Catfish: The TV Show (2012–…): Season 5, Episode 6 - Michael & Chanelle - full transcript
Michael's brother emailed Nev and Max as he does not think Chanelle is who she says she is. A DM from Chanelle to Michael, starts their friendship but then, Chanelle disappears...
- She'’s definitely got
a flair for the dramatic.
- We'’ve got a walker.
Yeah, we'’ve got someone.
- Uh-oh.
What is going on?
- You guys rolling, John?
- Yes, sir.
- Uh-oh.
Nev'’s got something.
- I finally did it, Max.
I broke down.
I got a selfie stick.
- Hi.
[camera shutter clicking]
Keep it straight back.
[camera shutter clicking]
- Okay.
I think we got some good ones.
All right, here we go.
Michael says, "Help. My online
girlfriend is missing."
- Dun, dun.
- Interesting.
- ♪ I want to know
where you'’ve been ♪
- "Hey, Nev and Max.
"My name is Michael, and I'’m
a 21-year-old living in Philly.
I'’m writing you because
my brother is making me."
It'’s the City
of Brotherly Love.
- It is the City
of Brotherly Love.
- No wonder his brother
is so worried about him.
"He thinks my girlfriend
is not who she says she is
and that I'’m being catfished."
- ♪ I really want to know
where you'’ve been ♪
- "I met Chanelle online
about eight months ago.
"She'’s not like any other woman
I'’ve ever dated.
"She'’s not selfish.
She'’s never boring.
"And we always find something
interesting to talk about.
All I do is work
and take care of my son."
Whoa. He'’s got a baby.
- He'’s got a kid.
- "But Chanelle
breaks me out of the routine
"and gives me something
to look forward to.
Every day,
she makes me feel loved."
- ♪ I really want to know
where you'’ve been ♪
- "Chanelle and I have spoken
on the phone
"and tried to video-chat once,
but I never saw her face.
"About a month ago,
she stopped answering my calls,
"and I'’m worried about her.
"It'’s been radio silence
ever since.
- ♪I want to know
where you'’ve been ♪
"I'’m starting to wonder if maybe
something happened to her
"or if my brother'’s
been right all along.
"I need your help
to find Chanelle.
Is she real, or has someone been
catfishing me this whole time?"
- ♪ I want to know
where you'’ve-- ♪
- We'’re dealing
with a missing catfish.
- Right.
- Maybe something
happened to Chanelle.
- It'’s true.
- I hate to say it.
- That is possible.
Something may have happened.
Why don'’t we get
this guy on Skype
and find out a little bit more
about what'’s going on?
- Okay.
Hello.
- Yo.
What'’s up?
- How you doing?
- You don'’t seem 21.
You seem much older.
- I get that a lot.
- We just saw your email.
Tell us a little bit
more about yourself.
- Well, I'’m from the West Side
of Philadelphia.
- You'’re telling me
you'’re West Philadelphia
born and raised?
- Yeah.
- You got in one little
relationship,
and your brother got scared.
He said, "I'’m writing
to Nev and Max."
- [chuckles]
- Okay.
So you were born and raised
in West Philadelphia.
Tell us a little bit more.
- I work full-time
at a drug store overnight.
When I'’m not there,
I'’m with my son during the day.
- How old is your son?
- One.
- I take it the relationship
with his mother was not...
- Successful.
- How and when did things
start up with Chanelle?
- Eight months ago,
she DM'’d me.
She looked good enough
for me to write back,
and within a day or two,
we were texting, like, daily.
- You were talking
on the phone also, right?
- Yeah, yeah.
- And she'’s got, like,
a girl'’s voice?
- Oh, yeah, that'’s
the first thing I checked for.
- Good for you.
But I couldn'’t really see her.
It just was black.
You see movement,
but you couldn'’t see nobody.
- Aside from the mysteries
of Chanelle,
what can you tell us
about her?
- She'’s very positive.
Being in Philadelphia, period,
it'’s a lot of bad stuff
that go on.
Like, I lost
a couple childhood friends.
So, talking to her, it'’s
like she keeps my mind off it.
- So it must have been tough
when a month ago,
you just stopped
hearing back from her?
- Yeah.
I can'’t really explain it.
Nothing went wrong.
She just randomly
stopped replying.
- Are you worried that maybe
something happened to her?
- I don'’t want to think
that way,
but I know it'’s a possibility.
I lost a lot of people,
so that'’s the last thing
I would want to think about.
- I can'’t believe
she just disappeared like that.
- That'’s
why I'’m calling you guys.
- Let'’s do it.
- See you soon.
- See you.
- Wow.
- He'’s a sincere guy...
- Yeah.
- Who'’s lost a lot
of people in his life,
and like a gift from God,
he gets a DM...
- Right.
- From a beautiful girl
named Chanelle,
and she'’s awesome.
- Except that she disappears.
We'’re dealing with more
than just a catfish here.
This could be, like,
a missing person.
So what are we waiting for?
Let'’s get out of here.
- We can talk on the plane.
- ♪ Show your colors
- Here we go.
- ♪ You don'’t want
to keep it in... ♪
- So long, LA.
- ♪ Hide your colors
[beep]
- All right, we'’ve made it
to Philadelphia.
- ♪ You got to let it out
- Okay.
Here we are
in chilly Philadelphia.
- Chilly Philly.
- Maybe Chanelle'’s a catfish,
and she feels bad.
She decides, "You know what?
"Even though, selfishly,
"I want to keep
talking to Michael,
it'’s better for him
if I end it sooner than later."
So maybe it'’s better
that he just lets it go.
Let'’s do it.
[car door closes]
[knock at door]
What'’s up?
- Hey, man. What'’s up?
- Hey, man.
- How you doing?
- How are you?
- Good.
- Good to meet you.
Oh, what'’s up?
How are you, man?
Sid, man.
How are you, man?
- Wow. Cool place.
- Yeah. This is nice.
All right.
- You guys
don'’t look much alike.
Full siblings?
- Different moms, same dad.
- Same dad?
- Yeah.
- Not same mom?
- No.
- So you'’re worried
about Michael.
- The first thing I thought--
I was like, "Nah.
It just can'’t be her, man."
- Can we see her?
- Yeah.
- Very cute girl.
- It'’s just, like--
it'’s too good to be true.
- How good is it?
I mean, you say
it'’s too good to be true.
- Yeah.
- I seen, like,
from when he was talkingto her,
he had, like,
a different attitude and stuff.
- So talking to Chanelle
really changed the way you felt?
- Yeah.
A lot of things, like,
started going on in my life
where I just needed somebody
to vent to.
One of my friends was sick.
He passed.
And then I see one of my friends
get shot in the head.
It was fight
around the neighborhood,
and he was walking.
- Oh, man.
- Chanelle--she came around.
She was like
that one bright thing.
She was just real positive.
I admired that.
- We still have a lot
of questions.
Just kind of take us back
to whenever it was last year
when you got that first message.
- She direct-messaged me.
Normally, direct message
mean they want you.
- I met my girlfriend
via direct message too.
- Really?
- I DM'’d her.
She knew what was up.
- [laughing]
- Yeah. She did. She knew.
- She knew.
Dropped into DM for it, man.
- Oh, hell, yeah.
[laughter]
- She'’s supposed
to be in North Carolina
just visiting family,
so I expected her
to come back home
to Temple in September.
