All The Red Flags We Missed In 90 Day Fiance Star Big Ed's Relationships

Edward "Big Ed" Brown made his reality TV debut on the TLC show "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days." He first appeared on Season 4 of the series alongside former fiancée Rose Vega, and he quickly made an impression on viewers. As Big Ed shared in a 2021 interview with The List, he certainly didn't expect to become a bona fide reality star. "Before '90 Day Fiancé,' the first show, I didn't really know what I was doing," he said. "And then the show broke and people are like, 'God, you're my hero.' And people started to make memes of me. I just gained a ton of fans kind of overnight."

He garnered a number of fans and critics across the board, and the network recognized that he resonated with audiences: Big Ed went on to star in multiple "90 Day" spin-offs. Time and time again, audiences have watched him navigate the many highs and lows of his romantic relationships. And there have been many lows.

In his aforementioned interview with The List, Big Ed shared that some fans have even talked to him about those aforementioned lows. "I mean, I had people come up to me every day and go, hey, you should have done this and here's what you should have done," he said. When it comes to red flags, Big Ed's relationship history sure isn't lacking. 

The drama in Edward "Big Ed" Brown and Rose Vega's tumultuous relationship began fairly early on. After connecting online, the two first met in person in 2019 in the Philippines. It did not take long before he was making cruel comments about her breath and body hair — yes, while the "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days" cameras rolled. While it is important for couples to feel like they can be honest with one another, sensitive topics like personal hygiene should be discussed privately. Evidently, Big Ed wasn't too concerned with how hurtful those critiques might be, especially given that the conversations took place on a very popular TV show.

These remarks did not sit well with a lot of "90 Day Fiancé" fans, and Big Ed quickly found himself facing a lot of backlash. However, instead of apologizing for his behavior, the reality star defended himself. In a 2020 interview with Us Weekly, Big Ed claimed that he didn't realize asking Rose to shave was a big deal. He added that his daughter agreed it was a reasonable ask. "I was having a conversation with my daughter Tiffany, and she's like, 'Dad, look, that's completely normal. I live in San Diego. Everybody goes to the beach, people laser their legs,'" he said. "So it wasn't something that I was really used to."

It's no secret that it's important for couples to be on the same page about whether or not they want to have children. When "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days" stars Rose Vega and Edward "Big Ed" Brown first got together, it seemed like they were indeed on the same page about kids. Rose hoped to become a mom one day, and Big Ed initially appeared to be open to the idea... only to later reveal that he had no interest in having more kids. Instead of having an honest conversation with her, he scheduled a vasectomy behind her back. 

After Rose learned of his plans to undergo the procedure, she let him know how hurt she was that he'd lied about his intentions. "I feel irritated, I feel disappointed," she said in a confessional. Rose then went on to tell Big Ed that she was done with the relationship. 

Big Ed later sat down with ET where he reflected on his relationship with Rose. "So, I wasn't completely honest with Rose about [my height] and a couple of other things," he said. "It's never a good idea to lie. ... it's gonna come back and bite you." It's one thing to lie about your height; leading a partner to believe that you are totally on board with having kids when you actually plan to have a vasectomy is on another level.

Edward "Big Ed" Brown's jealous side came out swinging on "90 Day: The Single Life." At the time, Big Ed was still linked to former fiancée Liz Woods, and apparently, he wasn't cool with her hanging out with a coworker. After he watched Liz go out for a drink with a colleague, Big Ed all but iced her out. Though Liz tried to reassure him that it was a totally platonic outing, Big Ed refused to listen to her. 

Insecurities can be hard for anyone to handle, but it's important to work through them before they morph into extreme jealousy. As psychologist Holly Schiff explained to Today, jealousy in a relationship can indicate that there's an overall lack of trust between the two parties. Trust, of course, is a crucial component. She further elaborated, "If you don't trust them, I think you have to decide if that's something that you can manage."

On "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?," Edward "Big Ed" Brown and Liz Woods got into a big fight following their engagement party. Big Ed left the event in a huff because he suspected that Liz had a romantic connection with one of her female friends who was in attendance. Liz insisted that she and her friend had a totally platonic relationship, and then went on to accuse Big Ed of being the one who was both emotionally and physically distant in their relationship.

Big Ed also suggested that Liz and the friend once dated. "She was a lesbian that you were in a relationship with," he stated. "She got physical with you, and you denied it." Liz said this wasn't true and told him that she's always been forthcoming about her past partners. "I've never kept a relationship from him and I would not invite someone to my engagement party if I've had a relationship with him," she said in a confessional. 

The fight only continued to escalate. Big Ed said Liz has body shamed him, and Liz accused Big Ed of controlling who she can and can't hang out with. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly a productive conversation. As marriage and family therapist Samara Quintero told Business Insider, "A healthy relationship provides a safe place for both partners to speak openly on their emotions without fear of judgment or criticism." 

As "90 Day Fiancé" fans know all too well, Edward "Big Ed" Brown and Liz Woods have gone through a lot of makeups and breakups over the years. Shortly after one of their many reconciliations, drama reared its head yet again when Big Ed gave Liz a photography lesson.

