'90 Day Fiancé' star "Big" Ed Brown regrets how he called off his wedding to Liz Woods: "It was torture" (2024)

Every 90 Day Fiancé enthusiast knows that one of the more fraught of the franchise’s many, many spin-offs is 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? It invites fans to observe what happens to their favorite couples after they have spoken their vows, finalized the K-1 visa permits, and started the Green Card process At this point in these relationships when things are getting real, the couples are made or broken. Unfortunately, the on-again-off- again relationship of fan-favorite “Big” Ed Brown and Liz Woods didn’t make it that far.

Liz revealed to producers in a tearful car ride that she and Big Ed had a terrible fight in front of his family because he made her daughter Ryleigh’s taco pasta too spicy. After that incident, Big Ed broke the internet when he left their home in the middle of the night and officially canceled their wedding without telling Liz. She found out only when their officiant called her to offer their condolences. “I don’t regret calling off the wedding as much as I regret how I did it,” explained Big Ed. “For me, I knew in my heart that our relationship was not something that was going to last.”

Big Ed insists that the former couple had “some really good times.” He revealed that he still looks at pictures of them together from time to time and “never want[s] to let those times go.” Big Ed added: “The hardest thing that you can ever do in any relationship is walk away from somebody that you love.” However, it was clear to Big Ed that they were “never going to work.” “I did not want to put Liz through another divorce, and I didn’t want to go through one myself,” he said firmly.

Big Ed stopped by the Page Six studio to talk with DECIDER about the viral taco pasta recipe, what reality TV show he’d like to go on next, and more.

DECIDER: This season must be a tough one to watch back. How are you handling it so far?

“BIG” ED BROWN: I was doing good until the other night. That cafe scene with the end of our relationship conversation was really difficult to watch.

At the beginning of the season, you and Liz seemed like you were in a good place after couples’ therapy in Florida When did things start to take a turn in your relationship?

When we got back from the couples therapy, we had a lot to do in a very short time. We were moving back to Arkansas, so there was a whirlwind of getting organized, packing and moving halfway across the United States. Once we finally got settled, there were obstacles that we could never really get over. Some of the same problems that we were struggling with in couples therapy started to recur. We couldn’t get past them.

That sounds hard.

We did have some really good times together in Arkansas. I want to make that very, very clear. Liz is somebody who I still love very, very much. I just think she’s better suited for someone else.

You and Liz’s mother had a heathy conversation at the July 4th barbecue. Did you feel like the two of you were making progress before you called off the wedding?

After that conversation I had with Liz’s mom at my sister’s house, I thought we really were in a good place. I was starting to feel that I was winning her trust despite the number of times I broke up with her daughter.

As much as I like Liz, I believe you did the right thing to call off the wedding. Do you have any regrets about your decision or the way you handled things?

I don’t regret calling off the wedding as much as I regret how I did it. Though, I had broken up with Liz so many times that she never believed that we would really get to the end. For me, I knew in my heart that our relationship was not something that was going to last. I did not want to put Liz through another divorce, and I didn’t want to go through one myself.

After the “taco pasta” incident aired, the recipe was everywhere. Is that your family’s original recipe? Were you surprised at how big that dish became on the internet?

No, that’s actually a recipe I found online and added my own little spin to it. Although, I have every family member and their friends requesting that I make them the taco pasta.

Liz made a lot of sacrifices for you and your relationship, like moving across the country, leaving her career behind and uprooting her daughter. How difficult was that conversation in the coffee shop when she laid everything out on the table for you?

I think the hardest thing that you can ever do in any relationship is walk away from somebody that you love knowing that it’s not going to work. For me, that was torture. There is no easy way to call off a wedding. I had not seen Liz’s wedding dress. It was still hanging in our closet when I was packing up my stuff, and I took a peek at it. It really blew me back. Every young girl’s dream is to be a bride, and I was taking that away from her. There were moments when I did question whether I made the right choice in not marrying Liz.

In my heart, I know that she’s going to be better off with somebody else. I will be too. I know that because after every single breakup we had, I would go through and erase all of our pictures. This time was different. I still go back and look at the photographs of us together. We had so many great times together. I never want to let those go, but at the same time, I know in my heart that I needed to let her go.

Lastly, we’ve seen 90 Day Fiancé alums like Anfisa on House of Villains and Paola on The GOAT. Is there another reality TV show you’d like to cross over with?

Because I know my fan base and my daughter and my mom would approve, I would have to go with MILF Manor.