’90 Day Fiancé’ Star Ben Rathbun Passes Away at 55 — Fans Mourn the Loss
90 Day Fiancé’ Star Ben Rathbun Dead at 55
A complicated legacy influenced by love, scandal, and faith has been left behind as this reality TV star’s journey from the spotlight to a peaceful farewell in Indiana comes to a conclusion.
Renowned for his role on “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days,” Ben Rathbun died at the age of twenty-five.
He passed away at his Greencastle, Indiana, home on Monday morning, May 19, 2025. He was surrounded by loved ones when he passed away, a family source said.
In late 2024, Rathbun received a stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis. In the months before his death, he had been receiving treatment and spending time with his family.
Season 5 of the “90 Day Fiancé” spinoff was when he first came to the notice of the public. He was a 52-year-old father of four at the time, and he had started dating a 22-year-old South American woman named Mahogany Roca online.
Viewers were skeptical of their relationship, with some believing that Roca might have been deceiving him. Nevertheless, those rumors were disproved when they finally met in person.
A clip from the broadcast from February 2022 showed the couple cuddling. In the episode, Roca described how her parents were skeptical of Rathbun’s motives at first, but she chose to give him a chance after he came to visit her in her village.
According to reports, the pair got married after the show ended. It was reported that she was present when he died.
Since then, Roca has paid homage to Rathbun on Instagram. “I love you more than anyone, I love you forever and ever and ever,” she wrote in one of her posts.
Even though I’m grieving as I write this, I’m still unsure about how to disclose his and my privacy lives online.”
She called Rathbun “a great Christian,” adding, “He was a child of God, a peacemaker. A real-life angel… “He is an innocent individual,”
She reminisced about their time together in a different post that included multiple pictures. “Every morning, your bedtime breakfasts, your grins, your kisses, and your stunning blue eyes—you labored with honor and made an effort to be God’s best son.
And I slept with you in hospitals when this occurred. My dear, you are sorely missed.
On Monday, May 19, Lisa Perry Rathbun said that her ex-husband had passed away from cancer at his parents’ home in Indiana. She urged people to remember their family in their prayers, mentioning that he was the father of their four children.
Rathbun’s last years were characterized by illness, but he also had a string of court issues that attracted notice. He was detained on March 15, 2022, for not showing up for a hearing on probation violations.
The infraction was connected to accusations from 2020, when he was arrested for driving with a suspended license and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, according to Us Weekly.
He received a sentence of 18 months of probation in January 2021. Due to his skipped hearing, a bench warrant was issued, and he was placed under arrest with a $10,000 bail amount.
In 2024, more legal challenges arose. Rathbun was arraigned in Michigan on a felony embezzlement accusation involving cash ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 from a charity or philanthropic organization, according to a November 26 Instagram post by shabootydotcom.
The alleged transgression occurred in 2018. According to the post, he had been living with Roca in Peru and was arrested when he returned to the United States after his passport was seized in Washington, D.C. In order to face the charges, he was later extradited to Michigan.
Another message from the same user the day before claimed that Rathbun had also been arrested for nonpayment of child support. According to reports, he was detained at the time in a jail in Oakland County, Michigan.
According to the article, Roca stayed by his side, but there didn’t seem to be any communication between her and his family—only one of his daughters apparently spoke to her.
Rathbun’s life was characterized by intense devotion to Roca, personal hardships, and public recognition. Loved ones continue to think back on his journey, from reality TV to his last days spent with family, as they grieve his departure.
