90 Day Fiancé alum Paul Staehle allegedly had a medical crisis in Brazil amid news that his estranged wife, Karine Staehle (née Martins), is reportedly pregnant with baby No. 3.
“Hello everyone,” read an update from a “friend” of Paul, who said he was a medical professional, in a lengthy message posted to his Instagram Stories on Tuesday, March 18. “Paul previously out of fear [of] the fact he lives alone, gave me the key to his home. In case of any medical emergency, I would be able to get to him … He gave me his Instagram information to post any medical emergencies that would leave him unable to communicate easily.”
The message stated that Paul, 41, allegedly sent “strange depressed messages” and gave instructions to check up on him and his pets if they didn’t “hear from him in 24 hours.” After receiving the alarming messages, the friend, “fearful [Paul] might do something medically unsound or self-harm,” decided to visit him after work.
“I found Paul in bed not responding. He had his prescription anxiety medicine bottle next to him and an empty bottle of wine,” the friend alleged via Paul’s Instagram account. “But breathing shallow and very low heartbeat. I took him to the hospital where he is receiving care. I believe the alcohol mixed with anxiety medication has left him in this condition. We are caring for his cats and puppy. In his medical state and depression, he really should not be living alone in a foreign country. “
Although the former TLC personality “is alive and will be OK,” in a separate slide, Paul’s friend asked his followers for help surrounding his medical visit. “I was able to find his life insurance information but not any medical or travel insurance for the hospital,” the friend wrote. “If anyone knows which company Paul uses please advise.”
It’s unclear what led to Paul’s alleged overseas hospitalization, but the news came only one day after his estranged wife, 28, seemingly confirmed her pregnancy while sharing a GoFundMe page titled, “Help Reunite a Loving Parent with Their Children,” on March 15.
In the description for the fundraiser, which has a goal of $50,000 and has raised $995 as of publication, the 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days alum explained that she was “fighting to regain custody” of her and Paul’s two sons, Pierre, 5, and Ethan, 4, from Paul’s cousin, who has allegedly “demanded child support” from Karine.
“My child support obligation is over $1,000 a month. I have to pay to see my children, which is almost $400 a week at a supervised facility. The family court lawyer now wants $5,000 a month. My daily and monthly living expenses are overwhelming,” Karine wrote.
She hinted she was expecting a baby girl in the GoFundMe’s description by adding, “To make things much worse, a new law is about to go into effect in [Kentucky,] Kentucky House Bill 574, which will allow the government to take my newborn baby after she is born and not allow me around her unsupervised. I breastfeed my children, and this is a huge problem for me. I know I have made many mistakes in my past, but I love all my children and want to be with them.”
The father of Karine’s baby is unclear. She reportedly moved on romantically with another man, according to 90 Day Fiancé blogger John Yates.
TLC fans had a front-row seat to Karine and Paul’s rocky romance following their reality TV debut on season 1 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days in 2017. After getting married, they welcomed their sons in March 2019 and February 2021. The couple, whose latest split in their on-off romance came in early 2023, lost custody of their sons in June 2022 when Child Protective Services took Pierre and Ethan due to the former couple’s frequent relationship issues.