- So she says she'’s currently
a student at Temple?
- Yeah.
- You did try to video-chat
with her, right?
- Yeah.
We video-chat.
It'’s dark.
Can'’t really hear her.
So we hung up,
and I just gave up on that.
September comes.
She doesn'’t come back.
I asked why.
She gives
a real low-key answer--
"Watching kids,"
or something dumb.
And then eventually,
come, like, December,
she just cut it off.
- And have you checked
her Instagram?
I start to feel betrayed,
but something
could really just be wrong.
So I don'’t want to feel
a certain type of way
and then later regret it
because something'’s wrong
or something happened
that I don'’t know about.
- Sure.
- What do you think happened?
- She seems like she was trying
to save her own ass.
- You think
she pulled the plug on it?
- Yeah, '’cause I don'’t think
it'’s her.
- We'’re gonna try
and figure this out.
No promises.
I mean, if this girl unplugged
and ditched, like, who knows?
She could be anywhere.
- We got some work to do.
- Yeah. Okay.
Hang tight.
We'’re gonna do some research.
- Back into the cold.
Michael is a real
sensitive, sweet guy.
He'’s been traumatized.
He'’s lost a lot of people
who have been close to him.
- He rolled the dice
with Chanelle,
and he'’s been burned.
- Yeah. And now he'’s in love
with a ghost.
- This way.
- All right.
- Ready to do
some investigating.
- So here'’s what we go.
Michael had
a rough couple of years.
Aside from his son,
the only thing
he'’s really had happen to him
that'’s been wonderful
is the mysterious appearance
of Chanelle.
She'’s from Philly,
ended up living
in North Carolina.
But then she'’s supposed
to come back to town.
She doesn'’t
for some weird, lame reason.
And then click...
- She'’s gone.
- Yeah, she'’s gone.
- It'’s been a month now,
and he'’s worried.
Here we go.
Here'’s all the information
I have about Chanelle.
"She'’s from the north side
of West Philly.
"Before Chanelle left
for North Carolina,
"she was going to school
at Temple University.
"As far as I know,
she has no other social media
"other than her Instagram.
"Here is her phone number.
I wish I had more info
for you guys."
All right, well,
we'’ve got a phone number.
We'’ve got
the Instagram account.
You know what I want to do?
I want to search
Chanelle [bleep] missing person.
Let'’s see.
Oh.
- No hit.
- Court document.
Arrest record.
Police report.
Hospital.
- Nothing?
- No.
- No. No hit.
- Nothing.
There'’s no information.
- [sighs]
I'’d venture to guess
that her name is not Chanelle,
that Chanelle is an alias.
- Okay. Why don'’t we take
some of the pictures
in her Instagram
and image search them?
Here we go--first one.
- All right, first picture.
What do we got? What do we got?
- Nothing.
All right, well, that'’s just
the first picture.
Let'’s look up this picture.
Let'’s see...
Yes.
It'’s a model named Ashley.
- She used the picture
of a model.
- So, sadly,
this means now
that Michael has never seen
a picture of her.
Let'’s see if we get a hit
on Chanelle'’s phone number.
Searching.
Ooh.
- Whoa.
We got a hit.
- Kymberly [bleep].
Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
- How far away is that?
- Let'’s see.
Lansdale... Oh, yeah, that'’s
a sort of suburb of Philly.
- Yeah.
- You could say
you live in Philadelphia
if you lived in Lansdale.
- So, we'’ve got
a Kymberly [bleep].
Let'’s look her up on Facebook.
- Okay.
Kymberly...
and then let'’s just do
Philadelphia.
Here we go. Okay.
So "about"...
Went to Brook High School.
- Where is that?
- Is that West Philadelphia?
That is dead center
Northwest Philadelphia.
- Okay.
- Hold on.
I'’m just looking to see
if there'’s anything else.
- She'’s interested in men.
Has a daughter.
- Oh, wait a second.
It says her daughter
is this girl Stacey.
- Oh, click on that.
- Oh.
Temple University Hospital.
She works at Temple Hospital.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Come on. Yes. This is crazy.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chanelle said
she goes to Temple.
- If Kym [bleep] is the mom,
and her daughter
is this person Stacey...
Well, the phone
might be registered to her mom.
- That'’s true.
- Stacey might be
who he'’s talking to.
- Hmm.
- Well, let'’s look
at these pictures.
So, here she is.
- She'’s got kids.
- Nice pic of her kids and Dad.
- There she is at work
in her scrubs.
- Yeah. So the best thing
we'’ve got right now
is it could potentially
be this girl Stacey,
but she seems to be
in a relationship.
She'’s got her kids.
It'’s a little bit of a stretch.
- [sighs]
That'’s tricky dicky.
Hold on.
Go to the other pictures.
On the Instagram account,
click on a random other picture.
Like, the same people
are liking all of them.
- Yeah.
Larrya likes every post.
- Larrya.
- Let'’s see who Larrya is.
Okay. "I'’m a living success
story waiting to be told."
Temple.
- Temple.
There it is--
alumni.
Temple maid nurse.
She'’s in the nursing program.
- Here'’s a picture of Larrya
in a nursing outfit.
Follow me here for a second.
Stacey is a nurse
at Temple University.
- Yeah.
- And now Larrya
is also a nurse at Temple?
Whoever Larrya is,
it'’s not a coincidence
that she found
Chanelle'’s profile
and liked all those pictures.
- Right.
It could be Larrya.
She could have created
the profile, for all we know.
- Right.
So here'’s what we know.
It'’s not the girl
in the pictures.
The Instagram account
is essentially bogus,
and there are
a lot of connections
to Temple University
and West Philadelphia.
- A lot.
- Most, if not all,
of what she'’s been telling him
could be true,
but is he talking
to a girl named Chanelle?
Probably not.
- Probably not Chanelle.
- No one we found so far,
by the way, has any connection
to North Carolina.
It sounds like whoever'’s
behind this is in Philadelphia,
has some kind of connection
to Larrya.
- Some kind
of connection to Temple
and some kind of connection
to Kymberly [bleep]
or Stacey [bleep],
the daughter.
- Why don'’t we head over,
check in with Mike,
go through all this?
- Maybe he'’ll know some
of these names and stuff.
- I think he'’s gonna
be shocked
'’cause he hasn'’t fully
accepted reality.
[doorbell rings]
- Yo. What'’s up, man?
All right, guys.
Take a seat.
How you guys doing?
- Good, good.
- Just a little anxious.
- A little nervous, man.
- You'’re nervous?
- Yeah.
- What are you nervous about?
- Nervous about
if it'’s her or not, man.
- But you already know...
- No. I don'’t know.
- '’Cause it'’s you.
- [laughing]
No, no, no.
- Anyway,
so we found some stuff.
We'’re now hoping that you
can help us make some sense
out of this Chanelle mystery.
- All right.
- So we thought,
"Let'’s take her phone number
and do a search."
So we did that.
And the number came back
registered to Kymberly [bleep].
Does that ring any bells?
- Kymberly? No.
- We went on Facebook, and we
looked up Kymberly [bleep],
and we got a hit.
We looked at her timeline,
saw that she has
family members listed.
We went to the first one,
and it'’s this girl Stacey.
- I don'’t recognize
who she is.
- Stacey also lives
in Philadelphia.
She looks to have
a husband or a boyfriend.
It also looks as though
she'’s got some children.
