Michael Illesanmi is opening up about “running away” from his wife Angela Deem back in February, and is now telling his version of events leading up to his decision to flee just months after arriving in the United States from Nigeria.
During a video interview with Entertainment Tonight on Thursday, the 90 Day Fiancé star discussed the incident, which led to Angela calling the police to report Michael as missing in February. Immediately after Michael disappeared from her Georgia home without his ID or belongings, Angela took to social media to express her fear that something bad had happened to her husband. When Michael was confirmed safe by police three days later, Angela was shocked to find out that Michael had left on his own. Even more shocking to Angela was the fact that Michael told police he left Angie’s home because he was in fear for his life.
In his interview with ET, Michael refused to reveal where he had spent the days he was “missing.”
“All I will say is this: I suffered,” he said.
During the interview, Michael— who came to the United States in December 2023— opened up about how he felt living in Angela’s home before he decided to bolt.
“The reason why I left Angie’s house is because, I mean, it’s very, very sad, you know? I feel like I’m an unwanted guest. I wasn’t treated like I’m her husband. I was treated like I’m just a nobody. That’s just how I’ll put it.
“Every day, we fight,” Michael continued. “…we argue, I mean, many things. It’s a lot…For me to have left, rather, it had gotten to a point where I couldn’t just bear it anymore.”
“I was just treated badly by her,” Michael said later in the interview. “Whenever she’s upset, she can do whatever she wants. And I know the law here. I don’t want any issue. I don’t want any bad record of my name so I tend to keep it cool.
“To be honest, I was scared,” he continued. “Sometimes when she’s very upset, you know, she made me feel scared…it had gotten to the limit I couldn’t just bear it anymore.”
Michael went on to claim that Angela was always monitoring him and checking his phone while he was living with her. However, he claims he allowed Angela to treat him poorly because he was genuinely in love with her.
“If I was using her for the Green Card, I would have been long gone…this is what people don’t know,” he said. “It’s not all about the Green Card. I just want to have a good family and make money.”
In fact, Michael said he was still in love with his American bride, even when Angela reportedly refused to hit the sheets with him.
“Since I got to the States, we didn’t have sex. We never had sex,” he said. “She sleeps in the room and I sleep on the couch. That’s how we’ve been living. ”
Michael denied the rumors that he left Angela to be with another woman.
“People were saying I have another woman out there, [or that] I planned this,” he said. “I never planned anything. I don’t have any woman here that I’m talking to or dating. I don’t have any woman. The only woman I had was Angie, and that was it.”
Later in the interview, Michael was asked to explain why, during a recent episode of the show, Angela revealed that Michael had been researching life insurance policies for people over 50. Angela, at 58 years old, was concerned.
Michael, however, blamed pop-up online advertising for the search being on his phone when Angela looked at it.
“The life insurance thing, I don’t know where that came from,” he insisted. “I want to say this, every social media adverts is versatile now. Even while on a site, an advert might pop up. I don’t know where that came from.”
He then pointed the blame at Angela.
“She was probably typing something [on my phone] and it popped up,” Michael said. “She likes searching my phone any time she gets a hold of it.”
Michael said, while he isn’t sure if he will appear on any more “90 Day” shows, he just wants to “be successful” in America.
“I’ll take advantage of me being popular,” he said. “And if I get an offer from network or any other TV show, I’ll grab it.”
Michael didn’t state if he misses Angela, but he did say that he misses her family.
“Honestly, I miss the grandkids and from now till whenever, if they come to me and need any support from me, I will definitely give it to them. I love them so much and I miss them. I had a lot of plans to do with them, but it just unfortunately, things went the other way.”
You can watch the full video of Michael’s interview with ET below!
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(Photos: TLC)
18 Responses
Run as fast as you can to get away from her. She has some MH issues going on.
It’s funny on both ends- As far as Michael goes, Dude, she’s been abusing you for YEARS. What did you think was going to happen once you got here?! LOL. C’mon now…
Also, I find it interesting that he’s FINALLY leaving her… now that he’s in the states. He got what he wanted (partially- if he’s even telling an ounce of truth). Part of me is like- Jesus, after everything he’s put up with, I don’t care if he stays here or not but the other part of me is like, stick to the rules- you guys aren’t together and you need to go back home.
With Angela- you can’t treat people the way you do for years and expect them to stay. She is abusive, vile, insanely jealous, controlling and malicious in all intent. I feel bad for those kids 100% though. I don’t know how she, of all people, have custody of the kids. Hopefully she’s different to them but I mean, when you act the way she does, I don’t think she would be able to treat them differently than she treats everyone else.
Angela is beyond vile. You cannot tell me she does not abuse her grandchildren and as for Skyla, she proves the apple does not fall far from the tree. Both of them are sneaky and cannot be trusted. Michael played a dangerous game and whether he scammed Angela is not really even the question any more. She screamed, abused, tore a car apart, did all she could to keep him under her thumb…no job, no friends. Constant threats. She could scare Satan, that is how evil Angela is. I still say that she and Big Ed deserve each other. He loves to abuse women and she loves to abuse men. Put them in a locked cage together and let the cameras roll.
He put up with it for a goal- at least that is what I think. She is aggressive but you got into the USA.
Nobody should have to be verbally abused by anyone else. That’s not love
Hell, he’s endured Angela for HOW many years? As far as I’m concerned, he’s earned it.
From very first episodes he talked bout wanting to get here but then caught himself and never said it again. He knew what she was and how she acted but stayed 7 long years now after 2 months he bolts 😂 dude had this plan from the beginning. Up to Angela to file his papers hope she doesn’t and claims he’s scamer and he sent packing back
I get you Owen but the problem is that Angela is full of hot air. How many times has she said she was through with him? Yet she takes him back. What other guy would take her abuse and big mouth? Michael wanted the green card and obviously was willing to put up with her to get one. She wanted a slave and a guy to abuse no matter the situation. She thought she was smarter than Michael and now that he ran all she has left is her big mouth. A truly ugly woman.
I just remember the episode where she buys a cake and smashes it in his face for no reason. Literal abusive behavior on camera so I fully believe Angela is worse behind closed doors. She lives by “I’m a woman, I can treat him however I want and he has to take it because he’s a man”. Like no, sorry Angela we don’t live that way anymore. Abuse is abuse!
So, he was mistreated, that is not grounds to be able to stay in the U.S. I can’t stand either one, as for her, I hope no other reality show picks her up, as for him, I hope he is deported asap.
I cannot imagine living in the same house with Angela and Skyla. The 2 of them are a mess. I feel for the 6 kids. But Angela is the worst. Any woman who travels to Nigeria and tears a car apart is completely crazy and if she can do that much damage to a vehicle, imagine what she can do to a human being. I cannot say I am crazy about Michael but his family and his friends tried to get through to him so he is not the smartest guy for sure. I hope he never returns to Angela and her crazy family. If he did scam Angela, she had it coming. 7 years of her non stop abuse, he deserves something!
No he knew what she was but was willing to play the long game with her to get to America. He could of left her years ago but then no greencard. Hope she files scram and he won’t get to stay.
I get where you are coming from Owen. It is obvious that Michael and Angela played each other. He wanted a green card and she wanted a guy she could abuse in every way. I would like to see Michael go back to Nigeria and if TLC insists on keeping Angela on their programming, I would love to see them hook Angela and Big Ed up. If any two people have abused men and women it is those two. Ed and Angela deserve each other!
Am I missing something? I cannot for the life of me understand the downvotes on your comment, Owen.