Embark on a journey of love and faith in TLC’s all-new relationship series FORBIDDEN LOVE, which will follow four couples deeply in love who must come to terms with the one major hurdle complicating their relationships – religion. Hailing from different faiths, one partner from each couple is converting or has decided to relinquish their family-of-origin and culture entirely. Facing such intense traditional differences, can their relationships endure the trials of converting or will their love falter under the pressure? A compelling exploration of the ties that bind, FORBIDDEN LOVE premieres Sunday, July 21 @ 10PM ET/PT on TLC.
Meet the couples:
Laurie (36) and Eli (32):
Eli is an Orthodox Jew and Laurie was raised Catholic. Laurie was the opposite – she was raised a devout Catholic but abandoned her religion after the untimely death of her father. When they met, Eli was already devout, so Laurie decided to convert to solidify their future together. But converting is no small feat. She finds herself giving up her clothes, changing her hair, taking classes, studying for tests, and preparing to completely change her lifestyle, all the while questioning if she can do it and if she’s giving up too much to be with the love of her life.
Lindsey (34) and Elmer (23):
Elmer recently left his Amish community to marry Lindsey but finds it difficult adapting to the “English” world and the fact that he has been disowned by his family. Lindsey is older than him and had many preconceived notions about who Elmer would be as a husband. She thought he would be wholesome and would never have a wandering eye – but she soon starts to realize that being with someone who was raised Amish is more complicated than she predicted. The stakes are very high with a baby on the way, but even with all the drama surrounding their relationship, their chemistry and sense of humor keep them going.
Ashley (31) and Mohammad (31):
Ashley was raised in a conservative Catholic family and is married to Mohammad, a Muslim man. When they fell in love, Mohammad’s twin brother was against their relationship because he would prefer his brother to be with a Muslim woman. And to complicate things further, the pair got married very quickly and have a 3-year-old daughter named Rozie. While Mohammad is passionate about Ashley converting so his daughter will be raised by a Muslim woman, Ashley is conflicted about living by strict Muslim laws, and her family doesn’t feel she needs to change a thing for Mohammad.
Lensa (32) and Kris (37):
Kris is the son of a Pentecostal preacher. When Kris falls in love with a Muslim woman who had already been in two arranged marriages, his father is dismayed. Kris and Lensa want each other to convert to their respective religions which leaves them, and their families, at odds. Will one of them leave their religion entirely, even if it means never speaking to their family again? Or will the pressure be too much for the relationship to handle?
Follow TLC on TLC.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube for all the latest on FORBIDDEN LOVE.
FORBIDDEN LOVE is produced by Sharp Entertainment, a part of Sony Pictures Television – Nonfiction, for TLC.
