (the show airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET), the couple have become fan favorites - though many criticize the untraditional start of their relationship. GoodHousekeeping.com talked to Rachel and Jon about how they've dealt with the public scrutiny of being on show so far, and what fans don't know about their complicated love story.
They met singing "Suddenly Seymour" from Little Shop of Horrors together.
"After singing with Jon he started messaging me, but I figured that there was no way that he was going to want to date me," Rachel says of their meet cute on the karaoke app Smule. "He was just so good looking. We were friends for about four or five months before things got serious."
But Jon knew right away Rachel was the one. "We were both single and I wanted to have a relationship with her."
But the couple wasn't exclusive, and Rachel got pregnant by another man.
"I’m not willing to talk about Lucy's father [publicly]. It just doesn’t matter. I think since we’re not talking about how it all came about, because it’s our business, and it’s a really personal thing, there are a lot of people letting their imaginations run wild and that’s fine. I did expect that," Rachel says.
Jon tried to visit America before Lucy's birth, but his visa was denied due to his criminal record.
"At the time, we thought that I was going to come to America. That whole year was a really tough. It was a really tough year. I couldn’t get to America," Jon says. So, Rachel decided it was time for her to go to England.
And while we don't know everything about Jon's record (it will be explored more on the show), Rachel says she wasn't worried one bit.
"[My friends and I] checked online to see if he’s ever been violent against a woman. [Under] Clare’s Law (a domestic abuse disclosure scheme in the U.K.), you can search anybody’s name and it will give you everything about them. I was not worried because I felt like I had known him for a lifetime. It’s hard to explain, but when you know, you just know."
They needed support, so they went online and it led them to reality TV.
"We were on [long-distance relationship] support groups on Facebook, and we shared our story. A casting agent from the show contacted us [through social media] and asked us to be a part of the show," says Rachel.
Rachel was a fan of 90 Day Fiancé, but she wasn't sure about appearing.
"I personally was afraid of the criticism and people not understanding," she says. "But then I told myself, Jon, and other people that if I never found myself in this situation, I wouldn’t get it either, so I didn’t expect anyone else to. But once we told everybody, we got so much support, so it was great."
Eight months after Lucy was born, the couple met in person for the first time ... with cameras in tow.
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"'Oh my gosh, you're real!' I said when I first hugged him. It's better than I expected. He's so much cuter in person and that just blew me away," Rachel remembers. "Cause, I spent like a year giving you horrible photos. You're beautiful. That was my last first kiss," Jon chimes in.
But there was some drama.
Jon's sister didn't immediately take a liking to Rachel, so she apparently would bring up his exes frequently. "Why the f-k would you tell my fiancé about me dating other girls? What are you even talking about? My sister is an idiot," Jon says.
But Rachel didn't take it all to heart. "I’m not mad at anybody because like I said before, if I wasn’t in this situation, I wouldn’t understand it either. Jon dated, but guess what? I did, too. I have two kids. Clearly, I’ve had my dates. We’ve all been there, but I find that my family won’t necessarily point that out to Jon in front of me, so that was a little uncalled for."
Jon says things are going to heat up this season.
"If romance makes you feel sick, then there’s no use in watching because this is going to get cranked up. Romeo and Juliet will have nothing on us."
Rachel won't permanently move to the U.K.
In addition to Lucy, Rachel also has another daughter from a previous relationship, so she won't be leaving the U.S. for good. "I have an 8 year old and I will not leave her. It’s a custody thing," she says.
Jon and Rachel would not confirm the status of their current relationship.
"We cannot confirm that we’re still together. I’m not saying what the outcome is, but I would [travel back and forth] forever," Rachel says.
But fans online speculate they got married in May. "Let’s be honest…I would move anywhere. I’d go live in Mexico [to be with her]. It doesn’t bother me," Jon agreed.
Well, that makes it pretty clear then, doesn't it?
WATCH '90 DAY FIANCE: BEFORE THE 90 DAYS' AT 9 P.M. EST ON SUNDAYS ON TLC.
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