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Rick Van Vactor was arrested on October 27, 2026, after an alleged fight with his girlfriend, and he was released on bond the same day. By the morning of November 11, Google Trends still had his name climbing in the United States, listed at 5,000+ searches and up about 400%. He has not given his own public statement. What follows is what the custody record shows, what a source told TMZ, and what remains an allegation.
His legal name is Douglas Van Vactor. On TLC he was billed as Rick. The public record has not named a charge.
What Reports Say About the Rick Van Vactor Arrest
TMZ reported on November 5 that he was arrested after an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend, and that he was released on bond on October 27. A source with direct knowledge told TMZ that Van Vactor claims he was defending himself and that his girlfriend was the instigator. The same source said the two met online, began dating in March, are no longer living together, and that he has no interest in reconciling. TMZ described it as the first time an argument between them had turned physical.
The headline on that TMZ story calls the woman an ex. The article itself calls her his girlfriend. Her name has not been published.
Complex, on October 30, reported a California VINE custody record for 53-year-old Douglas Van Vactor. The record listed him as out of custody after bonding out, with a status update at 3:47 p.m. Pacific on October 27. Complex reported that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is the agency on the record, and that the record does not say what the charge was or describe the arrest. As of that October 30 story, he had not addressed the allegations himself. TMZ’s later piece quotes a source, not Van Vactor.
The Video and the Instagram Claim
Complex also reported that footage shared online appears to show a man identified as Van Vactor grabbing a woman by the neck and striking her, with children nearby. The franchise Instagram account Kiki & Kibbitz is the outlet Complex cites for how the clip and some private messages spread. That account claimed the argument started after his girlfriend saw him like photos on the Instagram of Emma Perry, another 90 Day Fiancé personality who is now on 90 Day: Hunt for Love.
Those are allegations. This site has not verified the video, and no public police statement describing it was available in either report. Liking a photo is not, by itself, what the custody record documents.
What Viewers Know From the Show
Van Vactor appeared on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days with Trisha Stiley, a midwife from Madagascar. Complex reported that she is nearly three decades younger than him, that he is a divorced father of five, and that he has claimed to run a hair and wig business in Los Angeles. The conflict on the show, as Complex recounted it, was about children. She wanted to be a mother. He did not want more.
Complex also reported that during a stretch when Stiley stopped contacting him, he went to Colombia to see a former girlfriend and later acknowledged having sex with her. Stiley ended the relationship. At the tell-all, Complex wrote, he was later linked romantically to Mari Spradlin. That is a reported link, not a confirmed relationship.
A 2013 Case That Is Part of the Public Record
Long before the series, Van Vactor was interviewed by Bakersfield station KBAK/KBFX after the death of his 2-year-old son, Pharaoh, in November 2013. Complex, recounting that interview, reported that investigators said the child died from blunt-force trauma while in the care of Mathew Berry, the boyfriend of Van Vactor’s former wife, Adriana Brown, and that Berry was arrested. Van Vactor told the station the coroner had said his son was beaten to death. That case is not the October 2026 arrest. It is part of why his name was already in the news record.
Anyone in immediate danger should call 911. Confidential help is available from the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or by texting START to 88788.
For where other reality cast members are now, see the 2026 reality TV roundup.
Sources
- TMZ, November 5, 2026
- Complex, October 30, 2026
- Google Trends, United States entertainment, checked the morning of November 11, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Rick Van Vactor arrested?
Police arrested him on October 27, 2026, after an alleged fight with his girlfriend, and he was released on bond the same day. TMZ reported that a source close to him says he claims self-defense. A public California custody record lists his legal name, Douglas Van Vactor, and does not list a charge.
What is Rick Van Vactor’s real name?
Douglas Van Vactor. TLC billed him as Rick on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. Complex reported that a California record lists him as 53.
Who did Rick Van Vactor date on the show?
Trisha Stiley, a midwife from Madagascar. Complex reported that the relationship ended after he went to Colombia and acknowledged having sex with a former girlfriend.
Has Rick Van Vactor responded himself?
Not in his own words, as of TMZ’s November 5, 2026 story. That story quotes a source close to him. Complex reported on October 30 that he had not spoken publicly.
Is there a verified video of the fight?
Complex reported that footage shared online appears to show a physical confrontation, with children nearby. Neither Complex nor TMZ cited a public police statement that authenticates the clip.