- Did Chanelle ever mention
that she had kids?
- No.
But who knows now?
- Well, that'’s certainly
something
we'’ve seen people lie about.
- Yeah.
- It also appears
she works as a nurse.
- And not just
a nurse anywhere.
She'’s a nurse
at Temple University Hospital.
- Wow.
That'’s definitely interesting
that Chanelle said
she went to Temple.
- Right. Well, we went back
to Chanelle'’s Instagram,
and we started looking
through the pictures.
As you scroll through,
they all have
one thing in common.
- Mm-hmm.
I see it.
That'’s weird that Larrya
liked every picture.
- Yeah.
Larrya.
Every single one.
- Uh-huh.
- And you probably noticed,
but, like, someone'’s liking
every picture.
- You either about to slide
in them DMs
or that guy'’s a close friend
or something.
- Right.
- That'’s what we were thinking.
- Yeah.
- So we went
to the Larrya profile.
Again, here'’s someone
that says they went to Temple.
- Wow.
- You think you'’ve seen
this girl before?
- No.
- I wish I knew her.
- [chuckles]
- She has a nursing
assistant uniform on.
- Exactly, Sid.
- Why is this girl
liking all these pictures
on Chanelle'’s account?
- Exactly.
- Is this who you'’re talking to?
Did she make
the Chanelle profile?
Is she friends with whoever made
the Chanelle profile?
Who knows?
So, after this,
we thought, "All right.
Let'’s search Chanelle'’s
Instagram pictures,"
and right away we got a hit.
Pretty famous model.
- That'’s definitely weird,
and I don'’t know
what to think about that.
Wow.
♪
- The only thing
I think we can sort of sayfor sure
is that the Instagram profile...
- Is fake.
- Yeah.
- It sucks.
♪
It'’s not even who I thought
I was talking to.
Now I'’m just worried
about, "Who is it?"
♪
- The best
and probably fastest way
to figure out what to do next
is for us to try and call her,
see if she'’ll answer.
If not, leave a message
or send a text
and let her know
we'’re trying to connect.
- We should definitely
do that.
- All right.
[line trilling]
- Please leave your message.
[beep]
- Hi. I'’m leaving this message
for Chanelle.
My name is Nev,
and I'’m making a television show
called "Catfish" for MTV,
and I'’m with Michael.
We'’re just trying to get
in touch with you
to see if you'’re around
and would be willing
to talk to us.
Hopefully, we'’ll hear
from you soon.
Okay, thanks.
- That was fast.
- Well, not surprisingly,
no one picked up.
So I'’m not really sure
what to do now.
All right,
let'’s send them a message.
"We'’re making an episode
of '’Catfish.'’
"We could really use your help.
Please get back to me
as soon as you can."
Send. All right,
let'’s send it to Stacey.
All right, send.
Hopefully, Chanelle, Stacey,
or Larrya get back to us.
But until then, I think
we just got to chill out,
because the girl you'’ve been
talking to at this point
could be anybody.
I think this is the most
stumped we'’ve ever been.
All right.
- Report back
if you hear anything.
- All right, later, guys.
- All right. Bye.
[line trilling]
- Max, I got a little update.
You want to come up to my room?
- Is this just a cheap ploy
to get me up to your room?
- [laughing]
- I'’m not falling
for this again.
- Bye.
This just got...
a little bit
more interesting.
Hey, buddy.
- Is your room nicer?
- All right, look, sit down.
I got some interesting
updates for you--
a text from Chanelle.
"This is notChanelle'’s phone.
"I don'’t want nothing
to do with this mess.
Don'’t call or text me."
Chanelle disappeared
a month ago.
Maybe she changed her number,
or she lost her phone,
or I don'’t know.
- They could be lying.
One, it could be Chanelle.
- True.
- Two, it could be a friend
of Chanelle
that Chanelle was using
her phone to text.
- But why wouldn'’t
they have written back
to Michael sooner,
saying, like,
Hey, this isn'’t Chanelle'’s
number anymore," or...?
- Right.
- We know Chanelle
used this phone number
for a long time.
- But she'’s
a little too emphatic.
- This was just,
like, a very hard...
- "Don'’t call or text."
Like, stay away.
- Right.
The fact that we got contact
from the number
is a good thing,
on one hand,
because it means
that there is still
a person using that number.
Is it Stacey?
Is it someone
who knows Chanelle?
Is it Chanelle?
Something
very fishy going on here.
[knock at door]
- Hello?
- Hey.
- You'’re all dressed
and ready to go.
- I think
we should call Michael.
It'’s a little early.
I hope he'’s awake.
[line trilling]
- It is a little early.
- Hey.
Good morning, Michael.
Max and I have some things
we need to talk about,
so we wanted to head
over there and check in.
Can we come by?
All right, cool.
We'’ll see you in a little bit.
All right, bye.
Okay. Let'’s head over.
Why don'’t you check to see
if we got a message back?
- Oh.
- Really?
- We got one.
- Did you really?
- Yeah. We do.
- Oh, boy.
- It'’s from Larrya.
- Amazing.
Okay.
- "We'’d love
to call you in a bit..."
- Well, don'’t. Hold on a second.
- "And ask you."
- Keep in mind
that there'’s still a chance...
- That it'’s her.
- Larrya, right, could be--
- Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
I'’m gonna play dumb, though.
- Okay.
Sent.
- All right. Good.
[knock at door]
- Yo.
- What'’s up? Good morning.
- Well, actually, yes.
So, late last night,
we got a text
back from "Chanelle,"
whose phone number we think
is registered to Stacey.
"This is not Chanelle'’s phone.
"I don'’t want nothing
to do with this mess.
Don'’t call or text me."
- That'’s weird.
- What do you make of that?
- Well, I'’ve never got
nothing like that.
I'’ve been talking
to that number the whole time.
- It'’s just weird,
'’cause, like, let'’s just say
Chanelle had disconnected
her service, right?
And the phone number
had gone to somebody else.
I would then expect the response
to be something closer to,
"It'’s not her phone anymore.
Sorry."
But not like...
- This sounds.
- It sounds like they know
Chanelle and they know--
- Or they are Chanelle.
- Well,
but the whole idea of,
"I don'’t want nothing
to do with this mess"
suggests that they are,
like, aware
that "Chanelle"
has been messing with people,
'’cause we didn'’t say
it was a mess.
So that was last night.
And then this morning
Larrya wrote back.
"Hey, guys.
What'’s up?
What do you guys need?"
- Right.
- So that'’s good.
She seems responsive
and helpful.
- She could probably lead us
to the next thing.
- Larrya is probably
our best bet right now.
- Larrya'’s our only bet.
Who else do we have?
I still think
that it'’s possible
that Larrya and Chanelle
are the same person.
- That makes
a lot of sense.
- Should we just text
her again
and say, "Hey.
Here'’s our number.
Can you call us right now?"
- "Hey, Larrya.
If you could give us a call now,
that'’d be amazing."
- All right.
Let'’s sit down.
[sighs]
Might be here a second.
- Yeah.
I guess we should get comfy.
[cell phone bloops]
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
- Oh, wait. You got something?
- Yep.
She said, "Sorry.
I'’m in class right now.
I can'’t talk.
But I can DM."
- Maybe she doesn'’t want us
to hear her voice
because then he'’ll be
able to say,
"Wait a minute.
