Paula’s family members voiced deep concerns about Thomas’s controlling behavior and quirky habits as they arrived for the Sunday episode of “90 Day Fiancé.”
Thomas Dintino and Paula Barbosa are almost ready to tie the knot, with Paula’s family preparing to arrive in California for the ceremony.
Eight members of Paula’s family, including her parents who have never left Brazil before, will be staying in the couple’s small 800-square-foot apartment.
While Paula loves perfume and other scented products, Thomas is allergic to fragrances.
The perfume conflict has been brewing all season, but things escalated when Paula’s family touched down. On Sunday’s episode, Thomas laid down strict apartment rules for the visiting relatives.
“I’m a very sensitive man for little smells,” he told them, laying down the rules. “Please, you can’t use perfumes in the apartment. For example, no perfumes in soap.”
Her family reacted in confusion. Paula’s mother asked if baby soap was acceptable, which Thomas agreed to allow. But the tension was immediate.
Her parents told cameras that Thomas’s behavior and culture was “complicated” to them.
“We don’t have rules in our house for people,” her mom noted. “We try to please our guest.”
The family also was taken aback by Thomas’s lifestyle choices.
Thomas proudly declared he doesn’t own a TV and that he spent “zero dollars” preparing for their stay. Paula’s brother Aldir expressed his worries about how Thomas was acting.
“Sometimes I worry about how he acts, and some quirks he has,” Aldir told cameras.
His wife Gizelle was blunter. She called Thomas “annoying.”
Paula admitted to cameras she felt embarrassed over Thomas refusing to compromise with her or show respect to her family.
“I just have one week to figure out if I will be happy, if Thomas will be happy, or if all this wedding stuff is a huge mistake,” she mused.
The couple fought publicly later when Thomas left spoiled steak in his fridge for two years. Aldir noted his fridge was full of rotting food.
Paula, who is vegan, got upset and said Thomas wasting food was bad for the environment. Thomas yelled in response, explaining he’d left the steak by accident because a sudden work trip called him away.
Aldir told cameras that Thomas “complains about a pin and doesn’t complain about an elephant,” meaning he worried about the wrong things.
“The things that should have a big impact on his life, he doesn’t care,” Aldir observed. “But he complains about a suitcase on a mattress.”
Aldir had a serious talk with his sister, voicing his doubts about her marrying Thomas. Paula admitted she had a calling to live in the US but didn’t necessarily think Thomas was the reason for it.
“Thomas is a gift from the universe, but that doesn’t mean that he is my universe,” she explained. “So I want to be happy in this relationship, but I can’t be happy with him if I’m not happy with myself.”
Her brother told her he worried they couldn’t overcome their differences, calling his behavior “childish.” He reminded her she had a solid life in Brazil as a businesswoman.
Aldir’s concerns shook Paula deeply. She wasn’t sure she wanted to marry Thomas anymore.
“Thomas and I, we have so many things going on that I’m really don’t know if I’m going to say yes,” she told cameras. “I love him, but not enough to sign for a life of being not happy.”
In the viral moment eight days before the wedding, Thomas and Paula had clashed over her family’s arrival and his apartment rules.
Eight members of Paula’s family, including her parents who have never left Brazil before, were set to stay in the couple’s small 800-square-foot apartment.
Thomas had glued Paula’s perfume closed in an earlier episode after she used some in the apartment.
The tension escalated when Aldir raised serious concerns about Thomas’s controlling nature and childish behavior, prompting Paula to question whether the marriage was the right decision. Paula expressed doubt about proceeding with the wedding, saying her love for Thomas wasn’t strong enough to justify a lifetime of unhappiness together.
The next new episode of “90 Day Fiancé” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.