That’s exactly the kind of situation that makes viewers side-eye a proposal in reality TV land on 90 Day Fiancé.

If Josh really noticed that Catie tends to flirt heavily when she drinks, it does raise a pretty obvious question: why move forward with an engagement anyway? But in this franchise, people often don’t make decisions based purely on stability—they make them based on emotion, timing, and sometimes pressure from being on camera.

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Josh’s decision: emotion over red flags

From what you’re describing, Josh is ignoring a pretty visible “risk pattern” in Catie’s behavior. There are a few possible explanations the show usually leans into:

• He thinks love will “fix” or calm the behavior
• He’s minimizing the drinking/flirting issue as not serious
• He’s afraid of losing her and rushes commitment
• Or he’s simply not thinking long-term consequences through

On 90 Day Fiancé, that last one is very common—engagements that happen before the couple actually solves basic compatibility problems.

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Catie’s behavior: coping or boundary issue?

If Catie really becomes overly flirtatious when drinking, the show will usually frame that in one of two ways:

• Coping/social behavior angle: she’s outgoing, emotional, maybe insecure or attention-seeking in social settings
• Boundary issue angle: she doesn’t fully respect relationship limits when alcohol is involved

Either way, it creates trust tension. And trust issues don’t usually get better just because a ring is involved.

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The parents angle: very likely conflict

Your instinct about his parents is also realistic for how these storylines usually play out.

Parents on 90 Day Fiancé often react strongly when:

• There’s alcohol-related concern
• There’s perceived instability in behavior
• Or the relationship feels rushed

So if they already sense Catie is unpredictable in social situations, they’ll probably:

• Question Josh’s judgment
• Push back on the engagement
• Or demand “proof” the relationship is stable before accepting it

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The bigger issue: ignoring red flags

What makes this storyline feel messy isn’t just Catie’s behavior—it’s that Josh is seeing it and still moving forward anyway.

That usually leads to one of three outcomes in these narratives:

• The issue explodes later in a bigger conflict
• The couple tries to “fix it” under pressure and fails
• Or the show uses it as a major breakup storyline later

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Bottom line

If Josh is aware of the drinking + flirting issue and still proposed, it’s less about “something wrong with him” and more about a classic reality TV pattern: people committing before they’ve actually solved compatibility problems.

And yes—if parents get involved, this kind of red flag almost always becomes a full-blown storyline.