That'’s Chanelle."
- Do you think you'’d recognize
Chanelle'’s voice?
- Yeah.
- "Thanks
for getting back to me.
Would like to know
how you know Chanelle."
[cell phone bloops]
She says, "Chanelle
is one of my best friends.
Why do you ask?"
Okay, so, great.
"We'’ve been talking
to her friend Michael
who hasn'’t heard from her
in a month and is worried.
Is she okay?"
[cell phone bloops]
Oh, she said,
"Yeah. She'’s fine.
I just talked
to her last night."
- Okay. She'’s alive.
- So that'’s good.
- Yeah.
- Chanelle'’s alive.
Ask if she'’s in Philly.
We can confirm if we have
the right number for her.
[cell phone bloops]
- Oh. Okay.
"Yes, she'’s in Philly."
She said, "No. That'’s not
the number I have for her.
But I'’m not okay with just
giving out her number."
- Wait. Time-out. Let'’s digest
this piece of information.
That'’s not the number?
- Apparently,
according to Larrya,
Chanelle'’s best friend,
the number you have for her
is not currently her number,
and that'’s probably
why the message we got
was from an angry person
who'’s not Chanelle.
- But there'’s something
that got to be weird.
- Yeah, there'’s
something weird, right?
Larrya'’s the only person
that seems to have access.
- They up to something.
- Why don'’t we ask Larrya
if she wants to meet?
- I think it would be great
to meet up with her.
- Yeah.
- Great.
- I think we should, actually.
- All right.
So let'’s see if we can maybe
meet her today after class.
[cell phone bloops]
Oh, she says,
"I can meet up with you guys
in a few hours close
to my work--maybe FDR Park."
- That'’s awesome.Agree.
- Okay, great.
"We will see you then."
Let'’s do it.
- All right.
We'’ve got a lead.
We got a lead. It'’s hot.
- I don'’t know
what to believe anymore.
- I already don'’t think
there'’s a person named Chanelle.
I think Larrya is
behind the Chanelle profile.
- I don'’t even know if Larrya'’s
gonna show up as Larrya.
Once you lie once,
I believe you gonna keep lying.
- We'’re very close.
This is the park
on the right.
We still have no idea
what we'’re in store for.
Oh, oh.
She wrote back.
She said,
"I'’m on my way."
- We'’re in.
- Wow.
This is cool.
- She'’s definitely got a flair
for the dramatic.
I see a car.
There'’s a car.
Car, car, car.
- Oh, they'’re leaving.
- We'’ve got a walker.
Yeah, we'’ve got someone.
- That looks
like it could be our girl.
Hi.
- Hi.
[giggles]
- Larrya, right?
- Yes.
- Hi.
- How are you?
- I'’m Nev.
- How are you?
- This is Michael.
- Hi, Michael.
How are you?
- This is Max.
- Hi.
- Thanks
for meeting up with us.
I know this is probably
a little weird.
Basically, here'’s what'’s up.
Since, like,
earlier this year,
Michael'’s been
talking to Chanelle.
And then, like, a month ago,
he just totally
stopped hearing from her.
- Mm-hmm.
- And he'’s been worried,
trying to get in touch with her,
texting her,
but he hasn'’t heard anything.
So we'’re just trying
to figure out whatever we can.
- I'’m sorry.
I'’m a little nervous.
[chuckles nervously]
Chanelle and I--
we'’ve been friends for a while.
She'’s a good friend of mine.
- Does she care for Michael?
- She cares
a lot about Michael.
- Michael felt like they were
getting pretty close
and was excited to meet her,
and then she just
sort of disappeared.
Did something happen, like,
in the last two months
or something, like...?
- Yeah, she had
a lot going on.
Um...
I don'’t know
if she would be,
like, comfortable
just telling you.
- I mean...
I understand you don'’t want
to talk about her, but, like...
- No, I mean,
if you have questions,
I'’d be willing
to answer, but...
- Does she have a boyfriend?
Did she get pregnant?
- No. [laughs]
- Like, what the hell happened?
- She just had a lot going on.
- Is there a Chanelle?
- Chanelle
is my friend, yes.
- There'’s a real person
named Chanelle?
- Um...
So I have something
to tell you.
[suspenseful music]
- Is there a real person
named Chanelle?
- I have something
to tell you.
She actually--
I brought her with me.
- She'’s with you now?
- Yeah.
- Like, somewhere
over there maybe, in the car?
- Yeah, she'’s in the car.
- Oh, okay.
- So, if you want me
to go get her or...
- Let'’s go over.
- We'’ll go with you, yeah.
- Yeah.
Let'’s go with you.
Are you ready?
- Nah.
I just have no idea.
- Should we just
wait right here?
Let'’s just wait here.
Uh-oh.
What is going on?
- I don'’t know.
I mean...
- This is some weird [bleep].
- I was sure
that was gonna be her.
- I definitely know
that bitch.
Oh, [bleep].
- You know her?
- Hell, yeah.
A ex.
- That'’s an ex?
- Yeah.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi. Um...
- So you'’re Chanelle...
- That'’s not Chanelle.
- But That'’s not your name.
- No.
- My name is Christina.
- Okay. Hello.
- Hi.
- How are you?
- Hi.
- I get the impression
that you already know Michael.
- Yes.
So Michael
is my ex-boyfriend.
We dated when we were 16...
- Wow.
- For about two months.
But we lost touch
over the years.
You know, he went to college.
I went to college.
- It'’s like a weird wasteof time.
- Who is this girl?
- A two-month relationship,
nothing serious.
- You didn'’t recognize
the voice?
- She'’s a good
[bleep] actress.
- I'’m sure you thought about,
"I should probably just
tell him."
- Even I could see, like,
Michael needed to know, so...
- I could have planned
things out a lot better.
- And it'’s stupid '’cause
I never had a problem with her.
So that'’s what make it
dumb as [bleep].
To go through all that--
that'’s so much...
- It'’s a little bit
of a psycho move.
If she had just kind of...
- Came as herself.
- Came as herself?
- I'’d be cool.
Probably as cool
as we used to be.
- Could you hold on one second?
'’Cause, like...
I don'’t want to have
this whole conversation
without the rest
of the guys here.
Come on back.
I'’m curious to know
why this is happening,
'’cause, obviously, like...
- I'’m curious too.
- You guys know
each other already.
Can you explain why all
this happened?
- Okay, so I created Chanelle
to talk to Michael
just because I missed him.
- But if you--
I mean, if Christina had, like,
texted you or called you...
- I never ignored her,
so I don'’t know
what that'’s all that about.
- Did you have
any reason to think
that he wouldn'’t be interested
in getting a cup of coffee?
- Well, no,
but I didn'’t know...
I just didn'’t know...
- It'’s a waste of time...
- Oh, okay.
- '’Cause it'’s been easier
just to contact me.
- Do you think you would have
been open to talking to her?
- Yeah,
I never had a problem.
- So that'’s frustrating,
'’cause, like,
you guys actually did date.
It'’s not like
you have no reason
to believe that Michael
wouldn'’t be interested in you.
He has previously been
interested in you.
- I'’m sorry for...
all of this.
I didn'’t do it
in a malicious way.
I really did it because...
I kind of wanted to...
somehow use Chanelle
to, like, get to know
what was going on with Michael,
you know, asking him,
like, well, you know,
"Are you seeing anyone?"
