The Untold Truth Of Marrying Millions

Lifetime's Marry Millions allows us to live vicariously through the couples featured on the show. Have you ever played that game where you dream about all of the things you would do if you won the lottery? Would you buy a beachfront home in Miami, a brownstone in New York City, and go on a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles? But, what if you didn't have to win the lottery and instead suddenly had the bank account of your dreams because your new beau turns out to be absolutely loaded?

That is essentially the premise behind Marrying Millions, the reality show gives viewers the inside scoop on the lucky couples — each featuring one rich and one very much not rich partner — who really can have it all. Certainly everything is a walk in the park when you're that fortunate, right?

Well, not exactly, as regular viewers of Marrying Millions know. As it turns out, when a regular Joe or Jane captures the heart of a multimillionaire, things can get a little complicated. So what else is there to know about the program? Read on to discover the untold truth of Marrying Millions. Note: Season 1 spoilers ahead!

Reality shows are called, well, reality shows for a reason: They supposedly depict real-life people going about their day, engaging in what are supposed to be real-life situations. But it's common knowledge that some programs in this genre are scripted and/or heavily edited, as noted by E! News. 

That fact isn't lost on Marrying Millions cast member Bill Hutchinson, who tried to wrangle some control over how he and his sweetie are depicted on the program. "My personal attorney asked for editing rights, [but] they would not give up any editing rights," he explained to Parade. "They said no reality TV actor gets editing rights on a reality TV show, and I understand why." 

That's not to say that Bill is salty about the situation, as he enjoyed becoming a member of the Marrying Millions family. Plus he really does get it. "They're creating a story, and if we don't want to look bad, we might hurt their story by saying, 'Oh, you've got to take that out,'" he added. 

Appearing on a reality show can come with a host of benefits, such as international fame and potential for other exciting opportunities. But it was the downsides that made Marrying Millions star Gentille Chhun a bit nervous about the prospect. "I was very hesitant," she revealed in an interview with All About the Tea. "I actually backed out of it the first time." But when the network approached her and her partner a second time, she reconsidered, thinking that it might end up being a lot of fun.

Fellow Marrying Millions star Brianna Ramirez was also cautious at first, as she didn't feel that she needed to be on the show. "At first Bill [Hutchinson] and I weren't considering it because we didn't need anything, and we didn't think the publicity would be a good idea," she shared in a chat with Monsters & Critics. She added that she tends to be something of a shy person anyway, which renders the possibility of being on television a bit scary.

Given that several of the stars of Marrying Millions weren't sure that being on the program was a good idea, how is it that so many of them agreed to do it? Well, as Bill Hutchinson tells it, the producers pulled out all of the stops. "They were very persuasive," he revealed in a chat with Parade. "They actually flew down to Miami and sat with us, and put in one-on-one effort to befriend us and ask us to do it." 

That made quite the impression not just on Bill, but also his sweetie Brianna Ramirez. "When someone goes that extra mile — travels a great distance and spends money — and they're sitting in your living room asking you to do something, it's really hard to turn them down," Bill continued. 

Since the pair was almost feeling guilty at that point, they decided to trust producer Jason Hollis' intentions. It helped that Bill and Brianna are obsessed with reality television juggernaut 90 Day Fiance, which Hollis also produces.

If your sister or best friend said she fell in love with a millionaire, would you be happy for her? Or would you immediately suspect that she had ulterior motives for pursuing such a partnership? The latter was definitely the case for Marrying Millions couple Megan Thomas and her partner Sean Lourdes, who haven't been taken very seriously. "We've had to fight to get us to where we are today," Sean revealed in an interview with the New York Post. "People assume the worst."

Part of that was because Sean's family figured Megan was just another flavor of the week and that she wouldn't be around for very long. Megan's family also had their misgivings about the romance — but for other reasons. "I was the oldest guy Megan ever dated," Sean continued. "They just thought I wasn't in it for the right reasons." Eventually, things smoothed out for the couple, and their families became more accepting. Thank goodness!

Marrying Millions star Katie Hamilton was no stranger to reality television when she signed up for the show, as she was previously one of the Real Housewives of Orange County. Given that Katie knew firsthand what kind of exposure the show could lead to, she decided not to have her children appear on the program. "This was the first time I had dated since my divorce and it just seemed like a lot of variables," she explained to All About the Tea. "I didn't want to bring my kids into something that I didn't even know what I was in store for."

Additionally, Katie recognized that her kids were grappling with other new challenges in their lives. "They were going to school for the first time in a traditional school rather than being homeschooled," she continued. And because of that, she didn't want to cause them undue stress or have them feel overly pressured.

While many of the couples who star on Marrying Millions do seem to have a genuine origin story, one that led to them falling in love regardless of money, that's not the case for all of them. Specifically, Drew Gemma and Rosie Marin raised some eyebrows when they were asked how they met, as they both completely dodged the question. It became evident quite quickly that they didn't want people to know the truth.

This of course led to widespread speculation by viewers, as noted by Starcasm, that Drew and Rosie had met via an online dating site — one on which wealthy men deliberately seek out attractive women. Well, no one had to wonder for very long if that was the case, as Rosie seemed to confirm everyone's suspicions at a later date on the show. While they may have been afraid of the truth coming out, who really cares as long as they're happy, right?

One of the phrases that Marrying Millions cast member Rosie Marin is known for saying is, "Come through, Daddy Drew!" That of course is in reference to her partner, Drew Gemma, who has no qualms about spoiling Rosie with expensive presents. After all, they did meet on a dating site for rich men seeking out pretty women, so it stands to reason that Rosie likes nice things.

