Reality TV is designed to make you feel something. Usually, it's a mix of secondhand embarrassment and mild curiosity, but every so often, a couple comes along that completely breaks the scale. Enter Leida Margaretha and Eric Rosenbrook. If you’ve spent any time in the 90 Day Fiancé rabbit hole, you know their names. You probably have an opinion on them, too. Usually, it's not a positive one.
It’s been years since their season aired. Most couples from the 2018 era of TLC have faded into the "where are they now" blogs that nobody actually reads. But Leida and Eric? They’re different. They became the blueprint for the reality TV "villain" arc, though calling it an arc implies there was some kind of redemption at the end. Spoilers: there wasn't.
What really happened with Leida and Eric wasn't just typical scripted drama. It felt darker. It involved real-world consequences, restraining orders, and a family dynamic that made viewers genuinely uncomfortable. Honestly, looking back at their time on Season 6, it’s a miracle the show didn’t face more backlash for airing some of those scenes.
The Messy Reality of the Apartment Fight
Remember the "proper" apartment? That was the starting point. Leida, who claimed to come from a wealthy, high-society background in Indonesia—complete with maids and a driver—arrived in Baraboo, Wisconsin. To say she was underwhelmed by Eric’s lifestyle is an understatement. It was a disaster.
Eric was living in a cluttered apartment with his teenage daughter, Tasha. He was paying child support and, by his own admission, wasn't exactly rolling in cash. The conflict was immediate. Leida didn't just want a cleaner house; she wanted Tasha out. This is where the story shifts from "entitled foreigner" tropes to something much more visceral.
Most people get wrong the idea that this was all just editing. Sure, TLC loves a good "bad guy" edit, but you can’t edit someone telling a father to kick his daughter out of the house. You can’t fake the look on Eric’s face when he eventually chose his new wife over his own child. It was a moment that cemented them as the most controversial couple the franchise had ever seen.
Why Baraboo Wasn't Ready for Leida
Baraboo is a small town. It's the kind of place where people know their neighbors. When Leida arrived, she wasn't just a newcomer; she was a whirlwind of demands. The contrast between her alleged lifestyle in Indonesia and the reality of a mid-tier apartment in Wisconsin was jarring.
Leida claimed she was a doctor. She claimed her family was "filthy rich." While some of her medical background was verified—she had attended medical school—the "wealth" seemed to be a point of contention among fans who did deep-dives into her social media. People love to fact-check reality stars. It's basically a national pastime at this point. They found old pageant photos and conflicting stories about her past marriages.
The friction wasn't just about the money, though. It was the attitude. Leida’s insistence that Eric prioritize her son, Alessandro, over his own children was the spark that lit the fire.
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The Restraining Order That Shocked the Fandom
Most reality TV feuds stay on Twitter. This one went to the courthouse. In early 2019, shortly after their season wrapped, Leida actually obtained a four-year restraining order against Eric’s daughter, Tasha.
It was a massive escalation.
Think about that for a second. You move across the world, marry a man, and within months, you've legally barred his child from contacting you or coming near the home. The judge in Sauk County granted the order after Leida complained about online harassment. The fans went nuclear. It’s one thing to have a tiff over dishes; it’s another to use the legal system to fracture a family.
Interestingly, time has a weird way of blurring these edges. If you look at their social media today, things look... quiet. They are still together. That’s the part that catches people off guard. In a franchise where couples break up because one person didn't like the way the other person cut a steak (looking at you, Jesse and Darcey), Eric and Leida have stayed the course.
Is the "Doctor" Persona Real?
Leida’s professional life has always been a bit of a question mark. On the show, she frequently brought up her medical degree. She wanted to practice in the U.S., but as anyone in the medical field knows, that isn't a "sign a paper and start surgery" kind of process. You need residencies. You need USMLE exams.
- She did graduate from a clinical training program.
- She worked as a teacher in Japan for a while.
- Her "medical career" in the States never really materialized in the way she described on camera.