And then maybe at some point
swoop in as Christina,
and it'’s like,
"Well, hey, Mike," you know...
But I got comfortable
with being his comforter
as Chanelle,
'’cause he opened up
to Chanelle,
and, you know, I didn'’t expect
for that to happen.
- Right. You were
in a little bit of a slump.
- Slump, yeah.
- And talking to Chanelle
definitely, like--
- She could have came
as herself.
Whatever you were trying
didn'’t work.
You just made
everything worse.
- How strong
are your feelings now?
- Well, we'’ve stopped talking.
- Yeah. What was that about?
- So I wasn'’t using
my own phone.
I was using
a friend'’s phone.
- The whole time?
- The whole time.
- Your friend Stacey?
- Yes.
We aren'’t speaking.
So that'’s why we stopped.
- What if he texted her,
like, late at night?
Like, who would respond
if you weren'’t there?
- Well, I mean,
she would ask me like,
"Oh," you know, "Hey,
Mike texted, and he said this."
If it was...
- Wow.
- So sometimes
she would write back for you?
- Yeah, and I would just
give it the okay.
- But that also means
that she'’s seen everything
that you guys
have said to each other,
which is kind of crazy,
'’cause, like,
you guys were talking
about personal stuff.
- Yeah.
- I don'’t even want to hear
this [bleep].
I'’m gonna get in the car.
- Why don'’t you give us
a little time?
We'’ll get back
in touch with you guys.
- All right.
- Nice to meet you guys.
- Thank you.
It was nice to meet you.
♪
- [groans]
- It'’s so weird why she would
think she should do this.
- She'’s a [bleep] psycho.
- ♪ Back and forth
♪ Playing mind games
- No wonder Stacey
texted us back and was like,
"I want no part
of this crazy BS."
- She'’s been dealing
with it on her phone
for the last eight months.
- Right.
She'’s probably all fed up.
- That'’s probably
why they stopped being friends,
'’cause, "Your boyfriend
keeps texting me,
and I got to deal with it
all the time."
- It'’s a "Fatal Attraction"
psycho move.
- ♪ Mind games, mind games
♪ Mind games, mind games
- This episode of "Catfish:
The TV Show" continues now.
[line trilling]
- Hey,
good morning, Michael.
We were wondering if you wanted
to talk to Christina
and see what she has to say.
I understand.
Max and I will head
over to Christina'’s for a bit
and then give you update.
Yesterday we didn'’t find out
anything about her
except for the fact
that they dated in high school.
- Yeah.
There are a lot of questions.
We really don'’t know
her side of the story.
Why him?
- Yeah.
- And why carry this out?
And why not just
talk to him as herself?
[knock at door]
- Hi.
- Hi. How you doing?
- Hi.
You guys can come in.
- Oh, great.
Thank you.
All right.
How you doing?
- I'’m glad
you guys are here.
Yesterday I don'’t feel
as though I was really heard
and what my reasoning was
for catfishing Michael.
He probably thinks I was just
pulling a joke on him.
That wasn'’t it at all.
- Yeah, I was gonna say,
if you could just explain,
you know, just kind of what'’s
been going on, what'’s happened,
how that all led
to the Chanelle profile
and this whole situation.
- Right.
Okay.
So, when I started this--
I follow his brother
on Instagram,
and he posted
a picture of Michael.
And I was like, "Wow."
Like, "I didn'’t talk to him
in a long time."
I started thinking about the
times that we shared together--
going to the movies,
just hanging out.
Whatever.
We were good friends.
So I figured I would reach out
to him as Chanelle
and kind of went with it.
- But if you guys
were such good friends,
like, it wouldn'’t be
that weird
for you to send a message
and say like,
Hey, been so long.
How is everything?"
- I think it was just
where I was at with myself.
- Right. Well, I think
that'’s kind of what
we don'’t know about,
what we need to know about.
- Okay.
So, at the time,
I was trying to get
over postpartum depression.
I went through it terribly.
My son was over one,
and I was still
kind of not wanting
to go anywhere,
in the house all the time,
just feeling like
I didn'’t have the freedom
and insecurities
about myself.
Like, I didn'’t lose
the baby weight
and everything like that.
So I was feeling some type
of way about myself.
So that'’s why I did like
talking to Michael,
because, you know,
if he'’s telling me
what he'’s going through,
that gives me a escape
from what I'’m going through,
and I get to comfort him
and talk to him.
And I was feeling useful,
and so I liked that,
which is why it continued.
- So pretending
to be Chanelle
was kind of part
of your rehabilitation.
And it kind of worked.
- In a way, yes.
- But were you using him
to make yourself feel better?
- No.
- Or did you really care
about him?
- No. I still really,
genuinely care about him.
- That'’s why I think
he'’s so confused,
'’cause you guys were friends,
so, like, you should know that
doing something like this to him
would lead
to him getting really hurt.
- Right.
- So you can see why Michael
didn'’t want to come today.
- Yeah.
I do think
I'’m going to reach out him,
because I didn'’t get a chance
to talk to him at all,
so...
- Yeah, but, like...
I don'’t know
if you should reach out to him,
because he doesn'’t want
to hear from you
and for good reason.
He thinks
you did something crazy,
and he doesn'’t want to have
a relationship
with someone
that can hurt him like that.
It just seems like if you really
care about him,
trying to talk to him more
and to get him to forgive you
is trying to make
yourself feel less guilty
about what you did to him.
- But I know when someone
does me wrong,
I would like
to have offered
at least my--well, you know,
my sincere apology.
- Sometimes the best thing
you can do for someone
is acknowledge that
they don'’t want to have anything
to do with you
and give them that space.
He has your information.
If he wants to talk about it,
he certainly knows how to.
- Right.
- And it'’s frustrating.
It sucks, but, like...
sometimes the best way
to really make sure
you don'’t do something again
is to...
lose something
that you want.
- Right.
'’Cause that'’s definitely true.
- Right.
I mean, we are gonna head
over there.
Is there anything you feel
like you didn'’t say
or you want us
to really be clear about
in terms
of communicating to him?
- I do apologize to him
for everything
that'’s happened
and that I do, you know,
wish him the best
with everything.
- Well,
we should head over there.
I know he'’s waiting for us.
- Okay.
- Good to meet you.
- Sorry.
It'’s nice to meet you as well.
- And we'’ll tell Michael
that you'’re sorry
and all that stuff.
- Thank you so much for coming
and talking with me.
all: Bye.
[doorbell rings]
There he is.
Hey.
- Like Mike.
- How you doing, man?
- I'’m good.
So how'’d it go?
- I don'’t think she totally
understands what she'’s done.
She explained to us
she had a kid.
- I don'’t know about that.
- For over a year, she went
through postpartum depression.
She didn'’t want
to leave the house.
- She was in a bad place.
- She felt just really bad,
in general,
and didn'’t want
to do anything,
and then she saw a post of you
on Instagram,
and that'’s what was like,
"Oh, wow. Michael.
I wonder what he'’s doing.
We were so close."
- Where she'’s a little fuzzy
is why she reached out
as Chanelle
and not as herself.
- It'’s unfortunate
that "hello" turned
into, like, eight months.
- Right.
- Well, she also
kind of explained
that talking to you
made her feel better,
and then she kind of climbed
out of her own hole,
and that'’s why
she kept it going,
in a way,
because it was helping her out.
