90 Day Fiancé: Why Fans Are Calling Emily A ‘Karen’

On 90 Day Fiancé season 9, Emily Bieberly is getting dragged for her poor treatment of fiance and baby daddy, Kobe Blaise, since his arrival in the US. She has been one of the more divisive cast members, and the way that she treats Kobe has earned her comparisons to fellow star, Bilal Hazziez. Although some fans have rushed to her defense, many claim that she is being extremely unfair to new dad Kobe, by not allowing him to be himself, or to participate fully in parenting their infant son, Koban. Viewers have taken to social media to call her out for her behavior, with some going so far as to label her the “Karen” of the reality series.

Emily and Kobe are new cast members on the show, and their season is their first appearance in the franchise. The couple met while both of them were living in Xi’an, China, although Kobe is originally from Cameroon. They got engaged three months later. Shortly after their engagement, Emily found out that she was pregnant with their first child, Koban. After she learned that she was expecting, Emily moved back to the United States to live with her parents, and applied for Kobe’s K-1 visa, so he could move to America and they could be a family. She gave birth while Kobe was in Cameroon, waiting for his visa application to be approved. However, due to living with her parents, and raising Koban without his father present, Emily is set in her ways. She has struggled to adjust to Kobe being a part of her life in America.

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Fans have called Emily out for keeping Kobe from bonding with their son, by not allowing the child to sleep with them in the bed during Kobe’s first night there, and telling him that he is not allowed to take Koban anywhere without her. Emily’s parents have also been heavily involved in the couple’s life, as Emily and Kobe are living under their roof, and being supported by them financially. Emily’s mother was hovering close by while Kobe took care of Koban (without Emily being there) for the first time. Emily’s father called Kobe “delusional” for thinking that he could take over the family business, or support his family on $4,000 a year.

Emily has criticized and micromanaged Kobe since his arrival in the States. On the show, she yelled at him about how to scoop horse manure, right in front of her mom, until he was frustrated enough to tell her, “shut the f**k up.” Then, she went off on him again. Emily even bought her own engagement ring because she wasn’t sure that he would buy one for her. Due to her bossy ways, fans have taken to calling her a “Karen,” a phrase usually used to describe a white woman who seeks to control others, and causes a ruckus when she doesn’t get her way.

On her @emm_babbyy Instagram, people tell her off for this inappropriate behavior. Fans think that Emily is entitled, as she does not support herself and expects her parents to pay for everything, including her wedding. They have begged Emily to be kinder to Kobe or let him go, so he can find a partner who will respect him. Viewers have also called out her parents for enabling her spoiled behavior, while not trusting Kobe themselves. Some fans jokingly compare Kobe’s situation to the 2017 film Get Out, in which a Black man goes home to visit his white girlfriend’s family, only to be kidnapped.

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Fans definitely love Kobe, and they hope that their new fan favorite’s future wife and in-laws will eventually come around to supporting him as he begins his life in a new country. The culture shock is probably already making things different and challenging. He clearly wants to be a good father and a good husband, and deserves to be given the chance to prove himself in both roles. There are rumors that Emily and Kobe have welcomed another child into their lives, so it’s important that Emily and her family treat Kobe well. Then, the 90 Day Fiancé dad can be happy in America.