Photo: Instagram
He has gotten into a brawl with his brother-in-law before.
By Alison Cerri — Written on Apr 11, 2019
From 90 Day Fiancé came 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After— and now fans of the TLC franchise can get excited for another spin-off.
The Family Chantel will center around a favorite drama-filled couple on TLC’s hit show, along with their families. People exclusively confirmed on Monday that Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno will star in their own show. The Family Chantel, as the title suggests, will also include Chantel’s family: her parents Karen and Thomas, and siblings River and Winter. Jimeno’s family will be featured as well.
The new TLC show will premiere in July and air on Mondays. Howard Lee, the president and general manager of TLC, is excited for the show.
“This is an awesome moment for TLC, as we create a family show based on one of our most popular 90 Day couples, and on a whole new night,” he said in a statement. “Our fans can’t get enough of Pedro, Chantel and their larger-than-life families. For a brand known as the destination for love, relationships and family shows, The Family Chantel hits the bullseye.”
A major figure in the show, along with the franchise as a whole, is Pedro Jimeno. Who is Pedro? Below are five details about Chantel’s spouse, and what to expect from the new show based on his relationships with his own family and married family.
So who is Pedro Jimeno?
1. He’s from the Dominican Republic.
Pedro is originally from the DR. He and Chantel met while she was on a trip to the country. They were introduced through a Spanish teacher; Pedro helped teach Chantel the language while she was there. She then began taking more and more trips to the country to visit him.
Pedro proposed to Chantel while she was visiting him; but, as with the premise of 90 Day Fiancé, they got married in the United States, as Pedro came to Atlanta on a K-1 visa. Pedro’s ties to his home country, however, are still very strong.
2. He is close with his mother and sister.
Chantel and Pedro pose for a photo promoting their new spin-off.
Pedro’s family consists of his mother Lidia and sister Nicole. They live in the Dominican Republic. Nicole has visited Pedro and Chantel in Georgia.
His family is the main source of tension in Pedro and Chantel’s relationship. Pedro sends money back to the Dominican Republic, where it seems Lidia and Nicole are enjoying a more privileged lifestyle than that of the couple: they share a small one-bedroom apartment. Chantel, her family, and even fans of the show have expressed concerns over his financial decisions.
Lidia is allegedly a lawyer—Chantel’s family has said she is an immigration attorney. Nicole, on the other hand, has listed on her Facebook account that she won Miss Earth Dominican Republic 2016.
3. And he doesn’t get along well with Chantel’s family.
Pedro’s relationship with Chantel’s family has been contentious ever since they met … granted it was under false pretenses. She had told her family that he’d come to America under a student visa. That has different implications than coming under a K-1 visa.
The drama has escalated from disrespect to a full-on brawl. Chantel’s brother River is not Pedro’s biggest fan, and is ready to defend his own family even against his brother-in-law. He explained on an Instagram Live video why he got into a physical brawl with Pedro one night at a family dinner after the episode showing it aired.
"Pedro was doing this [points finger] and he told my parents to shut up. I said, 'You can’t disrespect my parents like that. He stood up, I stood up. People said it looked like I threw something — from where I stood up, I couldn’t even see Pedro. All I did was hit the lamp, cause I was getting frustrated and when I’m frustrated, I don’t wanna take it out on nobody else."
While River did not regret his actions, he wished he hadn’t gotten physical. "I’m actually mad," he said in the live video. "I don’t regret it, but I’m mad at myself because nobody should get me out of my character."
4. There were rumors he and Chantel had broken up in September 2018.
"The Family Chantel" pose for a photo, along with Pedro.
Fans freaked out towards the end of August because of the lack of posts including him on her Instagram account. She made a post at the end of the month summarizing what she’d been up to the past few weeks, which mostly entailed her education in nursing school. Fans panicked, however, because she made no mention of Pedro.
She also made the post shortly after her brother took to Insta to post a family pic, with a concerning caption: “A lot has changed since this picture,” followed by a broken heart emoji. The photo included Pedro, so fans speculated he had to do with the change.
As it turned out, the couple was still together.
5. A special episode dedicated to the couple will air on April 15.
The couple’s fans will not have to wait long for a Pedro/Chantel fix: TLC will air "Pedro & Chantel: The Full Story" on Apr. 15 at 8 p.m. The episode will premiere on TLC GO, however, on Friday, Apr. 12.
The next season of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After premieres April 28.
Alison Cerri is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.