Who are Manuel and Ashley Michelle? Ashley's secret 'witchy' biz could doom '90 Day Fiance' Season 10 couple's relationship
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Ashley Michelle and Manuel have known each other for more than 10 years and have gotten engaged twice, but their relationship has seen some turbulent times.
Ashley and Manuel's relationship flourished for a few years in Ecuador and came to an end when she had to return to the US. A decade later, the couple got back together, but the distance has created some unforeseen rifts. The duo will try to overcome them in the latest season of the TLC show, '90 Day Fiance'.
Ashley, hails from Rochester, New York, and specializes in tarot, astrology and is a self-proclaimed 'witch'. On her website, Star Seed Shadows, she offers mentorship and a resource library for those who have decided 'to put their spiritual development first'.
She has a bachelor's degree in biology and apart from her spiritual work, Ashley also has a Cameo account, where fans can order personalized video messages. She also offers personalized tarot card readings.
Meanwhile, Manuel hails from Ecuador and works as a construction worker in the South American country.
How did Ashley Michelle and Manuel meet?
Ashley and Manuel have known each other for more than 10 years. They met at a New Year's Eve party in Ecuador in 2010.
Although distance brought their relationship to an end, they eventually found their way back to each other. In the teaser of the '90 Day Fiance' Season 10, Ashley revealed that when she was studying marine biology in college she had a dream that she was in a jungle 'working with the earth'.
When she spoke to her biology teacher about her dream, a trip to Ecuador was suggested.
Ashley decided to go to Ecuador, and that’s where she met Manuel. Ashley and Manuel ended up getting engaged despite their language barrier.
Once Ashley's education came to an end in Ecuador, she had to head back to the US and the couple broke up. However, Ashley and Manuel are now back together and engaged again.
Ashley Michelle proclaims herself a 'witch'
Ashley Michelle is a self-proclaimed 'witch'. In the '90 Day Fiance' Season 10 trailer, Ashley said, "I am a witch. I'm a tarot reader. I am an astrologer. I specialize in shadow work."
She further added, "I think people are still very much afraid of the word 'witch' because we’ve been conditioned to believe that a witch is somebody with like a crooked nose, looking into their crystal ball, like throwing hexes on people. That’s not anything that I do."
However, in a September 2023 Instagram post, Ashley reflected on her witchcraft journey. She wrote, "I was born spiritual as f**k. I’ve always shared a deep connection with water, the earth beneath my feet and a knowing in my gut that there is more than just the confined walls of the earth."
She further noted, "Stepping into my witchcraft head first was scary. It was scary telling my parents that I’m going to build a business centered around spiritual awakenings."
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How does Manuel feel about Ashley being a witch?
Prior to his arrival from Ecuador, Ashley was quite worried about how her fiance would receive her 'witchy practice'. In the teaser of the TLC show, Ashley explained, "When I met Manuel in Ecuador, we became engaged after like, a week."
The business owner added, "But I haven’t told him I am a witch." While Ashley is unsure how Manuel would receive her business, it’s clear her family isn't convinced about the relationship.
One of Ashley's family members said in the teaser, "There are some red flags, people don’t want to be around him." Meanwhile, another added, "You want to spend the rest of your life with this man?"
'90 Day Fiance' Season 10 will premiere on October 8 at 8 pm ET on TLC.