Exclusive Interview

’90 Day’ Star Ashia Montgomery on the ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ for Her Wedding

When it comes to 90 Day Fiancé Season 12 stars Ashia Montgomery and Maxwell Okeke‘s relationship, it’s clear that the road to their wedding day has been bumpy, to say the least. Now that it appears their big day is just around the corner, Ashia sat down with Swooon to discuss her relationship and tease some of the family drama to come before she and Maxwell can say “I do.”

Looking back at how she met Maxwell, Ashia revealed that they matched on Tinder. However, as a Pentecostal Christian, Ashia’s journey towards finding that connection started long before her first swipe. “I was definitely in my waiting season,” she explained. “God had already told me the December prior what my husband would look like. God was like, get ready, this is gonna be the year of the bride. God was just giving me all these messages, all these signs.” But then, the bombshell came: “God began to tell me, ‘Oh, he’s not close.'”

When asked how God told her to expand her dating horizons internationally, she explained, “It was more like a knowing.” After finding out that her future husband wasn’t close, Ashia remembered thinking, “I’m not moving. I’m well-traveled, maybe I’ll meet somebody in the airport, or on a vacation.” While she thought, “God, I ain’t trying to help you,” she decided to make a few dating app profiles.

According to Ashia, Maxwell had just gotten a new phone that had Tinder already downloaded. “Maxwell loves Southern women. He loves the accent, he loves their style, he loves everything about a Southern woman. And so God, you know, told him that his person would be in the South.” They matched almost immediately.

When it comes to what she loves about Maxwell, Ashia gushed, “He’s a motivator. He’s definitely gonna motivate you to be the best version of yourself, and he’s a really good cheerleader, so he definitely gives you a lot of confidence.” On the other hand, when asked what she brings out in Maxwell, Ashia laughed, “Good skin, nice body, health, wealth, everything. Girl, everything good about that man is because of Ashia.”

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Of course, Ashia’s seemingly positive impact on Maxwell’s life was met with some apprehension from his family in Nigeria, which she traveled to visit ahead of the Nigerian wedding they intend to have by the end of the season. While their relationship appears to be on the mend, Ashia plans on continuing to work towards “unity.” She explained, “When it comes to a relationship, you definitely want the parents to approve of you.”

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On her side of the family, one member was far less enthusiastic about her upcoming marriage than the rest: Her Godbrother Rod. “Rod is just very overprotective,” she told Swooon. “And then I feel like the stereotype of Nigerians being scammers… He didn’t like that Maxwell was a car salesman. To him, that was sketchy. And then he’s looking at income. You can’t compare the American economy to the Nigerian economy.”

Heading into her wedding day, Ashia made it clear that her “worst-case scenario” would be if Rod decided not to attend the ceremony. “It was only a few people that were there, and my father already wasn’t there, so Rod was that placeholder. I don’t have my father [in Nigeria] because he’s ill, and I’m looking at Rod as the next person in my life that’s a male figure. For him to not show up for me, that would be very disappointing, because we always show up for each other.” Ashia explained that her dad experiences severe vertigo caused by a fall, so flying was out of the question.

So, will Rod make it to the big day? Ashia teased, “Once Rod has his mind made up, it’s gonna take an act of Congress, I promise you. Plenty of prayers and fasting to get him to change his mind.”

90 Day Fiancé, Season 12, Sundays at 8/7c, TLC