TLC premiered Forbidden Love on July 21, 2024, on its channel. It is a relationship series in which couples from different religions consider converting to their partner’s religion. Forbidden Love features four couples who belong to various faiths and belief systems.
However, after falling in love with their partner, who follows a different religion, one partner from each couple considers converting to their partner’s religion and exploring different cultural backgrounds.
TLC describes Forbidden Love as:
"Can their love survive opposite faiths and opposing families? Find out on Forbidden Love."
Forbidden Love: Cast members explored
TLC’s Forbidden Love features the journeys of four couples: Ashley and Mohammed, Laurie and Eli, Lensa and Kris, and Lindsey and Elmer. Here are all the details about each of the couples. Despite their cultural differences and belief systems, couples clash over various things. All while they try to maintain their relationship with their beloved partner.
Ashley and Mohammed
Ashley, 31, grew up in a traditional, white, conservative Catholic Family. Mohammed, 31, is a Muslim who has faced difficulties from his family, especially from his twin brother. They wanted Mohammed to get married to a Muslim woman and settle down.
Mohammed fell in love with Ashley, a Catholic. The couple has already gotten married and has a three-year-old daughter, Rozie. Mohammed has been looking forward to Ashley converting to Islamic laws and becoming a Muslim woman.
He also considered how, after converting, Ashley would raise their daughter with Islamic values. In the trailer, Ashley asks Mohammed whether he thinks she couldn’t be a good wife unless she is a Muslim, to which Mohammed replies, "Yes."
Laurie and Eli
Laurie, 36, has been a devoted Catholic since childhood. It was not until her father’s demise that she abandoned her religion and faith. Eli, 32, is an Orthodox Jew. After meeting Laurie, they both decided to date each other and then, eventually, their relationship grew further.
Soon, Laurie made up her mind and decided to convert to Orthodox Judaism. To do that, she had to complete various tasks. These included preparing for tests, giving up certain clothes preferences, changing her hair, attending classes, and ultimately shifting her lifestyle.
The trailer shows Eli stating that "the only way" to make their relationship work was for Laurie to convert to Judaism.
Lensa and Kris
Lensa, 32, is Muslim, while Kris is 37, whose father is a Pentecostal preacher. Before meeting Kris, Lensa already had two failed arranged marriages, which caused more difficulties from Kris's side of the family. Since the duo started dating, Kris’s father has not been in favor of it. Later, when he learned about Lensa’s failed marriages, he was shocked.
Since then, Lensa and Kris have been facing massive issues regarding who will change their religion and agree to conversion. None of them have been taking the lead since they fear that if he/she converts to a different religion, their family will disown them.
Lindsey and Elmer
To pursue his relationship with Lindsey, 34, Elmer, 23, decided to leave the Amish community. After dating for some time, Lindsay and Elmer agreed to get married. Soon, Elmer realized that adapting to the "English" world was not as easy as he had thought.
Due to their age difference, the couple has been facing various issues. Earlier, Lindsey was under the impression that Elmer, an Amish individual, wouldn’t have a "wandering eye," but she realized otherwise. Additionally, the couple is expecting a baby; hence, along with the religious differences, they will manage many things simultaneously.
During the trailer, the couple argued about Lindsey not wanting to be an "Amish housewife" or "baby maker." Later, she could also be seen stating that being married to an Amish man was quite different from what she had expected.
Fans can stream Forbidden Love on TLC and Discovery Plus.