- At least I know it wasn'’t just
for fun and games.
- Right. She really wanted us
to say that.
- It definitely wasn'’t
for fun and games.
I mean, I don'’t think
she was doing this to,
like, get you or, you know,
punk you in any way.
- Yeah, she cares about you.
- Yeah, I may talk to her
in the future--
regular conversation.
Let her know I'’m not upset.
- But if you are upset,
that'’s fine too.
- Yeah.
I know to be more careful
of who I spend my time on,
'’cause I played a part too.
- If you meet another girl
on the Internet
and you'’re not quite sure,
just text us.
- [laughing]
I got you.
- You know, give us the rundown,
and we'’ll look her up.
- All right.
I definitely will.
- All right, man.
- Say good-bye to Sid.
- Yeah.
Keep an eye on that guy.
- I got to watch his DM.
- [laughs]
- Later, Michael.
- See you.
- ♪ We stay up, we stay on
♪ All day and all night
♪
- "I have fallen in love
with a girl named Lexi."
- I'’m starting a new life.
I want her to be part of it.
- Time.
She has two sisters?
- Alexia, Lexi, and Lexa.
- Really?
We'’re looking for Lexi.
- Yeah. She'’s not here.
- [bleep].
- Do you think she'’s, like,
watching us right now?
- We'’re not giving up.
You'’re not gonna wiggle
out of this one.
1037
00:41:04.
a flair for the dramatic.
- We'’ve got a walker.
Yeah, we'’ve got someone.
- Uh-oh.
What is going on?
- You guys rolling, John?
- Yes, sir.
- Uh-oh.
Nev'’s got something.
- I finally did it, Max.
I broke down.
I got a selfie stick.
- Hi.
[camera shutter clicking]
Keep it straight back.
[camera shutter clicking]
- Okay.
I think we got some good ones.
All right, here we go.
Michael says, "Help. My online
girlfriend is missing."
- Dun, dun.
- Interesting.
- ♪ I want to know
where you'’ve been ♪
- "Hey, Nev and Max.
"My name is Michael, and I'’m
a 21-year-old living in Philly.
I'’m writing you because
my brother is making me."
It'’s the City
of Brotherly Love.
- It is the City
of Brotherly Love.
- No wonder his brother
is so worried about him.
"He thinks my girlfriend
is not who she says she is
and that I'’m being catfished."
- ♪ I really want to know
where you'’ve been ♪
- "I met Chanelle online
about eight months ago.
"She'’s not like any other woman
I'’ve ever dated.
"She'’s not selfish.
She'’s never boring.
"And we always find something
interesting to talk about.
All I do is work
and take care of my son."
Whoa. He'’s got a baby.
- He'’s got a kid.
- "But Chanelle
breaks me out of the routine
"and gives me something
to look forward to.
Every day,
she makes me feel loved."
- ♪ I really want to know
where you'’ve been ♪
- "Chanelle and I have spoken
on the phone
"and tried to video-chat once,
but I never saw her face.
"About a month ago,
she stopped answering my calls,
"and I'’m worried about her.
"It'’s been radio silence
ever since.
- ♪I want to know
where you'’ve been ♪
"I'’m starting to wonder if maybe
something happened to her
"or if my brother'’s
been right all along.
"I need your help
to find Chanelle.
Is she real, or has someone been
catfishing me this whole time?"
- ♪ I want to know
where you'’ve-- ♪
- We'’re dealing
with a missing catfish.
- Right.
- Maybe something
happened to Chanelle.
- It'’s true.
- I hate to say it.
- That is possible.
Something may have happened.
Why don'’t we get
this guy on Skype
and find out a little bit more
about what'’s going on?
- Okay.
Hello.
- Yo.
What'’s up?
- How you doing?
- You don'’t seem 21.
You seem much older.
- I get that a lot.
- We just saw your email.
Tell us a little bit
more about yourself.
- Well, I'’m from the West Side
of Philadelphia.
- You'’re telling me
you'’re West Philadelphia
born and raised?
- Yeah.
- You got in one little
relationship,
and your brother got scared.
He said, "I'’m writing
to Nev and Max."
- [chuckles]
- Okay.
So you were born and raised
in West Philadelphia.
Tell us a little bit more.
- I work full-time
at a drug store overnight.
When I'’m not there,
I'’m with my son during the day.
- How old is your son?
- One.
- I take it the relationship
with his mother was not...
- Successful.
- How and when did things
start up with Chanelle?
- Eight months ago,
she DM'’d me.
She looked good enough
for me to write back,
and within a day or two,
we were texting, like, daily.
- You were talking
on the phone also, right?
- Yeah, yeah.
- And she'’s got, like,
a girl'’s voice?
- Oh, yeah, that'’s
the first thing I checked for.
- Good for you.
But I couldn'’t really see her.
It just was black.
You see movement,
but you couldn'’t see nobody.
- Aside from the mysteries
of Chanelle,
what can you tell us
about her?
- She'’s very positive.
Being in Philadelphia, period,
it'’s a lot of bad stuff
that go on.
Like, I lost
a couple childhood friends.
So, talking to her, it'’s
like she keeps my mind off it.
- So it must have been tough
when a month ago,
you just stopped
hearing back from her?
- Yeah.
I can'’t really explain it.
Nothing went wrong.
She just randomly
stopped replying.
- Are you worried that maybe
something happened to her?
- I don'’t want to think
that way,
but I know it'’s a possibility.
I lost a lot of people,
so that'’s the last thing
I would want to think about.
- I can'’t believe
she just disappeared like that.
- That'’s
why I'’m calling you guys.
- Let'’s do it.
- See you soon.
- See you.
- Wow.
- He'’s a sincere guy...
- Yeah.
- Who'’s lost a lot
of people in his life,
and like a gift from God,
he gets a DM...
- Right.
- From a beautiful girl
named Chanelle,
and she'’s awesome.
- Except that she disappears.
We'’re dealing with more
than just a catfish here.
This could be, like,
a missing person.
So what are we waiting for?
Let'’s get out of here.
- We can talk on the plane.
- ♪ Show your colors
- Here we go.
- ♪ You don'’t want
to keep it in... ♪
- So long, LA.
- ♪ Hide your colors
[beep]
- All right, we'’ve made it
to Philadelphia.
- ♪ You got to let it out
- Okay.
Here we are
in chilly Philadelphia.
- Chilly Philly.
- Maybe Chanelle'’s a catfish,
and she feels bad.
She decides, "You know what?
"Even though, selfishly,
"I want to keep
talking to Michael,
it'’s better for him
if I end it sooner than later."
So maybe it'’s better
that he just lets it go.
Let'’s do it.
[car door closes]
[knock at door]
What'’s up?
- Hey, man. What'’s up?
- Hey, man.
- How you doing?
- How are you?
- Good.
- Good to meet you.
Oh, what'’s up?
How are you, man?
Sid, man.
How are you, man?
- Wow. Cool place.
- Yeah. This is nice.
All right.
- You guys
don'’t look much alike.
Full siblings?
- Different moms, same dad.
- Same dad?
- Yeah.
- Not same mom?
- No.
- So you'’re worried
about Michael.
- The first thing I thought--
I was like, "Nah.
It just can'’t be her, man."
- Can we see her?
- Yeah.
- Very cute girl.
- It'’s just, like--
it'’s too good to be true.
- How good is it?
