What You Don't Know About 90 Day Fiance's Geoffrey Paschel

Fans of TLC's 90 Day Fiancé know they're signing up for serious drama whenever they watch an episode, but Geoffrey Paschel, one of the franchise's participants, has proven to be more dramatic than almost anything 90 Day Fiancé cameras have ever captured before. 

The reality show's premise is genius in its simplicity. The show depicts the hardships that come with American men and women dating and trying to marry foreign partners (as per IMDb). The original 90 Day Fiancé was so popular that TLC created a laundry list of spinoffs, including 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. It was this version — which takes place before the foreign fiancé comes to the U.S. — that introduced the world to Geoffrey Paschel. As reported by a Discovery press release, Geoffrey met Varya on a dating site and booked a trip to Russia to meet her in person and maybe propose — with TLC in tow, of course. But before his season aired, all kinds of crazy revelations about his past came to light, including those that are on this list. Here's what you don't know about 90 Day Fiancé's Geoffrey Paschel.

Like many people who've made questionable decisions in their lives, Geoffrey Paschel has faced immense heartbreak. As of this writing, the Knoxville native is a father to three sons from different marriages. But, as reported in a show recap from InTouch Weekly, Geoffrey used to be a father to four children. He had another son, Kazhem, who tragically died when he was just 13 months old. "He was a year and a month old," Geoffrey said in one episode of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. "He was at the house and he had a seizure. While in the hospital, they put him in a coma. Several days later, they had him on life support and I held him as they pulled the plug."

Geoffrey is, understandably, still mourning this tragic loss. He posted several photos of Kazhem on his Instagram to honor the anniversary of his death, captioning them with heart-wrenching words about how amazing Kazhem was and how much he misses the boy. Geoffrey wrote, "There is not a moment that goes by whereas he is not encompassing my every thought. I know whatever form he is in, he'll always be by my side."

Reality shows are notorious for exposing past mistakes that their stars would rather remain hidden — take, for example, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days' Geoffrey Paschel's alleged abuse of his former girlfriend. According to a report by Knox News, West Knox County police arrested Geoffrey in June of 2019 under suspicion of attacking his then-girlfriend. The affidavit of complaint, as reported by InTouch Weekly, stated that the girlfriend called 911 from a neighbor's home, and, when officers arrived, she accused Geoffrey of assaulting her. The officers saw "bruises" and "abrasions" on her forehead, elbows, and knees that seemed to corroborate her accusation.

The girlfriend, whose name has not been released, also filed an order of protection against Geoffrey, in which she alleged that he "repeatedly bashed/slammed [her] head into the hardwood floors of [her] home" and "dragged [her] through the house by [her] hair and continued throwing [her] body into walls and furniture" (as per documents obtained by Knox News). Knox News reported that Geoffrey maintains his innocence and claims his ex is trying to sabotage his custody battle with another ex.

The events of June 2019 were not the only time Geoffrey Paschel was accused of hurting a woman he was in a relationship with. According to documents obtained by Starcasm, Geoffrey has also been accused of serious violence against his second ex-wife. The reality star married his second ex-wife in April of 1998 and, as reported by Starcasm, he filed for divorce in November of 2004, citing "irreconcilable differences." His ex soon filed a divorce response in which she claimed Geoffrey committed "assaults against [her] in the presence of the minor children," and that he "repeatedly raped" her and "threatened the lives of [his ex] and her family numerous times."

The unnamed ex then filed for an order of protection against Geoffrey in which she alleged, as reported by Starcasm, that he assaulted her in front of their kids several times, threatened to kill her while holding a shotgun, and even "held a knife to her throat and told her he would kill her." Their divorce became final in 2005, with Geoffrey awarded custody of their two sons.

As if all his other legal troubles weren't enough, Geoffrey Paschel was also reportedly involved in a complicated, bitter custody battle with his fourth — estranged — wife. According to court documents obtained by Starcasm, the fourth wife initially lost custody of their two sons because she illegally took them to Canada. However, after Geoffrey was arrested for attacking his girlfriend in 2019, the fourth wife filed an emergency motion for custody of their remaining son and won (via Starcasm). 

As per Starcasm, it was during this latest motion that Geoffrey's third ex-wife provided affidavits that supported the fourth wife, alleging that he "physically and psychologically abused" his kids during their marriage. The third wife also filed a Motion for Protective Order that claimed Geoffrey was "a danger to the child due to his practice of selling opiate medication and historic involvement of his children as a 'cover' or 'mule' in his illegal activities." What does Geoffrey say about the allegations? In a YouTube video, the reality star argued that he never hurt his kids or any women and that all his exes are banding together in a conspiracy against him.

