90 Day Fiancé star, Big Ed, is arguably the most talked-about star of Season 4.
From his struggle to find a real connection with Rose, to his infamous mayonnaise hair
mask, he has sparked a wild number of headlines.
Another area of intense interest concerns Ed's physical appearance, he's only 4'11"
and appears to have a very short neck.
And, of course, fans were curious to learn more about his unique look.
"I actually gave myself the name Big Ed.
Because I have a huge personality and it makes me feel tall.
Also, it's funny 'cause I'm not tall."
But questions about Ed's appearance intensified when he caught heat for criticizing Rose's
unshaven legs, as well as her breath.
Some viewers wondered why a person who is admittedly insecure about their looks would
reportedly cause someone else to feel inferior about themselves.
We're not sure exactly why the situation resulted in Ed hurting Rose's feelings, as she told
him in her powerful breakup speech, but we do know more on the real story regarding his
physical condition.
"I realize who is true Ed right now."
As Big Ed revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he has a rare congenital condition
called Klippel-Feil syndrome, or KFS.
And according to the National Institutes of Health,
"People with KFS are born with abnormal fusion of at least two spinal bones [vertebrae] in
the neck."
Ed went on to explain to E.T.,
"I have a bigger than normal chest cavity, so I've been made fun of my whole life, and
when I was in high school, I actually got stuck in the neck machine.
I used to work out with all the football players and so that became kind of a running joke…So
when the show first came out, I was literally in a panic."
But despite his life-long challenge, Ed's condition has actually improved his outlook
on life.
He explained,
"It's OK to be different.
I think if people really knew how it affects people when you make fun of somebody, they
wouldn't do that.
To make fun of someone's physical appearance is…it's an unkind thing."
"Bullying is not a good thing.
Eating is a good thing.
Asian women are a good thing.
But bullying isn't."
He makes a good point, but fans of the show seem to think he should take more of his own
advice.
Ed caught a lot of heat for famously asking Rose to shave her legs after one of their
first overnight visits.
"I don't, I don't like leg hair.
It's gross."
Viewers were immediately shook.
One fan on Twitter quipped,
"Big Ed hasn't gotten laid in two decades and has the audacity to ask this woman to
shave her legs for him.
This is men for you."
As for Ed's take on the criticism, he offered an explanation to Us Weekly, claiming,
"I had asked Rose if she would shave her legs, and people were really upset about that.
And I was having a conversation with my daughter Tiffany, and she's like, 'Dad, look, that's
completely normal.'
I live in San Diego.
Everybody goes to the beach, people laser their legs…So it wasn't something that I
was really used to."
Although Rose was hurt by Ed's comments in the moment, it sounds like she's since moved
on to better times.
She captioned a May 2020 selfie,
"Be who you are, not [who] the world…wants you to be."
Now that Ed has opened up about his physical condition and has addressed his controversial
comments to Rose, he's looking toward the future.
He told E.T.
Canada,
"It's been a while since I've been in a relationship, I wasn't trying to be offensive in any way
and never have I said anything negative, nor will I ever, about Rose.
I have respect for her."
Ed is also open to finding love again, joking that he has received over 30 marriage proposals
via the internet, since the show has aired.
Another silver lining to come out of this breakup is Ed's renewed relationship with
his adult daughter, Tiffany Brown, who hadn't approved of her dad's international romance
with Rose.
Ed joked with Us Weekly,
"I love my daughter.
She is, and I say this with love and respect, a pain in the ass, just like her dad…We're
very passionate about who we are.
We're very honest people."
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