I think that 90 Day Fiancé star Andrei Castravet has always been a difficult man, and while he seems to love his wife Libby Potthast, the fact that Andrei now has American citizenship could mean that he plans to stop playing the family man. Through the years, Andrei’s let Libby down over and over again. The man who controls his wife Libby like nobody’s business even described her family as a “cult” in an exclusive chat with US Magazine. While they’ve stuck it out, the fact that his immigration status changed could signal a change in Libby and Andrei’s dynamic.
Instead of disappointing Libby in minor ways, Andrei could do the worst. He might leave her, just like Pedro Jimeno left Chantel Everett and Michael Ilsenami left Angela Deem.
They met in Ireland while they were using a language app. Andrei, an in-your-face type who famously clashes with Libby’s family (when he’s not asking them for money or employment), probably seemed charming at first. He was fit, attractive and devoted to his new love interest. However, the man from Moldova has a dark side, and if he’s secretly been playing his American wife, this stage of their lives together could be pivotal.
Their relationship has been a wild ride so far. It’s interesting that Andrei used the “cult” analogy as he seems to have a cult-like hold on his wife. He’s not a Charles Manson or David Koresh, but in his own way, he’s done great damage to her life. He’s dragged Libby down a path that has led her away from her own family.
Yes, Libby has a husband and children, but ultimately, he’s sealed her off from her loved ones. That is something that cult leaders try to do. Cult leaders find it easier to control followers when they have no one else to turn to.
In Scientology, a lot of followers are encouraged to cut ties with the people who love them the most because they are “suppressive” people. This tactic is shady, to say the least, and it’s part of the reason why this “church” gets such a bad rap. Anyone who questions Scientology, which has quite a far-fetched, UFO-inspired premise, is considered an enemy… even if they’re a loving mother or father who is worried about their cult-brainwashed child.
Andrei probably doesn’t consider himself a brainwasher. As I said previously, he appears to sincerely love Libby, but on the other hand, would someone who really cared raze the landscape like this? Would they make things so difficult for their wife that she has to avoid most members of her family? I don’t think so.
It seems to me that Andrei is trying to get Libby all to himself. He’s taken what he can from her family, and now he doesn’t want to deal with them anymore, and he doesn’t want her to either. To me, this is a major red flag.
The Potthasts aren’t angels. Chuck’s business tactics have been questioned. No one’s trying to say that they haven’t fought dirty too, but before Andrei came along, the controversial clan wasn’t in tatters. Now, it is, and that’s probably made many members of the family feel very sad. It’s like Andrei’s forcing Libby to choose between him and her family, even if she thinks it’s her own decision.
I’m not saying she doesn’t have agency over her own life, but Andrei can be so heavy-handed, pushing hard for whatever he wants. It might be hard for her to keep her sense of self when he’s so determined to get his way. He might make her believe she’s pulling away from them because they’ve wronged her, when the truth is that they love her more than anyone else does.
90 Day Fiancé‘s Chuck Potthast isn’t a perfect person, but it’s clear he adores Libby. He practically melts when he looks at her, and always caves into her demands, whether she wants a ritzy Moldovan wedding or anything else. He can’t stand it when she’s sad.
Andrei Has Always Been A Boorish Person
His Manners Need Some Work
Andrei has been cruel to Libby, whom he claims to love. He’s sworn at her in Moldovan, rudely ordered her to
“listen double,”
and basically ruined her relationship with her family. She sticks around, almost as though brainwashed by his verbal aggression and vaulting ambition. Obviously, she loves this man, but is he good for her, and will he stay? Maybe this will all end in tears. Not today, not tomorrow, but someday.
Andrei and Libby have put down roots. They’re a family. However, women in international relationships can be way too trusting. It’s all too easy to get burned. If Andrei decides to move on, Libby will probably be crushed, and she’ll need to spend a lot of time trying to repair her relationships with her relatives. She will need them if she’s raising her kids without Andrei, even if they share custody. Hopefully, Andrei is on the level.
Libby is naive in some ways. The woman who wants to make a living singing nursery rhymes may idealize her mate, glossing over things that should never be ignored. Her romantic spirit is sweet, but Andrei has a ruthless quality. He’s told wild Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy-style tales about fleeing Moldova in the dead of night to avoid rogue cops. Sure, this could be true, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he was embellishing.
I don’t dislike Andrei, but I think he should be nicer to Libby’s family. They’ve done a lot for him, and where would he be without them?
There’s a touch of crass disloyalty in 90 Day Fiancé‘s Andrei Castravet, and personally, loyalty is something that I value. Those who are loyal usually understand the give and take in human interactions. I am extremely loyal. Those who are there for me are rewarded and never forgotten. I hope that Andrei never treats Libby the way that he’s treated her family. That twisted dynamic fueled a lot of interesting onscreen antics, but in real life, it’s not so funny.