'Pay money to watch me eat Taco Bell': Reality TV star airs US senator’s 'dirty secrets'

A reality TV star is now dropping hints at the identity of a U.S. senator she was allegedly in a secret relationship with for the past year before she recently "cut ties" with him.

In a video she posted to her TikTok account reported on by the Daily Mail, former 90-Day Fiance cast member Stephanie Matto didn't reveal the name of her former undercover boyfriend, but said the two had unusual "virtual" dates in which the senator reportedly would "pay money to watch me eat Taco Bell." She said she felt the need to break it off due to the senator's "crazy" and "radical" beliefs that she fundamentally opposed "as a woman."

"I have dated a US Senator for the past year and kept it a huge secret up until today," Matto said. "Today I feel like exposing some dirt on this man because recently I saw him in the news supporting something that I as a woman can simply not stand by."

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Matto said she felt compelled after one particular conversation with the unnamed lawmaker to "expose all of his dirty secrets." While she said she was normally "apolitical," she recalled asking the senator if he agreed with "the policies of his political party," and found his answer "so despicable and so concerning."

"He told me that he doesn't actually care about politics, he doesn't care about people, he doesn't care about women," she said in the video. "He only cares about money and the power that he yields."

According to Matto, the one thing preventing her from actually naming the senator was that she had family members who are immigrants, and her former online boyfriend threatened to have them deported if she outed him. But she did notably drop several hints — namely, that the senator used a burner account to communicate with her that had the number "24" in the screen name, and that the profile photo was of a fish, which aligned with the senator's hobby of "bass fishing."

Matto invited "internet sleuths" to crack the case, which prompted speculation from many of her 100,000+ followers. Two names that came up in numerous comments were Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) – both of whom are up for reelection in 2024.

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While Hawley isn't known as a fisherman, Cruz has posted photos of himself in the past on a bass fishing expedition. One fishing website listed Texas among its top 10 states for bass fishing in the country (Missouri was not on that list). The Texas Republican is also on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, and sits on the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship and Border Safety. This would mean Cruz is potentially in a position to have someone deported, given that he's on the committee with direct jurisdiction over the immigration system.

In another TikTok, Matto said the senator was a "famous person" whom she saw on TV while watching the news at her parents' house. As a former presidential candidate, Cruz fits the bill of a high-profile U.S. senator who is interviewed frequently. Matto also bears a resemblance to Cory Chase, who is an adult film actress who appeared in a video clip Cruz accidentally posted to his official Twitter account on September 11, 2017.

Watch Matto's TikToks below, or by clicking this link.

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