90 Day Fiancé star Andrei Castravet shared an emotional tribute to wife Elizabeth Castravet’s father following his death.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, November 25, to honor his father-in-law, Andrei, 39, described the video as a “tough one to make” before calling Chuck Potthast “a man who meant a lot” to the couple’s family.
“It’s been incredibly, incredibly tough for us,” Andrei told fans in the clip, which was filmed inside his car. “I know there’s been drama, tensions and story lines over the years but what people saw on TV is just a tiny portion of our real relationship. What I can say is Chuck genuinely loved filming. He loved the energy, he loved the excitement, he really did. The connection of all of us … he loved people in general.”
Chuck’s death was revealed by Elizabeth and Andrei in a joint Instagram post shared on Sunday, November 23. The post stated that Chuck, who appeared on the TLC reality series since the family’s debut in season 5, died “two weeks ago.”
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Throughout the family’s portrayal on the show, Andrei was often seen to be at odds with Chuck. Andrei said during his tribute that despite the pair’s televised differences, they shared a close bond.
“Some of my best memories are just off-camera when we’re laughing and talking and joking about how we’re fighting on TV, while we’re, in real life, getting along … just like best pals,” he told fans. “That’s how I’m going to remember him.”
On the show, Andrei was criticized by Chuck at one stage for being unemployed in addition to failing to look after his and Elizabeth’s home, among other accusations. Despite Andrei joining Chuck’s property management business, tensions between Andrei and Chuck’s family simmered for years and in 2021, Andrei was involved in a physical altercation with his brother-in-law Charlie which aired on the show.
Andrei hinted towards trouble in his relationship with Chuck within his tribute, but said he was not ready to reveal any intricacies.
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“I want to make this clear that all the rumors and the click bait going around right now are just lies. When it comes to what actually happened, I’ll speak about it later in a respectful way. For now, I just want to honor him,” he told fans. “There’s a lot more to say to this … about our real connection and the truth behind everything. Rest in peace, Chuck.”
Elizabeth and Andrei’s joint announcement regarding Chuck’s death came as a shock to fans of the series. “Tragedy struck our family and it has left us completely shattered. My sweet, loving, and caring dad went to heaven. We’re trying to figure out how to navigate our lives and move forward without him,” Elizabeth wrote at the time. “Please respect our privacy during this extremely difficult time.”
The couple initially met on a dating app before meeting face-to-face in Dublin and marrying in 2017. They have since welcomed daughter Eleanor and son Winston in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