For the lesson, Liz invited one of her friends to be the model for the photoshoot. Things took a turn when it seemed like Big Ed was flirting with Liz's friend. "I definitely came into this hoping that I was going to learn some techniques, but I'm definitely feeling like Ed is just showing off," Liz said in a talking head. "I think it's possible that Ed does like photography because he does get to flirt with women." Eventually, Liz reached her boiling point and retaliated by insulting Big Ed's photography skills.

While some flirting outside of a relationship can be harmless, context is everything. One could argue that, in this particular instance, Big Ed's behavior wasn't totally innocuous. As mental health counselor Rachel Marmor told Vogue, "It can hurt a relationship, especially if it makes one partner feel insecure or disrespected. Over time, this can really damage emotional closeness." Psychotherapist Suzette Bray added, "It's a red flag if you find yourself hiding your flirtations or rationalizing why you're engaging in them."

Edward "Big Ed" Brown's mother and his daughter have not exactly been supportive of his relationship journey. After Big Ed and Liz Woods got engaged, the former revealed on a "90 Day: The Single Life" tell-all special that his mom and daughter were not on board. "I'm not going to turn my back on my daughter or my mom, and if they want to turn their back on me that's up to them," he said.

Of course, this was not the only time "90 Day Fiancé" fans were exposed to Big Ed's family's fraught relationship with his significant other. In a separate episode, Liz and Big Ed met up with his daughter, Tiffany Brown, who expressed many concerns, primarily regarding the age gap. Tiffany also had a problem with Big Ed's previous relationship with Rose Vega — so much so, she went weeks without talking to her dad. On the flip side, members of Liz's family also took issue with the way Big Ed treated her.

While family approval isn't essential to a healthy relationship, it's hard to ignore just how much Big Ed and Liz's relatives did not like this pairing. Given everything we know about Big Ed and Liz's relationship (spoiler alert: they split up for good in 2023), it seemed their nearest and dearest had a strong feeling something was amiss. 

Edward "Big Ed" Brown shocked Liz Woods when he broke off their engagement and canceled their wedding. He pulled the plug on the nuptials after he and Liz got into a fight over a dish that was too spicy for Liz's daughter, Ryleigh. "Ed pretty much told her to just stop being a baby," Liz shared on an episode of "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?" "I called him out on it. Then he attacked me back saying, 'Look at you, you're crazy.'"

The next day, Liz woke up and Big Ed was nowhere to be found. She eventually discovered that he canceled their wedding and got his deposit back — without talking to her about it first. 

Liz was devastated, but Big Ed figured it was for the best. He also said he decided against telling her before he called it off because he figured there was no point. In a later interview with Us Weekly, Big Ed claimed that he and Liz did have a conversation about calling off the wedding. "I thought I had told Liz, but she didn't really hear me, or she didn't believe me. It wasn't until our officiant reached out to her ... that's when it hit her like a ton of bricks," he said. "I wasn't happy with how she found out, but there's gonna be no good way to tell her." We have to imagine that having a direct conversation would definitely be better than letting her find out via the officiant. 

In a 2024 chat with Us Weekly, Edward "Big Ed" Brown said he's not interested in dating fans. "I don't recommend it," he said. "Here's why: They like Big Ed, the character that I created, and once they get to know the real Ed ... it's not the same. So, dating fans, in general, [isn't] a good idea." Later that year, Big Ed proposed to a fan named Porscha Raemond a mere 24 hours after they met. 

He told Page Six in an exclusive interview that she was his "dream girl." The couple broke off their engagement less than a week later, and Big Ed took to Instagram to acknowledge that he was perhaps too rash with his proposal.  "Love is a crazy thing... I did something that was impulsive, I asked this girl to marry me and after considering... It's too soon and it's not really what I want, obviously," he said in a Story (via People). "After talking to my family, I realized that I don't wanna get married. I wanna be single."

Popping the question literally a day after meeting someone might sound like something out of a sweet rom-com. In real life, it's a rash — and arguably concerning — move. What's more, it's clear that Big Ed wasn't interested in settling down anyway. Throwing around proposals willy-nilly is certainly a red flag. 

Edward "Big Ed" Brown has a track record of jumping into relationships way too quickly. He proposed to Rose Vega before truly getting to know her. He got engaged to Liz Woods despite their never-ending screaming matches and many breakups. And as previously noted, he asked Porscha Raemond to marry him literally one day after they first crossed paths at a meet-and-greet. 

Big Ed seemed to recognize that he moved a little too quickly with Raemond, but evidently, he hasn't totally closed himself off to the idea of diving into a proposal early on in a relationship. As he told Access, he'd "absolutely" propose to someone that fast again. 

As clinical psychologist Holly Schiff told Today, speeding through relationship milestones at a breakneck pace can be cause for concern. "They're using that quickness and intensity to get you on board, gain your trust and then you know, those things just don't end very well," she said.