Michael started flaunting his American Dream, has been grueling.
Angela will be in the spotlight, trying to put the past behind her, but every day, she's confronted with the words and actions of a man who seems committed to showing the world that each day and night without Angela is more blissful than the last. She has been through the wringer.
Angela's Been Hurting Since Michael Left Her
Toughing it Out Must Be Taking A Toll
I get it that some people have no sympathy for Angela - they think she's abusive, and there's no doubt that she's crossed lines. However, she clearly loved Michael, and it was wrenching to watch her come to with the end of her marriage. Facing the truth about what her relationship with Michael really was... that was very important, but it hurt her, and I'm worried that she's not okay. In a Tiktok, Angela let the world know that she's coming back to "your screen TV."
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The details are still hazy. Angela's a pro at giving the public what it wants, so she'll probably do a series of exciting teasers, waiting until the last moment to explain which show she'll be on. It could be 90DF, or something else entirely. She might end up starring on House of Villains. There are plenty of options for the charismatic queen who steals every scene she's in. What I'm worried about is how she's doing under all that bravado.
There's a softie inside that armor and that side of Angela is something she is always fighting.
I'm not saying that Angela can't handle being on television, or on a streaming platform. The Georgia peach can handle absolutely anything. She is a survivor, but maybe the pressure of trying to play the devil-may-care Meemaw while her heart's in a million little pieces will be painful.
Picture a clown with a painted-on smile - that clown might be sad, but the mask is on, and no one can know. The show must go on. Angela may feel like she needs to act a certain way no matter how she feels inside. That pressure to perform could make the process of appearing on TV more challenging. It could sap the strength that's so awe-inspiring.
Is Angela Prepared For The Scrutiny She'll Get?
After Her Michael Split, She'll Be Under More Pressure
Everyone's expecting the usual carnival that Angela provides - the intense emotions, the tantrums, the jokes, the ego, the wild fashion, the flirting, the rages... the prism of colors and emotions that are 90 Day Fiancé's Angela Deem. Michael was someone she invested years of time and energy in.
She dished it out, it's true, and while she got physical, attacking his car and shoving a strawberry shortcake in his face, he doled out his own kind of punishment.
What is worse - the cake on the face or being cheated on? The damaged vehicle or the heart, shredded emotionally by someone who was only interested in a Green Card and Angie's money. The courts would say the cake and the vehicle are worse, and there's a cold logic to that, but her pain is real.
Now, she must show the world that she's okay, but maybe she's not okay. Fans probably expect the usual swagger, and while I'm certain she'll deliver, I'm not certain it will come straight from the heart. I worry about the emotional pressure to be okay. Everyone feels that sometimes. There are always times when we aren't okay.
To be brave is noble - to feel fear and face it head-on, but maybe Angela's not the same woman she used to be. Maybe she'd like more emotional , more gentleness. Maybe she is ready for a different way of life.
Did Michael Take Advantage Of Angela?
It Seems Like He Did
There's the money issue too - Michael, in a sense, looted Angela, draining her cash reserves while riding her coattails. This detail is quite important. She needs to earn a living and that may be the motor for her "reality queen" stints. Only Angela knows how she feels inside. She's open about her life, but even she must keep some things inside. Those sleepless nights, crying into a pillow... those tortured days, looking at Michael's cheery Instagram (see him dancing in the clip above, via Instagram) and wondering how things fell apart so brutally, with such finality.
Anyone who's had a breakup understands the shell shock - the feeling of unreality until the mind and heart adjust. Hopefully, she has had enough time to process everything that's happened to her. Angela is a human being.
Yes, the world of TV is her domain, but maybe she's fragile, wondering how to play it. Should she show the world her pain or hide it? Should she criticize Michael or rise above? Should she search for love or find a new goal? Angela 2.0 is bound to be different - she may wonder if the public will accept her as she is now - battle-scarred, bloody but unbowed.
Can she show vulnerability? Or must she always be the woman who is tougher than all the rest? Angela has hidden depths like every person. I'd like to see more of her softness - I'd like the real Angela, whatever and whoever that may be.
This woman spent money on a man who probably always intended to leave her. She believed his lies, forgave his cheating, and tried to ignore the little voice inside that was there to protect her. The little voice knew Michael was bad news. Most people have muted that voice at one time or another. However, when we do so, we usually pay a price later on.
Michael clearly used Angela, probably from day one. She is a woman of a certain age, as they say - a woman who may have hoped for more than a younger partner who saw dollar signs and Green Cards instead of feeling all the most beautiful aspects of love - the butterflies in the stomach, the anticipation, the desire and the tenderness. Angela, in many ways, had a cardboard partner - a man who looked the part but wasn't quite real. She must look back and wonder, "What on earth was I thinking?"
It's her experience and what she's learned that interest me the most. Who is she now, with all of these things acting on her, pushing her to evolve? Angela has star quality, and true confidence, and her onscreen presence is electric. Few people have that kind of capacity to hypnotize an audience. However, I don't think she always has to be the tough cookie. I'd like to see into her heart, past the glittery, suntanned facade. I think there's a lot in there that no one has ever seen.
The new Angela could be an inspiration - older, wiser, better. While reality TV is a hotbed of villains who act up to entertain drama-hungry audiences, Angela could dial down the theatrics and still win. Her "X factor" is strong enough - she can be anything and still hold our attention. So, I hope she doesn't feel pressure to be a woman that she isn't anymore, and maybe never will be again. Angela should let herself change and really listen to her heart, and then take us along for the ride.
90 Day Fiancé fans can stream the series and spinoffs on the Discovery+ platform.
Sources: Angela Deem/TikTok, Michael Ilesanmi/Instagram
90 Day Fiancé
- Release Date
- January 12, 2014
- Network
- TLC
- Showrunner
- Kyle Hamley
Cast
Erica HillSelf - Host-
Sophie Sierra
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Rogue Rubin, Kevin Rhoades, Jessica Hernandez
- Franchise(s)
- 90 Day Fiancé
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