Why Rachel Bear Walters Decided To Step Away From 90 Day Fiance
Fans of the 90 Day Fiancé franchise were first introduced to Rachel Bear and Jon Walters in 2018 on the second season of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. The pair met on a karaoke app and began long-distance dating, despite Rachel learning she was pregnant with someone else's child. "When I told Jon, he ran to me, not away from me," she recalled on the show and their love story continued from there.
Shortly after giving birth, Rachel (who already had one daughter Ella) flew from New Mexico to Weston-super-Mare, England with eight-month-old Lucy to find out if her love with Jon was real. It was, and they quickly became one of 90 Day Fiancé's best couples. Despite an uncomfortable confrontation about Jon's past legal troubles, they managed to avoid scandal and a romantic proposal at King Arthur's Tintagel Castle followed. Rachel and Jon also said "I do" during the trip, then embarked on a difficult long-distance romance with Rachel traveling back as often as possible.
But while they've kept fans updated on their journey through Instagram and YouTube, they've decided to step away from 90 Day Fiancé and now we know why.
Rachel keeps visiting England, but is she moving there?
Soon after their first encounter, Rachel Bear began racking up a lot of frequent flyer miles! In December 2018, she and Lucy returned to England, so the newlyweds could enjoy a proper honeymoon (complete with matching tattoos). Just five months later, they boarded another flight in May 2019 so the long-distance couple could celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary together.
But despite Rachel's obvious affinity for England, moving there is simply "not an option." As Jon Walters explained (via In Touch Weekly), Rachel can't leave New Mexico because her oldest daughter is there. "What sort of parents would we be if we created a family which put Ella on the outside?" he asked, noting, "We would never selfishly solve our problem by passing on the misery of missing your family on to a child."
90 Day fans wondered if they would at least see more of the couple on the show, but when asked if their latest reunions had been filmed by TLC, Rachel and Jon revealed the answer was — sadly — no. "A happily married couple doesn't make great TV," they said (via Reality TV World), adding, "It makes even worse TV if they are just working and saving for a visa." They eventually saved the $11,000 needed to start the process, and the following December, Jon told fans (via In Touch), "Our visa application is in — it's a long wait now, but the hard part is over."
Did the pandemic break or strengthen Rachel and Jon's bond?
Despite their claims that they were simply too happy to make "great TV," Rachel Bear and Jon Walters were back on TLC in the fourth season of 90 Day Fiancé: What Now, which was filmed in January 2020. Viewers watched Rachel and Lucy traveling to London yet again to reunite with Jon after 210 days apart. But the joyful occasion was tainted by the fact that Rachel just lost her job, and the couple worried that, if she was unable to show she could financially support Jon, their pending visa application would be denied.
Rachel shared more of her fears on 90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined, revealing that she and Jon might need to find a co-sponsor if she couldn't get a new job in time. "Initially when we filed for the visa, we were told we were looking at three to three-and-a-half years, and now it could be different. It could be a lot longer," she said (via In Touch Weekly).
Luckily, things turned around, and in September 2020, Rachel told fans on the couple's YouTube channel, "I have had a job now for quite a few months." She gushed that it's "an amazing update for Jon and I because that means our visa is no longer in jeopardy," adding that she now earns "enough and everything is golden on that end."
Will Rachel and Jon be back on '90 Day Fiancé' in 2021?
Taking to YouTube in September 2020, Rachel Bear revealed the pandemic has not slowed them down at all — "Our visa application is moving along and... our visa is currently just about ready for an interview," she said — and that she already has her next trip to England planned. She and Jon Walters will reunite in May 2021, which will be the first time they've seen each other since January 2020, but fans will be disappointed to learn TLC cameras won't be there. "We are probably not gonna be filming the next trip when Rachel comes," Jon said.
The reason for their decision to not be filmed is a happy one, however. As Rachel shared, after a lot of "compromise and negotiation" with her ex, she "finally" gets to bring her oldest daughter, Ella, to England. She explained that "obviously she can't be on TV" due to her father's wishes, so TLC simply "can't film."
Barely able to contain their excitement, Jon gushed, "I cannot wait. I've known Ella since she was 6 and now she's 10... She's coming and we're gonna do stuff, we're gonna go to fun places. We're going to be together." He reassured viewers that he and Rachel will be sure to post updates on YouTube. "TLC are not following us, [but] if you want to follow us through this stage of our journey, then please do on our YouTube," he said.