Netflix Too Hot To Handle star marries prison inmate after meeting online

A former reality TV sensation has tied the knot with a convict she encountered on the web, igniting debates over romances with inmates.

Laura Gehrke, who graced Netflix 's Too Hot To Handle Germany, said "I do" to Joshua Stewart in a prison wedding in Washington state this past June.

The unlikely pair connected via WriteAPrisoner.com last December.

Feeling isolated during the festive period in Dubai due to visa complications that barred her from returning home, Gehrke, a realtor by trade, reached out to Stewart.

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What began as poetic exchanges soon blossomed into marathon phone conversations that could stretch to 11 hours a day, reports the Express US .

A whirlwind six-week courtship led to Stewart popping the question, and within four months, they exchanged vows. The 90-minute nuptials was held within the prison walls, with a fellow inmate standing in as the best man.

"It felt super right," Gehrke remarked. "Our families are super supportive," she continued.

Stewart is behind bars for controlled substance homicide. Gehrke confessed she didn't probe into his criminal act at first, opting to understand his past instead.

"Because I knew the backstory, it didn't change my opinion of him," she clarified.

Their love story has faced scrutiny on social media, with some suggesting Stewart might be exploiting Gehrke financially or casting doubt on her decision-making.

Brushing aside the skeptics, Gehrke asserted: "They can't believe it's real love."

The couple is hoping for approval of conjugal visits later this year. Stewart is set to be released under house arrest in December 2025, at which point Gehrke plans to join him in the United States.