Nobody's perfect, but Geoffrey Paschel seems to have a really tough time staying out of trouble. In fact, the reality star has a long history of criminal behavior. As reported by InTouch Weekly, Geoffrey was arrested in Tennessee back in 1997 for several drug charges including "possession of a schedule II controlled substance ... with intent to resell," as well as "possession of a schedule I controlled substance." The then-19-year-old pled guilty to all the charges brought against him and ended up serving a prison sentence of 11 months and 29 days. 

But that's not all. According to Starcasm, Geoffrey was supposedly arrested and charged on several other occasions, including larceny/theft under $500 in April 2000 and then again in September 2013, as well as possession with intent to distribute in May 2000. Though these were just arrests and did not prove guilt, it is telling that Geoffrey just can't seem to keep his hands clean. However, he does seem remorseful for his past mistakes. In one episode of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, he said (via InTouch Weekly), "I don't like thinking about the people I could've hurt. I made poor decisions."

Let's be honest, reality show fans are in it for the drama — however, 90 Day Fiancé fans drew the line at the insidious drama and allegations surrounding Geoffrey Paschel. Would-be viewers of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days Season 4 found out about Geoffrey and his dark history, and let's just say they were not pleased. "I can't believe #90DayFiance is airing Geoffrey [Paschel's] segments, considering the accusations against him" one outraged fan wrote on Twitter. "It is unforgivable to give audience to someone so heinous." 

Another viewer took their anger so far as to start a Change.org petition to get Geoffrey taken off the show. The petition, which was aptly titled: "Remove Geoffrey Paschel from TLC shows," sought to get Geoffrey removed from not only 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, but also keep him from appearing on any future TLC program. Though it garnered over 5,000 signatures, as of this writing, it obviously did not work, as Geoffrey's segments aired in Season 4.

Like the majority of Americans who end up sharing their love stories on 90 Day Fiancé shows, Geoffrey Paschel met his girlfriend, Varya, online. "I was struggling to find that right person, so I wanted to change it up," he said in the premiere episode of his season (via InTouch Weekly). "I was on my computer and there was an ad that popped up for an international dating site. I said, why not. I made a profile." It was on that site that he first connected with Varya, who is a radio personality in her home country of Russia. Apparently, it was love at first chat, as Geoffrey went on to reveal, "I truly believed there is no perfect package until I met Varya."

After chatting online and over the phone, Geoffrey packed his bags and headed off to Russia to meet his lady-love in person for the first time. Of course, the TLC cameras were there to capture every moment. Even Geoffrey, himself, saw the insanity in the situation, but he didn't care. He told the cameras, "So what, I'm crazy! But I truly believe Varya and I are meant to be together."

Generally, when someone is about to propose marriage, they've already had the tough conversation about past mistakes, but that was not the case with Geoffrey Paschel and his girlfriend, Varya. 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days fans were already very aware of Geoffrey's checkered past and alleged domestic violence accusations, but Varya was not. At least not until the very last second. On one particular episode, according to Daily Soap Dish, the enamored reality star told the cameras all about his past mistakes, as well as the fact that he hadn't yet told Varya about them. Whoops. 

When he finally did tell her about his drug charges and prison time, she was, understandably, pretty angry. As per a recap from InTouch Weekly, she questioned her boyfriend's morals, asking, "I still can't understand that. Have you ever thought about [the] families you have hurt by your actions?" Geoffrey was also allegedly still married to his fourth wife when he was filming the show, according to Starcasm. It's unclear if Varya knew that important detail or not, but one can assume that she wasn't happy when she found out.

Geoffrey Paschel's questionable choices aren't limited to run-ins with the law and lying to his girlfriend. One could make the argument that they also include his very unique chest tattoos: two colorful starbursts that encircle both of his nipples. As it turns out, Geoffrey isn't a fan of them either. In an Instagram post he made about his tats, the reality star admitted that he "regretted it from the very beginning." He also revealed that he never really wanted a tattoo in the first place, but felt compelled to join in when he attended a tattoo convention with some of his buddies. 

