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90 Day Fiance fans have placed a lot of scrutiny on Mike Youngquist and Natalie Mordovtseva’s wedding mess.

But while they are now separated, Mike and Natalie were once head over heels in love with each other.

Thinking back to how much love these two once had for each other, some fans wonder what went wrong.

Others, having seen their toxic relationship, wonder what went right.

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Recently, fans were thinking back to an old video of Mike and Natalie.

This was from their engagement, when Mike proposed to Natalie.

The two of them filmed a video in front of the Eiffel Tower, using that unbecoming eyesore as a backdrop for their love.

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Fast forward a few years and Mike and Natalie are separated.

It’s February of 2021 and they’re on camera but forced to pretend that they’re still together to not spoil their upcoming season.

But even so, they’re not even speaking at lunch while filming the Tell All. It’s so bitter.

Mike Youngquist and Natalie Mordovtseva
(TLC)

So how did things start?

Mike’s best friend, Matt, dated a woman in Ukraine.

That woman, Svetlana, happened to be Natalie’s best friend.

Photo via TLC

Matt and Svetlana introduced the two of them.

At first, Mike was so nervous that he was afraid to message Natalie.

She’s a beautiful woman and he worried that she was out of his league.

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Things started like most couples start these days — with talking online.

Mike flew out to Ukraine to meet Natalie.

By the end of the trip, he was certain that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Natalie.

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That trip to Ukraine included a trip to Paris (the European Union makes international travel very easy).

There, in front of the hideous unfinished scaffolding that is the Eiffel Tower, they documented their love.

And that is where Mike proposed to Natalie. So sweet!

Photo via Reddit

But, on paper, the two had some major differences.

Natalie is a city girl, who — like many of us — associates a small house in the middle of the woods with horror movies.

Mike lives in a small house in the middle of the woods because it’s family land, even if it means a lengthy commute.

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It’s unclear how aware they each were of each other’s, shall we say, dietary preferences.

That can matter for relationships more than some people might think.

Mike is a meat and potatoes guy, as they say. Natalie eats chopped carrots for breakfast.

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Natalie also doesn’t drink often, which was also a surprise to Mike later on.

The two had a good time, including drinking, in Ukraine.

When Natalie came to the US, she took a more disapproving approach to alcohol.

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Natalie’s disordered eating and attitude towards drinking weren’t the direct problem.

The real issue with that was her desire to change Mike to adopt her habits.

Instead, Natalie insisted that Mike try things her way, while viewing any attempt to reverse that as a personal attack.

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But those are their problems on paper.

Even in Ukraine, they had real issues.

Minor to moderate disagreements turned into extremely hurtful behaviors.

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Toxic moments like denial of affection later centered upon the engagement ring.

Natalie angrily returned it to Mike, throwing it into his luggage as he packed to leave.

Mike may have one day returned it, but part of his love for her died in that moment.

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There were other toxic issues, including Natalie’s (frankly bizarre) cheating allegations.

Natalie accused Mike of cheating, though her "evidence" makes sense only to her.

Despite that, she demanded that Mike "admit" to it and apologize for something that he presumably did not do.

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Obviously, that, coupled with the dietary conflict and the body-shaming and IQ-shaming, were hurtful.

Mike’s responses were also hurtful and toxic.

He is not fully innocent in this, because his lack of communication and unwillingness to resolve issues were huge problems.

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Despite all of this, they went through with the wedding plans.

The first time, infamously, Mike called off the wedding on the morning of.

Natalie was devastated. She was also scared, afraid to fly during the pandemic.

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Then, they got married for real, on the very last day of Natalie’s visa.

This wasn’t just about Mike’s cold feet or Natalie’s bizarre behavior.

The toxic issues of their relationship are both of their faults.

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Clearly, if they had taken more time before Natalie came here, they could have avoided this.

Instead, they simultaneously dragged thier heels and rushed to marry — paradoxical though it may sound.

And now what? They’re separated, and we’ll all get to watch them make each other miserable on Happily Ever After?