However, that doesn't mean that Drew has all of his finances completely in order, despite being incredibly wealthy. According to Starcasm, Drew actually has multiple tax liens filed against him by the state of Ohio, dating all the way back to 2012. He's also taken to using his business equipment as collateral, such as lawn mowers and snow plows, which seems a bit strange for a millionaire. Perhaps Drew could benefit from accountant to help him get his books in order. Just saying.

The very premise of Marrying Millions is to show viewers exactly what it looks like when the über wealthy pair up with regular folks. While their lives aren't always perfect — nor filled with champagne and caviar — the couples on the show do their best to make it work.

However, it's possible that some of the show's stars aren't exactly what they seem to be on the surface. For example, according to an exposé published by the Los Angeles Times, Marrying Millions cast member Sean Lourdes has allegedly left behind a pattern of unpaid bills — and that's raised quite a few eyebrows.

For one, he reportedly pledged to make several charitable donations to prominent Los Angeles charities that never materialized. Additionally, the publication claimed that Sean wrote a check to an arena event he was sponsoring, which later failed to clear. He also allegedly forged a letter of recommendation from a U.N. diplomat, left multiple vendors with unpaid invoices, and revealed he sold a luxury vehicle to make good on his promises. Um, is Sean really a millionaire at all?

Many of the couples on Marrying Millionaires have a significant age gap between them, which isn't too surprising given the nature of the show. But a younger man wasn't something that cast member Katie Hamilton was looking for when she met Kolton Pierce, who happened to be smitten by her the second they met. "So, when I could tell that he was definitely still pursuing me ... I was flattered," she shared in a chat with All About the Tea. "But then I found out how young he was [then 23] and I pumped the brakes immediately."

However, Kolton wasn't deterred by the many years between him and Katie, and he refused to take no for an answer. "Whenever I would come at him with a reason why we shouldn't be together, he came at me back by saying that he wasn't afraid of a challenge," she continued. Clearly, Kolton had some game, as the two started dating not long thereafter.

At the beginning of Marrying Millions Season 1, it appeared that Gentille Chuun and her partner Brian Bru (aka Dave Smith) seemed like they were genuinely in love. But before the season came to a climax, Gentille suddenly got cold feet and canceled the wedding. She also called off her entire relationship with Brian — but was it ever real to begin with?

According to Starcasm, there's mounting evidence that the entire romance was totally fake. For one, both Gentille and Brian have been on television before, so it could be that they were just seeking out the spotlight. More compelling, however, is the fact that there doesn't appear to be a legit marriage license for the pair — even though they were hours away from tying the knot. Top it all off with the fact the house you see on the show might not be Gentille's real residence, and now everything sounds super sketchy. It's possible that Gentille and Brian were indeed lovebirds, of course, but this information certainly gives one pause.

While some people don't have the best experience starring on reality television or come to struggle with their lives in the aftermath of the experience, Marrying Millions stars Bill Hutchinson and Briana Ramirez are, by all accounts, handling things just fine. "We consider being on reality TV just one more adventure in life that we can look back on and say, 'That was fun,'" Bill explained in an interview with Parade. Whether that will be the case down the road Bill isn't sure, but just before the show premiered, things were just peachy.

Bill didn't even mind having cameras in his face all the time, as he says the production crew members were total professionals. "They were very polite," he continued. "We enjoyed having them in our home in Dallas and we enjoyed having them in our home in Miami."

Given that the couple wasn't looking to get anything out of the show, Bill is just fine calling it a good time. "It was just a fun slice of life that most people don't get to experience," he added.

If you agree to star on a reality show entitled Marrying Millions, it's pretty clear what the focus of the program is going to be, and that your finances will be subject to a fair amount of scrutiny. But as Katie Hamilton tells it, she and her partner Kolton Pierce had no idea what the show was going to be called when the cameras started rolling. "I was asking every day about the name," she revealed in an interview with All About the Tea. "To their credit, they didn't tell me until we were well at the point of no return because I would not have done it." That definitely seems like a shady move on the producers' part.

At the end of the day, both Katie and Kolton hope that viewers can see them for who they are and not make assumptions about their relationship. "Hopefully people will see what is really important to us," she continued. "It's definitely not all about the Benjamins for us!"

Many of the wealthy stars of Marrying Millions have enjoyed a relatively easy life that enabled them to amass their fortunes. But that wasn't always the case for Gentille Chhun, who fled Cambodia as a refugee with her mother. "My father who was a very high-ranking officer, along with my brothers and sister who were students, were one of the first ones executed during the Khmer Rouge revolution," she told All About the Tea. And all because they were well-educated, enjoyed modest success, and had influence.

Fortunately, Gentille and her mother were able to make a new life in the United States, where Gentille flourished thanks to her mother's ingenuity and stern guidance. "I resented her when I was younger, but now I love her so much for instilling in me ... strength, courage and tenacity," she continued. "Mom passed in 2017 but she is always here with me."

With Season 1 of Marrying Millions already completed, what can fans of the show expect to see in Season 2? Will there be just as much drama, or will the couples this time around be a bit more mellow and grounded?

As of this writing, there aren't a ton of details out thereabout the second season, which premieres on August 5, 2020, but People did release the names of the couples that we'll see the second time around. Returning for yet another "adventure" are Bill Hutchinson and Brianna Ramirez, which isn't too surprising given how much they enjoyed making the show. What's a bit more unexpected is the return of Gentille Chhun and Brian Bru (aka Dave Smith) — maybe they'll get back together? And maybe they really are legit?

As for newcomers, there's Texas-based sweethearts Dani and Donovan, Miami Beach babes Rick and Erica, California dreamers Kevin and Kattie, Seattle lovebirds Noni and Reese, and long-distance lovers Rodney and Desiry.