After looking for an available tattoo artist, he finally found a guy that would do the work. Since Geoffrey was unprepared and without a design in mind, he decided to let the artist decide on the tattoo. He "[figured] this guy would know what was cool," he wrote in a follow-up Instagram post, so Geoffrey let him do the nipple starbursts. But, to this day, even Geoffrey isn't quite sure what they're supposed to be. But, as he wrote on Instagram, his current go-to answer is "a peacock's eyebrows."

For those unfamiliar with the United States legal system — it ain't cheap, and 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days' Geoffrey Paschel knows this firsthand. From regular court fees to fines, lawyers, and more, people spend many pretty pennies navigating various legal troubles. Geoffrey, though, came up with an unusual way to help cover his legal expenses. When he appeared on the Domenick Nati Show, the reality star stated that he had a Direct.me account and was going to "start charging $10,000 to impregnate somebody." When Domenick asked for clarification, Geoffrey said that he had lots of court fees to deal with, explaining, "Instead of doing a GoFundMe, like 'give me some money,' why not give something back?" Geoffrey also commented that he would only sell his swimmers if there were a "non-disclosure for no child-support type thing."

Geoffrey's appearance on the Domenick Nati Show also revealed other interesting facts about the TLC personality, including that he lost his virginity in a church. Classy.

As fans of the show can attest, many of the romances on 90 Day Fiancé don't end well, and Geoffrey Paschel and Varya may fall into that category. According to CheatSheet, although Geoffrey and Varya haven't yet made any official statements as to the couple's current status, many are wondering if they are no longer together. The split rumors may have started when Geoffrey appeared on the Domenick Nati Show in January of 2021. When the host, Domenick Nati, asked Geoffrey if he and Varya "talk all the time," the TLC star replied, "No, absolutely not actually."

Geoffrey may have also helped spread the split rumors when he made a vague Instagram post about his relationship with Varya that gave off break-up vibes. He caption several pictures of the two of them with, "As with life, obstacles were scattered throughout this road to love and, as with any relationship, questions surfaced about worth over cost." He did go on to add, "No matter how things have gone, I wouldn't give up the experience for anything. I have learned much about myself while attempting to address the complexities that go with any relationship."

Like most reality shows, TLC's 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days always has a "tell-all" episode at the end of the season, and Geoffrey Paschel and his Russian girlfriend Varya were suspiciously missing from season four's tell-all. According to InTouch Weekly, they weren't there because Geoffrey wasn't invited, and he reportedly wasn't invited because of his ongoing legal troubles for a few different charges, including an alleged domestic assault.

Geoffrey took to Instagram Live to explain his absence. During the post, as per InTouch Weekly, he said, "I'm not sad that I wasn't on it ...The mentality of keeping me off the tell-all because somebody said something is the most absurd thing I've ever heard in my life." He also went on to fight the accusations, stating, "It's the 'he said, she said crap.' But I'm prepared. I did my homework, and ... I was the one who was there, you know." The TLC personality also insinuated that Varya, his Russian lady from the show, did not attend the tell-all to show her support.

How does Geoffrey Paschel occupy his time when he's not jetting off to Russia to meet women? As reported by InTouch Weekly, he's a landlord in Knoxville, Tenn., where he owns multiple properties. But that's not all he does. Like many other reality TV stars, Geoffrey is also apparently an actor. His IMDb page is actually pretty full of on-screen credits, though most of them appear to be staged reenactments for true-crime shows on TV. Like, for example, when he appeared on Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda multiple times as different characters, from a suicide victim to a detective and a police officer. 

Geoffrey seems to be very proud of his acting work, as he often posts selfies taken on set that are overflowing with actor-based hashtags, like this post that featured the hashtags, "#knoxville #tennessee #acting #tv #television #actorslife #actors #onset #talent #behindthescenes #filming #actor #casting #geoffreypaschel."

No one can argue that Geoffrey Paschel isn't controversial. From his past criminal convictions and his current, alleged violence to even his tattoo choices, the man certainly knows how to get both positive and negative attention. But how does Geoffrey feel about all the controversy surrounding his life? He wrote a long Instagram post in March of 2020 that made it clear that his "checkered past" doesn't bother him all that much. He wrote, 'It is MY past. It is MY life. It is MY choice ... With the path I chose, it cannot EVER be reversed. Everything about me is out there for the world to see, whether it is true or fantasy. I can never go back, and honestly, I would not have it any different." 

The TLC star went on to add that his experiences on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days and the subsequent reveal of his questionable choices helped show him who his "people" are, and that he now has "a strong support system" of people who lift him up. He finished the post with: "Here is to finding MY light and new beginning at the other end of the tunnel!"