Exclusive90 Day Fiance’s Tim on Armando’s Reaction to His Friendship With Kenny: ‘It Sounds Bad’

90 Day Fiancé star Tim Malcolm is weighing in on Armando Rubio‘s reaction to Tim’s friendship with Armando’s husband, Kenny Niedermeier, at the 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way tell all exclusively with In Touch.

“My heart kind of stopped because I’ve been defending my sexuality for so long and that it does not help my case. I mean, if I heard someone else say that, I would think exactly what I know. The majority of the people that heard that think it sounds bad,” Tim, 43, exclusively tells In Touch.

As fans watched on The Other Way season 5 tell-all in December 2023, Tim faced some backlash from his fellow costar Armando, 35, about his friendship with Armando’s husband, Kenny, 61. Armando was particularly bothered by the fact that Tim called Kenny “daddy” in text conversations between the two, and Tim admits he understands why Armando was upset.

Tim revealed what was going through his head while Armando was questioning the nature of his relationship with Kenny.

“I was just kind of like, ‘Oh my God, this sounds horrible.’ And I mean, I know in my mind, and Kenny knows it is playful, there’s nothing to it, but I knew that it was going to be a big deal the next day. And I mean, I saw it everywhere,” Tim continues.

Tim admits that since the tell-all aired, he’s been able to rewatch it a few times with his friends and “laugh about it,” but still says that Armando’s reaction was “embarrassing, surprising and shocking all at the same time.”

“Just the face that I make as the words are coming out of his mouth is very funny because I really wasn’t expecting that and I don’t think Kenny was either, but I think Kenny just, that’s his husband,” Tim adds. “So, I mean he knows him a lot better. But I kind of had always known that Armando knew Kenny and I spoke, and I had imagined that he had read our texts because they seemed like they have a very open relationship.”

Tim quickly became a fan favorite after he starred in 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days season 3 and was dating Jeniffer Tarazona. Jeniffer, 29, questioned Tim’s sexuality when their relationship lacked intimacy, which, in turn, caused fans to question it as well. The North Carolina native has even addressed the rumors several times.

When fans commented on Tim’s wardrobe choice of pink flared pants during ​90 Day: The Single Life season 3 tell-all ​in November 2022, the reality TV star didn’t hold back during an Instagram Live.

“Y’all don’t know this logistical ​s–t about TV, that y’all don’t really get to hear or see. It’s not as simple as like, why would he wear that?” Tim said at the time.​

​Tim returned to the world of 90 Day Fiancé during 90 Day: The Single Life season 4 in January 2024, appearing alongside his best friend, Veronica Rodriguez. Fans watched as Tim went on a date with a woman named Luisa, but it doesn’t appear to last.

90 Day: The Single Life airs on TLC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.