A Florida man recently made headlines for his elaborate scheme of juggling secret marriages to three unsuspecting women he met on dating apps. Henry Betsey Jr., 50, managed to evade jail time after his deceitful actions were exposed.
In November 2020, Betsey married his first wife, Tonya Betsey, after meeting her on Tinder. Two years later, he tied the knot with Brandy, whom he met on the dating app Stir, in Manatee County. Shortly after, Betsey met Michele Narens on Match.com and married her in Hernando County in November 2022, after knowing each other for only three weeks.
The shocking revelation came to light when Tonya discovered marriage licenses to two other women while searching for her husband’s name in county court records. She then reached out to Michele to inform her of the situation.
The women believe that Betsey married them for financial gain, as he had suggested joint bank accounts on the day of their weddings. They also criticized the Florida counties for not communicating effectively to prevent him from marrying multiple times.
Michele and Tonya shared that they obtained domestic violence orders from judges after Betsey became abusive, allowing them to escape their marriages. Brandy, on the other hand, kicked Betsey out of her house just five days into their marriage.
During his court appearance, Betsey apologized for his actions and expressed regret for involving the women, court administration, and his family and friends. However, Michele, who was present for his sentencing, doubted the sincerity of his apology.
Despite avoiding jail time, Betsey was sentenced to two years of probation, 100 hours of community service, a mental health evaluation, and a restriction from using social media and dating websites by Judge Charles B. Merritt Jr.
The case of Henry Betsey Jr. serves as a cautionary tale about the potential dangers of online relationships and the importance of thorough background checks before committing to marriage.
