While marking a milestone in their relationship, the reality stars, who first appeared in season seven of TLC series, confirm that they call it quits after struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Oct 13, 2021
AceShowbiz - Juliana Custodio and Michael Jessen are going separate ways. The "90 Day Fiance" stars announced their breakup on their social media platform while marking their second wedding anniversary.
Michael was the first who announced their separation on Tuesday, October 12. In a since-deleted Instagram post, the 61-year-old wrote alongside a photo from his wedding, "Today is only our second wedding anniversary and, sadly, our last." He added, "Our marriage is a Covid-19 casualty that will not be showing up in any statistics. Thankfully, you are quickly emerging healthier and stronger than ever. Some of the rest of us will likely be staying in intensive care for quite some time."
"Your experiences in life have developed in you a resilience, self-reliance and independence that allows you to survive and even thrive, under almost any circumstance," Michael continued, speaking to his now-estranged wife. "You also possess a natural and an incredibly beautiful joy, happiness and positivity that made me fall in love with you the first time we were ever together."
In his statement, Michael pointed out that the couple's "situation" throughout the pandemic had "completely drained" him. "I did not maintain the strength of mind and the fortitude to be the husband that you wanted me to be," he confessed. "The stress and the pressure of providing for everyone got the better of me and I did not take care of myself." He also stated he didn't blame Juliana for "wanting to leave" and he hoped she would "have lasting love and happiness and achieve every dream."
In her own post, Juliana wrote a lengthy message to Michael. She began by saying that though the pandemic played a factor in their separation, "there are more [reasons] than that." She admitted that the pandemic was "a hard time" for her, but "the hardest part for [her] was to picture [her estranged husband] as someone that would be by [her] side and unfortunately [he] showed something completely different."
Juliana further explained that her situation had become "toxic" and she decided she needed to return to Europe and her career as a model. "I am happy with the new phase and I ask you to let me go," she penned. She concluded her message by encouraging others who are not happy in their relationship to "stand up for yourself."
"Don't [be] afraid to live your best life because you're afraid of what people will think," she said. "You are the only person that knows what you've been through...Your value doesn't decrease based on someone's inability to see your worth."
Hours after Juliana shared her point of view, Michael let out a cryptic post on his page. The quote read, "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about language, ideas, even the phrase each other doesn't make any sense."
Juliana and Michael first appeared in season seven of "90 Day Fiance". The pair met at a yacht party in Croatia and were engaged a short time later. Then in 2019, Michael's ex-wife, Sarah, officiated their marriage.
