The 90 Day Fiancé franchise is no stranger to drama, but the latest pairing of Gino Palazzolo and his new flame, Natalie, on The Single Life Season 5 has viewers reaching for the remote. Instead of being swept away by their romance, fans are calling out what they describe as a «desperate» and «staged» storyline designed solely for TV ratings.
The «Paid Actress» Scandal
Gino, a veteran of the franchise known for his toxic history with Jasmine Pineda, hasn’t convinced anyone that he’s found true love. The skepticism reached a fever pitch when Jasmine Pineda herself claimed that Natalie is nothing more than a paid actress.
Fans have been quick to note Natalie’s striking resemblance to franchise «villains» like Larissa Lima and Jasmine, fueling theories that producers cast her to fit a specific «type.» On Reddit, the consensus is brutal: fans believe Natalie is demeaning herself for a paycheck, struggling to hide her physical recoil every time she has to touch the Michigan native.
The «Cool Girlfriend» Act: A Strip Club Too Far?
The storyline took a bizarre turn when Natalie—who initially set strict boundaries and refused to sleep with Gino—suddenly transformed into the «ultimate cool girlfriend.» In a move that left viewers in disbelief, Natalie took Gino to a strip club and encouraged him to get a lap dance, claiming she finds it «sexy.»
«She’s literally saying yes to everything the producers ask her to do,» one fan wrote on a trending Reddit thread. «It’s written all over her face when she kisses him—she’s disgusted.»
Mixed Signals in the Bedroom
The «fake» vibes continued as Gino boasted about his performance in the bedroom, even demonstrating positions for the cameras. While Gino called the night «amazing,» Natalie’s reaction was a awkward mix of forced laughter and silence. Viewers pointed out that she refused to actually rate his performance, merely giggling to fill the silence—a move many interpret as sticking to a script she doesn’t believe in.
As the season progresses, the backlash only grows. For many in the 90 Day community, the Gino and Natalie saga isn’t just bad television—it’s a «waste of screen time» that insults the audience’s intelligence.