Two legal experts exclusively explain to In Touch how 90 Day Fiancé star Gino Palazzolo could be financially responsible for his estranged wife, Jasmine Pineda’s baby after she had a child with new partner Matt Branistareanu.
“Whether a person is liable for child support, it’s basically ruled by state law, so we would have to review the rules in the state of Michigan,” Aníbal Romero, Attorney at Law and Owner of The Romero Firm, tells In Touch. “But there are states that when the person is married, there is a presumption that the child belongs to the married couple and yes, they are both responsible for the child even if a DNA test comes back negative. Again, it depends on state law, and we would have to review the case in Michigan, under Michigan law, to decide whether this person is liable or not.”
Elizabeth Ricci, Partner at Rambana & Ricci, gives more insight into the role that Gino, 56, might play in this dynamic. Elizabeth exclusively tells In Touch that because Gino is still legally Jasmine’s husband and because he is the sponsor of Jasmine’s K-1 visa, he is “considered the putative father [of her child], regardless of paternity, under Michigan law.” A putative father “is a man whose legal relationship to a child has not been established, but claims to be the father or who is alleged to be the father of a child,” according to the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA).
This means that Gino could be found liable for child support for Jasmine’s baby. Gino could also be on the hook for any unpaid hospital bills for the child.
Additionally, Jasmine’s pregnancy with another man’s child could have also affected her status in the United States. For most K-1 visa applicants, the first step of the process is to marry within 90 days of the foreign spouse’s arrival in the States. The second step is that the K-1 visa sponsor (or the partner who is a United States citizen) files an adjustment of status to then turn the foreign spouse’s K-1 visa into a green card.
But if Jasmine and Gino split before her adjustment of status could be processed, on top of the fact that she had a baby with another man, she would have been facing even more difficulties in her immigration status, according to Elizabeth.
Jasmine Pineda and Matthew Branistareanu
“If USCIS found out about the pregnancy, [Gino and Jasmine] would probably be denied if they can’t prove their intention to have a life together despite the infidelity and pregnancy,” she explains. “Immigration law requires that the K-1 beneficiary [Jasmine] be adjusted through the K-1 petitioner [Gino] so even if the couple divorced and the other man [Matt] petitioned for her, it would be an uphill immigration battle.”
Jasmine, 38, is known for her relationship with Gino as the couple chronicled their journey from their first meeting in Panama to their June 2023 wedding on the 90 Day Fiancé franchise. After their wedding, Gino promised to file the necessary paperwork to bring Jasmine’s two sons from Panama — after they were left off her original visa application. During the series, Jasmine was heartbroken to learn it could take up to two years before her children would be able to join her in the United States.
The couple also fought over Gino’s procrastination in filing Jasmine’s adjustment of status paperwork. However, in February 2025, Gino hinted that he eventually did file the paperwork and Jasmine had been in possession of her green card for more than a year.
Fans watched as Gino and Jasmine attempted to give their marriage one last try on season 2 of 90 Day: The Last Resort, which began airing on TLC in December 2024. As a way to remedy their sexless marriage, Gino agreed to have an open marriage and approved of Jasmine’s new partner, Matt, 37.
Fans were shocked when Jasmine announced her pregnancy with baby No. 3 in February, revealing that the father was not Gino, but Matt.
Jasmine later insisted that she was faithful in her marriage, explaining that she and Gino separated “two weeks” after filming for 90 Day: The Last Resort season 2 wrapped in April 2024, and that they had been apart for “almost five months” before she became pregnant. She and Matt welcomed their daughter, Matilda, on March 21.
