Forbidden Love displays the challenges of relationships across religious and cultural boundaries.
Couples face disapproval and ostracization from families and communities.
The show highlights sacrifices and difficult choices necessary in relationships.

The new series Forbidden Love displays the highs and lows of relationships that cross religious and cultural boundaries. The show follows couples from extremely different backgrounds who encounter disapproval, or even ostracization, from their families and religious groups because of their relationships. Like the hit franchise 90 Day Fiancé, Forbidden Love documents the difficult choices and sacrifices necessary in relationships. The premiere episode showed how religion and culture impact everyday life for these couples.

Elmer, 23, left his Amish community to marry Lindsey, 34, who is now expecting the couple’s first child. Laurie, 36, struggles to reign in her wild side as she converts to Orthodox Judaism for her husband Eli, 32. Ashley and Mohammad, both 31, face disapproval from Ashley’s Catholic family and Mohammed’s Muslim family. Lensa, 32, is a Muslim woman in love with Kris, 37, who is the son of a Pentecostal preacher. As the couples face pressure from their loved ones and communities, they are forced to decide how much they are willing to give up for love.

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Elmer Learned Basic Hygiene After Leaving Amish Life Behind

Lindsey Helped Her New Husband Acclimate To The Modern World

The first episode of Forbidden Love opens with the startling scene of Lindsey teaching her husband how to brush and floss his teeth. Elmer, who grew up Amish, has been learning his way around the modern world since leaving the community behind to marry Lindsey. Elmer said the Amish lifestyle is “like living in the 1800s” due to the lack of plumbing and modern technology. Lindsey was forced to teach her husband how to do simple tasks like putting on deodorant and flushing the toilet.

Lindsey and Elmer have been married for six months and are expecting a child together. They described their romance as a “whirlwind,” and they had to acclimate to their new relationship while Elmer learned essential activities like driving. Lindsey admitted she felt pressure in her position of introducing Elmer to the outside world. Elmer’s choice to marry Lindsey meant leaving behind everything he knew. Elmer explained that he loves Lindsey, but sometimes he misses his old life and wonders if he gave up “too much for her.”

“Rebel” Laurie Grappled With The Restrictions Of Orthodox Judaism

She Wondered Whether Converting Would Require Her To Change Too Much

Eli lives in Los Angeles and calls his Orthodox Jewish religion “Jews on steroids.” He goes to temple daily and follows the Orthodox dress code. Eli admitted his lifestyle is incredibly difficult and said that growing up, there was an emphasis placed on marrying someone in the Orthodox Judaism faith. However, Eli fell in love with Laurie, an Italian Catholic. Eli and Laurie are both recovering alcoholics who met in AA. Eli and Laurie are refreshingly candid about their sobriety and the hard times they have each gone through.

Laurie is in the process of converting to Orthodox Judaism for Eli. However, Laurie is apprehensive about committing to such a conservative lifestyle. She described herself as a “rebel” and “rule-breaker,” converting to “one of the strictest religions” that has a set of rules women must follow. After converting, Laurie will need to dress modestly, cover her hair, and follow purity rituals. She wondered if converting would cost her her independence. Laurie’s honesty about the prospect of changing herself to secure her future with Eli gives insight into the personal sacrifices the couples of Forbidden Love must make.

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Ashley Surprised Mohammad By Wearing A Hijab

Her Choice Of Clothing Showed Her Support For Her Husband

Ashley comes from a conservative Missouri town she called the “whitest of the white” and said that in her town, “people from different cultures and religions just don’t mix.” Ashley’s family was shocked when she fell in love with, and then quickly married, a Muslim man from Saudi Arabia. Ashley and Mohammad now have a daughter together, but they still face disapproval from both families. Ashley’s family worried about her safety based on stereotypes they had heard, while Mohammad’s twin brother, Abdul, thought Mohammad would “bring shame” to the family by marrying a non-Muslim.

Ashley and Mohammad’s marriage is struggling as they are caught in the middle between their families. When the couple reunited after Ashley visited her family, Ashley made the touching gesture of putting on a hijab and abaya to surprise Mohammad. Mohammad became emotional, tearing up at Ashley’s outward display of respect for his community. Since Ashley’s visit with her family had been a sensitive subject, her clothing upon her return proved to Mohammad that her loyalty was to him.

Lindsey Revealed Elmer’s “Overwhelming” Pornography Addiction

Modern Technology Proved Tempting For Elmer

Early in the Forbidden Love premiere, Lindsey touched on the responsibility she felt for introducing technology to Elmer. Their final scene together revealed the extent of this issue when Lindsey confronted Elmer about finding pornography on his phone. She said when “Elmer started using technology he couldn’t handle it,” and he developed a severe addiction to pornography beginning before their marriage.

Lindsey’s discovery of pornography on Elmer’s phone caused her to doubt whether she could trust him. At the same time, it showed the difficulty Elmer faced entering a completely new culture he did not know how to navigate. Lindsey had thought Elmer’s Amish background meant he would be trustworthy, but she learned that “a man is a man no matter what.” Lindsey’s pregnancy makes her feel extra vulnerable, and she wonders if their relationship can survive Elmer’s addiction.

Forbidden Love has the potential to meet, or even exceed, the success of 90 Day Fiancé franchise. Both shows educate viewers about religions and lifestyles, respectfully, through the people who live them. Moreover, the couples are forced to measure their love for their partners and decide how much is worth giving up. Forbidden Love provides an honest look at the sacrifices required for love.