90 Day Fiance: Mike And Natalie's Relationship Was Chaos From The Start
Almost no relationship on TLC's "90 Day Fiancé" is easy. Lives are uprooted and tough decisions are made, all for the possibility of finding lasting love. Some couples, like Angela Deem and Michael Ilesanmi, defy the odds and manage to pull through difficult times. But many fans feel that others, such as Mike Youngquist and Natalie Mordovtseva, are destined to fail from the beginning.
The story of how Mike and Natalie met is something out of a Hallmark movie — they were asked to be the godparents of their mutual friends' baby. Yet things quickly turn sour during their "90 Day" premiere, when Mike visits Natalie in Ukraine to get to know her a little better.
It's discovered that they don't have the same religious beliefs, which is a major issue for Natalie. On Reddit, u/thisisasj said, "Mike and Natalie were doomed when he told her he didn't believe in God, and she literally said she's afraid of people who aren't Christian." There's also the couple's conflicting diets — Natalie's a staunch vegetarian and Mike isn't — and communication difficulties. Tensions are high as Mike gets ready to fly back to Sequim, Washington, and Natalie angrily chucks her engagement ring into his packed suitcase.
Most people would be hesitant to continue a relationship that's this chaotic from the start. But that didn't stop these two from pushing forward.
Mike and Natalie's relationship only got more chaotic
Despite both parties waving some pretty big red flags, Natalie Mordovtseva makes the move to Sequim, Washington, to be with her fiancé and get married in 90 days. Unsurprisingly, more chaos ensues. Mordovtseva is unhappy in the remote, wooded area; Mike Youngquist's mother Trish is convinced that her soon-to-be daughter-in-law is only there for a green card; and his fidelity is called into question when it's revealed that he spent the night at his female friend's house. Toss in a surprise nose surgery, a pet rat named Lucky, and the global pandemic, and this doomed relationship finally implodes.
In fact, some "90 Day Fiancé" fans feel that these later incidents were all for television and that the early chaos in Ukraine actually caused their demise behind the scenes. On Reddit, u/Life_Frosting700 posited, "My running theory is they broke up in Ukraine but I think she got a lot of viewer ratings and TLC wanted to keep her on so when her visa got approved they coaxed Mike into getting back together for the show just to keep her as a cast member."