I mean, you say
it'’s too good to be true.
- Yeah.
- I seen, like,
from when he was talkingto her,
he had, like,
a different attitude and stuff.
- So talking to Chanelle
really changed the way you felt?
- Yeah.
A lot of things, like,
started going on in my life
where I just needed somebody
to vent to.
One of my friends was sick.
He passed.
And then I see one of my friends
get shot in the head.
It was fight
around the neighborhood,
and he was walking.
- Oh, man.
- Chanelle--she came around.
She was like
that one bright thing.
She was just real positive.
I admired that.
- We still have a lot
of questions.
Just kind of take us back
to whenever it was last year
when you got that first message.
- She direct-messaged me.
Normally, direct message
mean they want you.
- I met my girlfriend
via direct message too.
- Really?
- I DM'’d her.
She knew what was up.
- [laughing]
- Yeah. She did. She knew.
- She knew.
Dropped into DM for it, man.
- Oh, hell, yeah.
[laughter]
- She'’s supposed
to be in North Carolina
just visiting family,
so I expected her
to come back home
to Temple in September.
- So she says she'’s currently
a student at Temple?
- Yeah.
- You did try to video-chat
with her, right?
- Yeah.
We video-chat.
It'’s dark.
Can'’t really hear her.
So we hung up,
and I just gave up on that.
September comes.
She doesn'’t come back.
I asked why.
She gives
a real low-key answer--
"Watching kids,"
or something dumb.
And then eventually,
come, like, December,
she just cut it off.
- And have you checked
her Instagram?
I start to feel betrayed,
but something
could really just be wrong.
So I don'’t want to feel
a certain type of way
and then later regret it
because something'’s wrong
or something happened
that I don'’t know about.
- Sure.
- What do you think happened?
- She seems like she was trying
to save her own ass.
- You think
she pulled the plug on it?
- Yeah, '’cause I don'’t think
it'’s her.
- We'’re gonna try
and figure this out.
No promises.
I mean, if this girl unplugged
and ditched, like, who knows?
She could be anywhere.
- We got some work to do.
- Yeah. Okay.
Hang tight.
We'’re gonna do some research.
- Back into the cold.
Michael is a real
sensitive, sweet guy.
He'’s been traumatized.
He'’s lost a lot of people
who have been close to him.
- He rolled the dice
with Chanelle,
and he'’s been burned.
- Yeah. And now he'’s in love
with a ghost.
- This way.
- All right.
- Ready to do
some investigating.
- So here'’s what we go.
Michael had
a rough couple of years.
Aside from his son,
the only thing
he'’s really had happen to him
that'’s been wonderful
is the mysterious appearance
of Chanelle.
She'’s from Philly,
ended up living
in North Carolina.
But then she'’s supposed
to come back to town.
She doesn'’t
for some weird, lame reason.
And then click...
- She'’s gone.
- Yeah, she'’s gone.
- It'’s been a month now,
and he'’s worried.
Here we go.
Here'’s all the information
I have about Chanelle.
"She'’s from the north side
of West Philly.
"Before Chanelle left
for North Carolina,
"she was going to school
at Temple University.
"As far as I know,
she has no other social media
"other than her Instagram.
"Here is her phone number.
I wish I had more info
for you guys."
All right, well,
we'’ve got a phone number.
We'’ve got
the Instagram account.
You know what I want to do?
I want to search
Chanelle [bleep] missing person.
Let'’s see.
Oh.
- No hit.
- Court document.
Arrest record.
Police report.
Hospital.
- Nothing?
- No.
- No. No hit.
- Nothing.
There'’s no information.
- [sighs]
I'’d venture to guess
that her name is not Chanelle,
that Chanelle is an alias.
- Okay. Why don'’t we take
some of the pictures
in her Instagram
and image search them?
Here we go--first one.
- All right, first picture.
What do we got? What do we got?
- Nothing.
All right, well, that'’s just
the first picture.
Let'’s look up this picture.
Let'’s see...
Yes.
It'’s a model named Ashley.
- She used the picture
of a model.
- So, sadly,
this means now
that Michael has never seen
a picture of her.
Let'’s see if we get a hit
on Chanelle'’s phone number.
Searching.
Ooh.
- Whoa.
We got a hit.
- Kymberly [bleep].
Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
- How far away is that?
- Let'’s see.
Lansdale... Oh, yeah, that'’s
a sort of suburb of Philly.
- Yeah.
- You could say
you live in Philadelphia
if you lived in Lansdale.
- So, we'’ve got
a Kymberly [bleep].
Let'’s look her up on Facebook.
- Okay.
Kymberly...
and then let'’s just do
Philadelphia.
Here we go. Okay.
So "about"...
Went to Brook High School.
- Where is that?
- Is that West Philadelphia?
That is dead center
Northwest Philadelphia.
- Okay.
- Hold on.
I'’m just looking to see
if there'’s anything else.
- She'’s interested in men.
Has a daughter.
- Oh, wait a second.
It says her daughter
is this girl Stacey.
- Oh, click on that.
- Oh.
Temple University Hospital.
She works at Temple Hospital.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Come on. Yes. This is crazy.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chanelle said
she goes to Temple.
- If Kym [bleep] is the mom,
and her daughter
is this person Stacey...
Well, the phone
might be registered to her mom.
- That'’s true.
- Stacey might be
who he'’s talking to.
- Hmm.
- Well, let'’s look
at these pictures.
So, here she is.
- She'’s got kids.
- Nice pic of her kids and Dad.
- There she is at work
in her scrubs.
- Yeah. So the best thing
we'’ve got right now
is it could potentially
be this girl Stacey,
but she seems to be
in a relationship.
She'’s got her kids.
It'’s a little bit of a stretch.
- [sighs]
That'’s tricky dicky.
Hold on.
Go to the other pictures.
On the Instagram account,
click on a random other picture.
Like, the same people
are liking all of them.
- Yeah.
Larrya likes every post.
- Larrya.
- Let'’s see who Larrya is.
Okay. "I'’m a living success
story waiting to be told."
Temple.
- Temple.
There it is--
alumni.
Temple maid nurse.
She'’s in the nursing program.
- Here'’s a picture of Larrya
in a nursing outfit.
Follow me here for a second.
Stacey is a nurse
at Temple University.
- Yeah.
- And now Larrya
is also a nurse at Temple?
Whoever Larrya is,
it'’s not a coincidence
that she found
Chanelle'’s profile
and liked all those pictures.
- Right.
It could be Larrya.
She could have created
the profile, for all we know.
- Right.
So here'’s what we know.
It'’s not the girl
in the pictures.
The Instagram account
is essentially bogus,
and there are
a lot of connections
to Temple University
and West Philadelphia.
- A lot.
- Most, if not all,
of what she'’s been telling him
could be true,
but is he talking
to a girl named Chanelle?
Probably not.
- Probably not Chanelle.
- No one we found so far,
by the way, has any connection
to North Carolina.
It sounds like whoever'’s
behind this is in Philadelphia,
has some kind of connection
to Larrya.
- Some kind
of connection to Temple
and some kind of connection
to Kymberly [bleep]
or Stacey [bleep],
the daughter.
- Why don'’t we head over,
check in with Mike,
go through all this?
- Maybe he'’ll know some
of these names and stuff.
- I think he'’s gonna
be shocked
'’cause he hasn'’t fully
accepted reality.