Instead, she leaned into the "influencer" and "cosplay" world. She’s actually quite good at it. If you strip away the drama, her craftsmanship on her costumes is impressive. But when you’ve been branded as the person who kicked a teenager out of her home, people don't usually care about how good your Star Wars cosplay looks.
The Eric Problem: Why He Isn't Just a Victim
It’s easy to blame Leida for everything. She’s loud, she’s demanding, and she’s a "villain." But what about Eric?
Eric Rosenbrook is often viewed through a lens of pity, but the hardcore fans don't buy it. He was a grown man who allowed the rift between his wife and his children to grow into a canyon. He stood by while his daughter was legally ousted. In many ways, Eric’s passivity was just as damaging as Leida’s aggression.
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He was a veteran, a guy who seemed to just want a "hot young wife" to show off, but he wasn't prepared for the cost. The financial strain was real. The emotional strain was worse. When he defended Leida against his own family, he effectively isolated himself.
That isolation is a common theme in high-conflict relationships. You see it a lot in these 90-day scenarios where the American partner is so desperate to make the K-1 visa "work" that they ignore every single red flag. They’ve spent the money. They’ve filed the paperwork. They feel like they can't back out now without looking like a fool.
Life After the Cameras: The 2024 and 2025 Update
So, where are they now? This is the part that usually surprises people who stopped following them after the Season 6 "Tell All."
They are still in Wisconsin. They are still married.
They’ve moved away from the limelight to some extent, likely because the vitriol from the public was so intense. At one point, they even claimed they were done with the show because of death threats. Whether those threats were the primary reason or TLC just didn't want the liability of their polarizing presence is up for debate.
They’ve pivoted. Leida has been involved in various business ventures, including some related to the firearms industry and, of course, her cosplay. They seem to have found a rhythm that works for them, even if it’s a rhythm that most of us would find exhausting.
The Tasha Reconciliation?
Rumors have swirled for a year or two about a potential thawing of the ice between Eric and Tasha. While they aren't exactly posting family dinner photos every Sunday, the extreme hostility of the 2019 era seems to have cooled. Tasha has moved on with her own life, finding her own space away from the shadow of the show.
It’s a reminder that reality TV is a snapshot in time. It captures people at their absolute worst, under the most stress, and then broadcasts it to millions. Does that excuse the behavior? No. But it does provide context for why they’ve largely retreated from the "90 Day" universe.
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Why We Can't Look Away
We love to hate them. That’s the simple truth. Eric and Leida represent a specific kind of discomfort—the fear that someone can come into a family and dismantle it from the inside.
They also highlight the flaws in the K-1 visa process as portrayed on TV. It’s not just about love; it’s about logistics, power dynamics, and cultural clashes that sometimes can't be resolved with a wedding.
When you compare them to "wholesome" couples like Kyle and Noon or Loren and Alexei, the contrast is staggering. But who gets the most clicks? Who gets the most Reddit threads? It’s always the ones who make our blood boil.
Actionable Takeaways from the Leida and Eric Saga
If you’re watching the show or considering a similar international move, there are some blunt lessons to be learned here.
Prioritize family integration before the move. If your kids and your partner don't get along over Skype, a 90-day deadline isn't going to fix it. It’s going to make it worse. Eric’s failure to mediate early on was a fatal flaw.
Be honest about finances. Leida expected a lifestyle Eric couldn't provide. That kind of resentment doesn't go away. If you're bringing someone to the U.S., they need to know exactly what your bank account looks like—no "faking it until you make it."
Legal escalation is a point of no return. Once you involve the courts in family disputes (like the restraining order), you’ve essentially burned the bridge. Even if you apologize later, the record remains.
Don't ignore the "villain" warnings. If everyone in your life is telling you that your new partner is toxic, they might see something you don't. Love is blind, but the people around you usually have 20/20 vision.
The story of Leida and Eric is a cautionary tale about what happens when ego, desperation, and reality TV cameras collide. They remain a fascinating, if frustrating, footnote in entertainment history. They proved that "happily ever after" looks different for everyone—even if it looks like a battlefield to the rest of us.