A man who sends his Filipino fiancée £400 ($480) a month is being begged to stop by his family – not that he cares, insisting: “What the heart wants, the heart gets.”
Shaun, 41, features in a brand new series of 90 Day Fiancé UK, which follows eight Brits as they navigate long distance relationships.
Shaun, who lives in Botley, Hampshire, is in a relationship with Filipino mum-of-four Christine, 42, who he met the internet 10 years ago.
The pair started dating the year after, despite the fact Christine is nearly 7,000 miles away in Antipolo City, and now share one son called Christian.
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With plans to get Christine a visa so that she can move to the UK, Shaun has been sending her £400 a month to help her and her kids.
Shaun, a cleaning manager, said: “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.”
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However, Christine is still married and hasn’t been able to afford to get divorced, meaning Shaun is also having to save up thousands more so that they can officially separate.
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.”
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His family and friends have expressed their concerns over the couple’s set-up, but he remains adamant that he simply isn’t fussed 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.”
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In one 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, meanwhile, added: “Shaun and I are hoping for the best future for Christian – not just for Christian, but also for my other children.”
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She said that, once they are financially stable enough in the UK, they also hope 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!”
90 Day Fiancé UK is available to stream on discovery+ from Sunday 24 July.
Topics: Sex and Relationships
Jess Hardiman