90 Day Fiancé: The Messy Drama That Led To Julio And Kirsten's Split

Love is hard enough under any circumstances. Adding language barriers, cultural differences, a power imbalance, a strict time limit, and reality TV cameras to the mix can make it unbearable, as couples who partake in "90 Day Fiancé" and its many spin-offs know only too well. Emotions are charged, and tensions run high, often resulting in the type of messy drama that led to "90 Day Fiancé: the Other Way" couple Julio Moya and Kirsten Schoemaker's split.

The show's drama and tension keep the viewers tuning in. Forbes reports that the "90 Day Fiancé" franchise consistently scores the highest ratings of any cable TV show. Moya and Schoemaker really delivered on the drama front, producing some of the most uncomfortable "90 Day Fiancé" moments as they battled it out, all in the name of a K-3 visa — well, an MMV in their case.

According to TLC, New Yorker Moya is a DJ and a 27-year-old "momma's boy." He met 24-year-old Schoemaker when he slid into her DMs. Sparks immediately flew, and after the couple spent a blissful week together in Holland during the pandemic lockdown, Moya decided to swap his concepts for clogs and permanently relocate to the Netherlands to live with Schoemaker. However, Schoemaker wanted to come to New York and get Moya's mom's stamp of approval before he packed up his decks and flew off into the sunset. Good luck there, girl. What could possibly go wrong?

Despite all the drama, the "90 Day Fiancé" divorce rate is lower than you'd think. "Sadly, the divorce rate in the United States hovers around 50% — 50% of couples do not make it. We're well above that. Our couples are well above 75%," production company CEO Matt Sharp told Deadline. However, they have to make it down the aisle. Julio Moya and Kirsten Schoemaker didn't even make it past the "meet the family" stage.

Per Screen Rant, Moya and Schoemaker had been dating for a year when she touched down stateside. He'd promised to move to the Netherlands, apply for residency, and settle permanently. However, Schoemaker soon discovered something was rotten in the state of New York. Moya had only informed his family that he was seeing Schoemaker a month before she arrived, and he'd neglected to mention any relocation plans. Awkward.

Moya's family and friends were concerned about him moving to the other side of the world to live with somebody he'd only physically spent a week with. "Let's say you guys get into a fight or whatever; he can't be like, 'I'm going to go talk with my friend or my mom,'" Moya's pal told Schoemaker. "Babe, he does have a point with that," Moya concurred. "If I was to live in my own place, would you be open to us living alone?" he asked. "Why would you live alone if you have a partner, a relationship?" Schoemaker shot back. 

Julio Moya's dopamine skyrocketed when he met Kirsten Schoemaker. He promised he'd move to the other side of the world and that they'd live happily ever after. However, that changed when Schoemaker arrived in New York, and Moya's family and friends discovered his plans. "This trip has been a bit of an eye-opener for me," Moya told the camera. "I'm really getting to see people's concerns and stuff that I hadn't considered."

Unsurprisingly, Schoemaker was peeved that Moya waited for her to fly to the U.S. to tell her he was having second thoughts. She was even more upset that he'd kept her a secret. Moya retaliated with some serious gaslighting. His mom was equally unimpressed about being blindsided by her son's proposed move. "You will enjoy, and I will suffer," she told Moya, inflicting maximum guilt. Later, his mom's tears flowed like Niagra Falls when she met the woman taking her son away from her.

Cue the breakup, which Moya did via video – because, of course, he did. "My mom said she really needs help at home with my brothers. You know it's difficult," he told Schoemaker. Moya attempted to shift the blame onto Schoemaker, insisting he wouldn't work to her timeline demands. She said she couldn't wait another year. "I'll guess we'll just end it on that note," he informed her. And just like that, it was over. Moya was free to live his best inauthentic single life again, presumably with his mom's approval.