The cause of death has been disclosed for 90 day fiance star ben rathbun, who passed away at the age of 55.
The 90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days star tragically passed away on Monday, May 20, at his home in Greencastle, Indiana,TMZ shared in a report.
A family source confirmed that he was surrounded by loved ones in his final hours, including his wife, Mahogany Roca. Before the official confirmation, the Instagram page @shabootydotcom first shared the news, revealing that Rathbun was “too weak for chemotherapy.”
According to reports, Rathbun died following a battle with stage 4 stomach cancer, which he was diagnosed with at the end of 2024.
The heartbreaking news has prompted an outpouring of grief from fellow 90 Day Fiancé cast members.
Kimberly Menzies wrote: “This is so, so sad. My heart breaks for his kids and family,” and later added under a social media post, “This is truly sad. He made mistakes, as we all have, but he is a good guy. I pray for him and his family.”
Tyray Mollet penned: “Damn this is so sad. We never know what someone is going through.” Mike Berk said, “Is this for real? This is so sad to see him or anyone die from cancer. Prayers to him and his family and mahogany,” while Lisa Hamme simply wrote, “RIP, Ben.”
Rathbun first appeared on 90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days in December 2021 at age 52.
His storyline followed his relationship with Mahogany Roca, a 22-year-old woman from Peru, whom he had met online.
Their 30-year age gap and Mahogany’s initial reluctance to meet in person sparked skepticism from viewers, with many suspecting Rathbun was being catfished.
When they finally met in Peru, Mahogany initially stood Ben up at the airport and later revealed she was 22, not 24 as she had claimed.
Their first date was awkward, but they stayed in touch and eventually got engaged during a later visit in August 2022. Rathbun even proposed at the same restaurant where they had their uncomfortable first encounter. “I just asked her to be my wife and she said…,” he said in a YouTube video, with Mahogany adding, “Yes.”
In a February 2024 episode of 90 Day Diaries, the couple revealed they had married months earlier. “Our civil ceremony was just brilliant, I could not believe how beautiful it was,” he said, as pictures from their oceanfront wedding were shown.
He also shared that they were “still planning on having a religious ceremony and do it right,” while also noting that Mahogany still lived in Miraflores, Peru, and he was based in Michigan. “She still needs me to build trust with her,” he admitted.
Offscreen, Rathbun faced personal struggles. In early 2021, he pleaded guilty to a DUI charge stemming from a 2020 arrest, which included driving with an expired license, per Daily mail.
He later missed a court date, leading to a bench warrant for his arrest. Rathbun said the notice was sent to an old address but accepted responsibility, acknowledging that it was his responsibility to ensure that his address was up to date.
He was also accused of embezzling $1,000–$20,000 from the Michigan Lupus Foundation, where he had served as executive director. The alleged offense occurred in October 2018, and he was fired in March 2022.
Speaking to in touch, Rathbun 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.”
He added that the firing would “serve to humble me and allow greater growth in me as a person”.
