90 Day Fiance's Ben Rathbun Dead at 55 After Cancer Battle | In Touch Weekly
90 Day Fiancé alum Ben Rathbun has died at the age of 55, according to multiple reports.
A family source told TMZ that Ben had been battling stage 4 stomach cancer, which he was diagnosed with in late 2024. He died on the morning on Monday, May 19, at his home in Greencastle, Indiana, surrounded by his family
Prior to TMZ‘s confirmation, blogger Shabooty said that the TLC personality was battling stage 4 cancer. The blogger reported that Ben’s wife, , was by his side and Ben was “too weak for chemotherapy.”
“This is truly sad. He made mistakes as we all have but he is a good guy. I pray for him and his family,” 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days costar commented under the post. Fellow franchise star wrote, “Damn this is so sad. We never know what someone is going through.”
Las year, In Touch confirmed Ben was arrested and charged with with embezzlement of $1,000-$20,000 from a non-profit or charitable organization. The offense date was listed as October 2018. He was accused of stealing from the Michigan Lupus Foundation, where he worked before being fired in March 2022.
After the news of his unemployment broke, Ben exclusively told In Touch that the firing would “serve to humble me and allow greater growth in me as a person.” He also said, “Anything that would distract us from accomplishing the mission of our charity should be dealt with appropriately. I had become a major distraction, and I know this process, while painful, is the best course of action. [This] will eventually lead me to another place of service that [I] can use my talents to help people.”
Ben was best known for his appearance on season 5 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days in 2021, alongside his then-girlfriend, Mahogany. The pair — who shared a 30-year age gap — met online and dated for three months virtually before they joined the TLC show. The series followed the Michigan native as he traveled to Peru to meet his online love for the first time. However, Ben’s family and friends quickly raised concerns over the romance, pointing out several red flags and even speculating that she might be a catfish.
It wasn’t love at first sight for the TLC personalities as Mahogany stood Ben up at the airport when he landed and their first dinner date was seen as “awkward” by fans. Later in the season, Ben also learned that Mahogany was 22 years old instead of 24 as she had previously told him.
Despite their ups and downs, Ben and Mahogany overcame their relationship challenges and announced their engagement in August 2022. They later revealed on a February 2024 episode of 90 Day Diaries that they had since gotten married.
“Our civil ceremony was just brilliant, I could not believe how beautiful it was,” Ben said as a series of photos from the ocean-front nuptials were shown, including the bride’s white sleeveless knee-length wedding dress. He added that the newlyweds were “still planning on having a religious ceremony and do it right.”
Their issues weren’t completely solved as Ben admitted that Mahogany still needed him to “build trust with her,” as she continued to live in Miraflores, Peru, while he resided in Michigan.