On episode four of the 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? season eight tell-all, Edcuadorian-American couple Ashley Michelle and Manuel Velez came to blows with their fellow castmates – and each other – over the length of time it took for Manuel to have his work visa process, which would grant him the ability to work in the U.S.
Manuel was criticised by Ashley and their co-stars, including some of the castmates who has also emigrated to the country, for his reluctance to commit to learning English, something they argued would greatly help Manuel’s work prospects, and be more of an equal partner with Ashley, who was fluent in Spanish. Ashley was also slammed by some fellow stars, notably Patrick Mendes, for creating financial difficulties for Manuel by not helping him sort his work visa application, something that he said took less than a day for his wife, Thais Ramone. This, he argued, kept Manuel solely dependent on the American.
Since Ashley and Manuel began living together in the U.S., finances have been the main source of tension between the pair. Ashley accused Manuel of hiding secret money pots from her, which was a particularly big issue, given that she was helping to pay child support for his children in Ecuador.
The two also considered a “post-nup” agreement, potentially protecting Manuel from paying for Ashley’s $100,000 student debt bill, which she accured before they were wed. This caused the Ecuadorian to accuse his wife of being too frivulous with money, spending money on coffee and nail salon trips, while Ashley argued that her job would soon bring in millions of dollars for the couple within the next few years.
What do Ashley and Manuel do for a living?
As is often mentioned on 90 Day Fiancé, Nicole refers to herself as a practicing witch – something that has come into conflict with Manuel and his family’s Catholic faith. On Nicole’s business website, the Rochester native describes herself as “your spiritual and business development mentor and healer, and that it is her “soul mission to help you AWAKEN to new portals of potential.”
Ashley cites her early affinity with spirituality as sparking from her grandmother’s passion for astrology, developing further interest in tarot, deity magick, and the Akashic Records as she engaged in academic studies. On 90 Day Fiancé, Ashley stated she has several degrees – said to be biology and business, according to In Touch Weekly – and is currently paying off a six-figure sum of student debt – much to Manuel’s alarm.
On social media, Ashley promotes her podcast, titled The Goddess Complex, where she discusses her work and beliefs. She also advertises a spiritual health and fitness program called Witchy Wellness, starting at $55 a month. For $333 per session, fans can have a personal tarot reading by Ashley, all under her umbrella company, StarSeed Shadows. She advertises her services in her Instagram bio, in which she describes her job title as a “Women’s Spiritual Business Coach”, and also promotes other brands in her posts.
As for Manuel, after all the drama involving his English language skills and working visa in the tell-all, the Ecuadorian now has the ability to work in the U.S., with a new job, to boot. According to TheThings, Manuel is now working in construction, which is what he previously did in his home country. In the early episodes of Happily Ever After season eight, when Manuel first arrived in the U.S., Ashley claimed that her husband would fare much better economically if he worked in her country.
This was discovered after a 90 Day Fiancé fan met the reality star at Home Depot in August 2024, and a conversation between the pair revealed he was there to buy some tools for his new job. It seems like things are improving for Ashley and Manuel, as their singular income was a major source of tension between the two.
Now that Manuel has a working visa, he will be entitled to a salary for starring on 90 Day Fiancé. According to various reports, main cast members are paid around $1,000-$1,500 per episode, and are said to be paid extra – around $1,500 to $2,000 – for appearing on tell-alls, although it’s uncertain if this is a flat fee or per tell-all episode. It seems likely that Happily Ever After cast members may get a bonus, especially for season eight, as they lived together under one roof for several nights during the taping of the tell-all in New York City.
With a double income, Ashley and Manuel could earn $60,000 for a twenty-episode season. For the five tell-all episodes, they could potentially earn up to $20,000 combined as a bonus – that would certainly help solve a few of their financial woes.