Where Are They Now? Here's What 'Big Ed' From '90 Day Fiancé' Has Been Up To Since His Infamous Reality TV Show Stint

Edward Allen Brown, better known as "Big Ed," waded onto the set of TLC's 90 Day Fiancé like a human wrecking ball of bad decisions back in 2016.

Armed with his mayonnaise hair mask, his pint-sized dog and his overblown self-confidence, Ed's failed romance with his Filipino lover Rose made him an instant meme and viral sensation.

Ed's would-be-wife left him faster than you could say "halitosis," but he managed to stretch his two seasons of fame into a long-standing career in reality TV, going on to fumble a whole 'nother relationship on a new edition of the same show.

So what’s Ed been up to since his foreign flame fizzled out? Here's what "Big Ed Brown" has doing since his rise to fame many years ago.

Who Is Big Ed and How Did He First Become Famous?

"Big Ed" got his breakout role on reality TV on the show 90 Day Fiancé during season 4 of the Before the 90 Days version, a series that followed couples who have applied for or received a K-1 visa, which allows foreign fiancés of U.S. citizens to enter the United States under the condition that they get married with 90 days.

Big Ed stood out immediately, if not for his rare physiological condition, Klippel-Feil syndrome (a condition causing vertebrae to fuse), then for his quirky and borderline overbearing personality — which included his insistence on washing his hair with mayonnaise.

Big Ed was 54 years old when he appeared on the show's fourth season as he traveled to The Philippines to meet his 23-year-old online girlfriend and mother of one Rosemarie Vega for the first time, becoming an immediate "hit" with fans of the show.

Rose and Ed had a rocky relationship from the get-go, a dynamic that was not helped by Ed's overbearing personality, as well as the stark age and cultural gap between the two.

Fans of 90 Day Fiancé were quick to note that Big Ed was notoriously rude to Rose, buying her toothpaste after criticizing her "bad breath," asking her to shave her legs despite repeat refusals and lying about his plans to have a vasectomy, knowing that Rose was looking forward to having more kids.

Still, Big Ed's comical personality and relative self-awareness kept fans of the show hooked on his character, not to mention that his life story about overcoming all the hardships that come with a congenital condition like Klippel-Feil was very compelling.

Ed and Rose's relationship never ended up working out, but that didn't stop Ed from continuing his reality show streak into the 2020s.

Who Was Big Ed Before His Stint on '90 Day Fiance'?

Big Ed was born Edward Allen Brown in 1965 in San Diego, California and was diagnosed at birth with KFS or Klippel-Feil syndrome, a congenital condition that causes one's vertebrae to fuse together, resulting in a shorter stature, little to no neck and large barrel chest.

Big Ed, standing at 4 feet 11 inches, recalls being bullied for his condition since childhood, a hardship he says pushed him toward building armor in the form of his large personality.

An architect by profession, Big Ed was married with a daughter before 90 Day Fiancé, although this marriage ended in 1992 after Ed cheated on his wife.

His daughter was all grown up by the time he appeared on reality TV and was notably six years older than Rose, his chosen fiancé.

Big Ed says that he got his signature nickname from a stint waiting tables when he was putting himself through architecture school.

In a ploy to get his key customers to remember him, he introduced himself as Big Ed to all his repeat patrons, a story that highlights the reality star's long-standing penchant for marketing himself well.

What Was Big Ed's Impact On Meme Culture?

Big Ed became a meme goldmine thanks to a number of unintentionally hilarious moments on 90 Day Fiancé. His tearful Big Ed crying face is a go-to reaction for ironic sadness. The impact of Ed crying is severely undercut by the context of the clip. After all, the meme comes from the time the reality show star shed what many believed to be crocodile tears while telling Rose about his secret vasectomy.

"I Like The View" is another iconic Big Ed meme is credited to his relationship with Rose. In an early 90 Day clip in which Ed takes Rose to a fancy resort, Rose says, "I like the view," while gesturing over to the ocean view. Ed says, "You're my best view," to which Rose responds with a clear sound of disgust.

The moment spawned a number of hilarious meme edits in 2020, particularly on TikTok and YouTube, with people remixing and lip-dubbing the scene to really emphasize its painful awkwardness.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6824899232604982534

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6825634474995322117

What Has Big Ed Been Up To Since '90 Day Fiance'?

Since his first appearance on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, Big Ed Brown has remained a fixture in the franchise and reality TV drama.

His most notable post-Rose storyline unfolded on 90 Day Fiancé: The Single Life, during which he pursued a turbulent relationship with Elizabeth "Liz" Woods, a single mom who was a waitress at his favorite restaurant.

Ed and Liz’s relationship became a rollercoaster of breakups and reconciliations, often spotlighting Ed’s controlling tendencies, trust issues and insecurity. He frequently accused Liz of being unfaithful and displayed jealousy, even over her platonic relationships.

Big Ed also repeatedly made negative comments about Liz's weight and didn't support her career dreams, leading to the two breaking up 15 times over the course of two seasons.

Outside his romantic drama, Ed capitalized on his fame through social media, Cameo appearances and public events, leaning into his meme status. Liz, however, had enough, eventually ditching Ed for her new boyfriend and even losing the pounds Ed so desperately wanted her to shed without him.

Where Can You Find Big Ed Today?

Big Ed capitalized on his larger-than-life personality online, with over 600,000 followers on his Instagram, 1 million followers on TikTok, and a few thousand followers on his less active YouTube and Twitter / X accounts.

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For the full history of Big Ed, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information. To see the rest of our "Where Are They Now" series, you can find them all here. Stay tuned for next week's editorial!