90 Day Fiancé star Big Ed Brown has a rare congenital condition known as Klippel-Feil syndrome. The San Diego man started his reality TV journey with 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days season 4, in which he was in a long-distance relationship with Rose Vega. Big Ed had been single for thirty years since his first wife divorced him when he cheated on her. Big Ed stole hearts with his jolly personality. His charm and honesty made him a relatable cast member who fans couldn’t help but root for.
However, it didn’t take him long to lose his fan-favorite status. His unsavory side revealed itself once he met Rose in person. He ridiculed her physical appearance and had lied to her about his height and vasectomy. Once Rose dumped Big Ed, he found love again with a different single mother who was half his age. He also treated Liz Woods with disrespect, but her low self-esteem made it impossible for Liz to believe that she deserved better. It was Big Ed who got bored with Liz and called off their wedding after breaking up with her 14 times.
Big Ed Revealed Why He Gave Himself The Name
According to the NCBI, Klippel-Feil syndrome is a congenital condition characterized by the abnormal fusion of 2 or more cervical vertebrae. This results in the individual having a shortened neck and could also lead to them suffering from chronic headaches, restricted neck mobility, and neck muscle pain. It makes individuals prone to developing spinal stenosis, neurological deficits, and cervical spinal deformities and instability. The condition was first described by Maurice Klippel and Andre Feil in 1912.
Big Ed has joked about how he gave himself the name “ Big Ed ” because he has a huge personality, and it makes him look tall.
He added that his height was four feet eleven inches. Big Ed said his height is something he’s very conscious of. However, he was able to overcome it because he is “Big Ed.” He also revealed that he had a special skin condition. He needed special sheets and pillows with a high thread count which was over 1000. He also couldn’t use any type of high-chemical detergents or cosmetics.
Big Ed was worried about breaking out into a rash when he went to the Philippines to meet Rose. He had been shipping things like sheets and pillows to Rose, but they had yet to reach her. Big Ed had not been honest about his height with Rose. He had told her he was 5’2” because that’s what she’d said her height was. He was praying that Rose would like her and accept him for who he was. By the time the first episode of B90 season 4 had aired, Big Ed’s physical appearance and height were being discussed online.
Big Ed Was In “Panic” When The Show Came Out
Big Ed Remembered His Ex-Wife’s Kind Words
Big Ed spoke to ET about the comments people were making about his body. He explained he has a limited range of movement. He has been made fun of his whole life because he has a bigger-than-normal chest cavity. Big Ed was “literally in panic” when the show premiered, and he started reading the comments online. He was asked not to read them but “that’s all it was.” He recalled how his ex-wife had told him, “‘What are you talking about?‘” when he asked her why she loved him if he had a shorter neck and wasn’t very tall.
Big Ed Was Diagnosed With Klippel-Feil Syndrome As A Teenager
Big Ed spoke about his condition in depth with Today in May 2024. Big Ed’s condition is so rare that it’s not known what causes it. Because of its rare nature, Big Ed wasn’t diagnosed with Klippel-Feil syndrome until he was a teenager. When Big Ed was a newborn, a doctor told his parents that their son was going to experience a lot of complications as he got older. Big Ed explained that the doctors were only telling his parents about all these things that could possibly go wrong because “they didn’t know what it was.”
Big Ed spoke about how his father had told his worried mom, “No he’s perfect. Don’t worry about it.” Big Ed thought it was a nice thing for his father to say. “But they really didn’t know what it was until later,” he added. Big Ed has since received messages from several people across the world who reached out to him because even they have Klippel-Feil syndrome.
Big Ed Became A Bodybuilder Due To His Condition
Big Ed Made Good Use Of His Great Upper Body Strength
Big Ed has been made fun of his whole life. He remembered how he got stuck in the “neck machine” when he was in high school. Big Ed used to work out with all the football players, so it had become a running joke among his peers. It led to Big Ed being really well-known at school. Everyone in school stopped making fun of Big Ed’s appearance. He also developed his “entertainment side” in the process, which helped him build confidence. He’d always had upper body strength, and he used it to his advantage.
“I became kind of popular because of my condition.”
Big Ed became a bodybuilder at a very young age. He took to gymnastics because of his natural body strength. However, it also led to him having a horrifying accident. The 13-year-old Big Ed fell on his head while doing a double backflip. He was worried that his neck might be broken. However, when he went to the hospital, he found out that a part of his spinal cord was “exposed.” Big Ed was not allowed to play any contact sports or gymnastics since then. He was devastated, but then he took to bodybuilding.
Big Ed Recalled Being Called “No Neck” & “Neckless”
How Big Ed Is Turning His Experience Into An Inspiring Tale
Big Ed knows that people call him “neckless” and “no neck” and “no neck Ed” apart from “everything under the sun,” and he does think it’s hurtful. However, Big Ed has never let his condition define who he is. He noticed that the haters still make “funny puns” but he wasn’t bothered by the jokes about his short neck. He loves who he is and thinks one has to be able to laugh at himself. Big Ed is also the chairman of a nonprofit called Remembering Nicholas, which offers support to families grappling with the unforeseen loss of an infant.
“God made us all the way we are.”
Big Ed believes there’s a reason why he looks the way he does and that there is a reason for everything. He talked about a man named Abe from New York who sent him a letter. Abe, who also has Klippel-Feil syndrome, asked Big Ed how he confidently rubs mayonnaise on his hair on national TV. “Everyone is making fun of me,” Abe told Big Ed. The 90 Day Fiancé star told his fan that he shouldn’t let the syndrome define who he is. “And that’s how I’ve always kind of lived my life,” Big Ed added in conclusion.
90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days season 7 premieres on Sunday, September 1 at 8 p.m. EDT on TLC and Max.
