A MAN has revealed that he paid £15,000 to ship a wife over from the Philippines, but has insisted that she is not his slave.
Evan met Stephanie on a Filipino dating app, and after chatting to her for just three weeks, decided to fly out to Southeast Asia to meet her.
He spent £3,900 on the trip, and asked Stephanie to be his girlfriend as soon as he landed.
After a further two trips to the Philippines, Evan decided that Stephanie was the woman for him, and spent £15,000 on getting her a visa and bringing her to the US.
The couple got married in secret in the Philippines, and then had a celebration with Evan's family once Stephanie had moved over.
Stephanie does all of the cooking, cleaning and household chores, but said that she doesn't mind, as it is "normal" for her.
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"Stephanie is a great cook", Evan told .
"When people say Stephanie is my maid, I don't take it personally because I know that we are both happy."
Evan's family members have not been supportive of the union, with his mum at first sharing concerns about Stephanie's motives.
"I didn't know what he was going to get himself in to", she said.
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However, once Evan's mum met Stephanie she said that her reservations quickly went away, as she could see that the couple loved each other.
The couple share details of their unique relationship online, and are often met with criticism from social media users.
Many people accuse Stephanie of using Evan for money, whilst others question why Evan couldn't find a wife in his own country.
Other trolls have accused Evan of "importing a slave" or a housekeeper.
However, the couple don't care about the negative comments, as any sort of interaction with their posts helps them to go viral and make money from their content.
Stephanie said that she never wanted to move to the US, and wishes that Evan had moved to the Philippines instead.
What is a trad wife?
A trad wife (short for traditional wife) is a woman who chooses to take on an ultra traditional role in marriage, meaning she makes dinner and looks pretty whilst her husband goes to work.
The trend takes inspiration from the idea of a 1950s housewife.
Many 'trad wives' choose to dress in the style of clothing popular in this period (think floral dresses and frumpy cardigans).
Additionally, the values considered important to trad wives are similar to strict Christian values.
Trad wives believed they were not forced into this way of life, and that it was their purpose to be homemakers.
The trend, which has garnered attention on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, glamorises a time gone by with little acknowledgement of the economic challenges facing families and mothers today.
"I always miss the Philippines," she said.
"Stephanie has made me a better person in a lot of ways," Evan said.
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"She's helped me to get out of my shell and be more social."
Explaining how Evan has enriched her life, Stephanie added: "I feel more confident in myself because even if I look so bad after just waking up, he tells me I'm beautiful."