A man has admitted to sending £400 (around $500) each month to support his fiancée and her four children in the Philippines - despite his own family begging to stop.
Shaun, 41, recently took part in the new season of 90 Day Fiancé UK, which follows eight people in the UK who happen to be in long-distance relationships.
The Hampshire native is dating Filipino mom of four, 42-year-old Christine, who he met online 10 years ago.
The two, who share a son named Christian, began dating a year after they met - even though Christine lives thousands of miles away in Antipolo City.
With the hope of getting Christine a visa so that she can relocate to the UK, Shaun has been sending her $500 a month to help her and her children.
Shaun, a cleaning manager by profession, said in the Discovery+ reality series: “From all these eight years I’ve been with Christine, I wouldn’t know how much money I would have sent her. But all I know is it’s in the hundreds of thousands. It’s worth every penny.
“After I’ve sent Christine the money, there’s enough for me to pay my bills at least, and then when I look again, I’ve got about £50-£60 for myself, and that’s more than enough to see me through the month.”
Another tricky aspect of their relationship is that Christine is married to another man and cannot afford to get divorced. This means Shaun also has to save up thousands more so that his fiancée and her current husband can do just that.
He continued: “I don’t have the money, but I am going to be saving up for it and then we can get married. Yes, they’re still married, but they don’t live with each other. I don’t feel jealous about it, because I know she loves me, and I love her.”
His friends and family naturally have concerns over the couple's situation, but he insists that he isn't too bothered about what they think.
He said: “When I started sending her money, my parents and all my friends started saying, ‘Why are you sending her money?’ But, to be honest with you, I don’t really care, I’m following my heart. It’s my choice. So, you either be part of me in the circle, or you’re not.”
Those who watch the show will see how Shaun's friends and family try to reason with him and insist that Christine just sees him as her personal piggy bank and that their son might not even be biologically his.
During a conversation with his parents, Shaun tells them: “Well, one it’s got nothing to do with you, and two, mind your own business. What the heart wants, the heart gets. Alright? I chose this path for me.”
Christine said on the show: “Shaun and I are hoping for the best future for Christian – not just for Christian, but also for my other children.”
She said that when they are financially secure enough in Britain, they plan to bring over her other children to live with them.
Christine added: “I love him and I like him, because he embraced my imperfections. He loves me in a package, together with my children and my exes!”
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