[doorbell rings]
- Yo. What'’s up, man?
All right, guys.
Take a seat.
How you guys doing?
- Good, good.
- Just a little anxious.
- A little nervous, man.
- You'’re nervous?
- Yeah.
- What are you nervous about?
- Nervous about
if it'’s her or not, man.
- But you already know...
- No. I don'’t know.
- '’Cause it'’s you.
- [laughing]
No, no, no.
- Anyway,
so we found some stuff.
We'’re now hoping that you
can help us make some sense
out of this Chanelle mystery.
- All right.
- So we thought,
"Let'’s take her phone number
and do a search."
So we did that.
And the number came back
registered to Kymberly [bleep].
Does that ring any bells?
- Kymberly? No.
- We went on Facebook, and we
looked up Kymberly [bleep],
and we got a hit.
We looked at her timeline,
saw that she has
family members listed.
We went to the first one,
and it'’s this girl Stacey.
- I don'’t recognize
who she is.
- Stacey also lives
in Philadelphia.
She looks to have
a husband or a boyfriend.
It also looks as though
she'’s got some children.
- Did Chanelle ever mention
that she had kids?
- No.
But who knows now?
- Well, that'’s certainly
something
we'’ve seen people lie about.
- Yeah.
- It also appears
she works as a nurse.
- And not just
a nurse anywhere.
She'’s a nurse
at Temple University Hospital.
- Wow.
That'’s definitely interesting
that Chanelle said
she went to Temple.
- Right. Well, we went back
to Chanelle'’s Instagram,
and we started looking
through the pictures.
As you scroll through,
they all have
one thing in common.
- Mm-hmm.
I see it.
That'’s weird that Larrya
liked every picture.
- Yeah.
Larrya.
Every single one.
- Uh-huh.
- And you probably noticed,
but, like, someone'’s liking
every picture.
- You either about to slide
in them DMs
or that guy'’s a close friend
or something.
- Right.
- That'’s what we were thinking.
- Yeah.
- So we went
to the Larrya profile.
Again, here'’s someone
that says they went to Temple.
- Wow.
- You think you'’ve seen
this girl before?
- No.
- I wish I knew her.
- [chuckles]
- She has a nursing
assistant uniform on.
- Exactly, Sid.
- Why is this girl
liking all these pictures
on Chanelle'’s account?
- Exactly.
- Is this who you'’re talking to?
Did she make
the Chanelle profile?
Is she friends with whoever made
the Chanelle profile?
Who knows?
So, after this,
we thought, "All right.
Let'’s search Chanelle'’s
Instagram pictures,"
and right away we got a hit.
Pretty famous model.
- That'’s definitely weird,
and I don'’t know
what to think about that.
Wow.
♪
- The only thing
I think we can sort of sayfor sure
is that the Instagram profile...
- Is fake.
- Yeah.
- It sucks.
♪
It'’s not even who I thought
I was talking to.
Now I'’m just worried
about, "Who is it?"
♪
- The best
and probably fastest way
to figure out what to do next
is for us to try and call her,
see if she'’ll answer.
If not, leave a message
or send a text
and let her know
we'’re trying to connect.
- We should definitely
do that.
- All right.
[line trilling]
- Please leave your message.
[beep]
- Hi. I'’m leaving this message
for Chanelle.
My name is Nev,
and I'’m making a television show
called "Catfish" for MTV,
and I'’m with Michael.
We'’re just trying to get
in touch with you
to see if you'’re around
and would be willing
to talk to us.
Hopefully, we'’ll hear
from you soon.
Okay, thanks.
- That was fast.
- Well, not surprisingly,
no one picked up.
So I'’m not really sure
what to do now.
All right,
let'’s send them a message.
"We'’re making an episode
of '’Catfish.'’
"We could really use your help.
Please get back to me
as soon as you can."
Send. All right,
let'’s send it to Stacey.
All right, send.
Hopefully, Chanelle, Stacey,
or Larrya get back to us.
But until then, I think
we just got to chill out,
because the girl you'’ve been
talking to at this point
could be anybody.
I think this is the most
stumped we'’ve ever been.
All right.
- Report back
if you hear anything.
- All right, later, guys.
- All right. Bye.
[line trilling]
- Max, I got a little update.
You want to come up to my room?
- Is this just a cheap ploy
to get me up to your room?
- [laughing]
- I'’m not falling
for this again.
- Bye.
This just got...
a little bit
more interesting.
Hey, buddy.
- Is your room nicer?
- All right, look, sit down.
I got some interesting
updates for you--
a text from Chanelle.
"This is notChanelle'’s phone.
"I don'’t want nothing
to do with this mess.
Don'’t call or text me."
Chanelle disappeared
a month ago.
Maybe she changed her number,
or she lost her phone,
or I don'’t know.
- They could be lying.
One, it could be Chanelle.
- True.
- Two, it could be a friend
of Chanelle
that Chanelle was using
her phone to text.
- But why wouldn'’t
they have written back
to Michael sooner,
saying, like,
Hey, this isn'’t Chanelle'’s
number anymore," or...?
- Right.
- We know Chanelle
used this phone number
for a long time.
- But she'’s
a little too emphatic.
- This was just,
like, a very hard...
- "Don'’t call or text."
Like, stay away.
- Right.
The fact that we got contact
from the number
is a good thing,
on one hand,
because it means
that there is still
a person using that number.
Is it Stacey?
Is it someone
who knows Chanelle?
Is it Chanelle?
Something
very fishy going on here.
[knock at door]
- Hello?
- Hey.
- You'’re all dressed
and ready to go.
- I think
we should call Michael.
It'’s a little early.
I hope he'’s awake.
[line trilling]
- It is a little early.
- Hey.
Good morning, Michael.
Max and I have some things
we need to talk about,
so we wanted to head
over there and check in.
Can we come by?
All right, cool.
We'’ll see you in a little bit.
All right, bye.
Okay. Let'’s head over.
Why don'’t you check to see
if we got a message back?
- Oh.
- Really?
- We got one.
- Did you really?
- Yeah. We do.
- Oh, boy.
- It'’s from Larrya.
- Amazing.
Okay.
- "We'’d love
to call you in a bit..."
- Well, don'’t. Hold on a second.
- "And ask you."
- Keep in mind
that there'’s still a chance...
- That it'’s her.
- Larrya, right, could be--
- Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
I'’m gonna play dumb, though.
- Okay.
Sent.
- All right. Good.
[knock at door]
- Yo.
- What'’s up? Good morning.
- Well, actually, yes.
So, late last night,
we got a text
back from "Chanelle,"
whose phone number we think
is registered to Stacey.
"This is not Chanelle'’s phone.
"I don'’t want nothing
to do with this mess.
Don'’t call or text me."
- That'’s weird.
- What do you make of that?
- Well, I'’ve never got
nothing like that.
I'’ve been talking
to that number the whole time.
- It'’s just weird,
'’cause, like, let'’s just say
Chanelle had disconnected
her service, right?
And the phone number
had gone to somebody else.
I would then expect the response
to be something closer to,
"It'’s not her phone anymore.
Sorry."
But not like...
- This sounds.
- It sounds like they know
Chanelle and they know--
- Or they are Chanelle.
- Well,
but the whole idea of,
"I don'’t want nothing
to do with this mess"
suggests that they are,
like, aware
that "Chanelle"
has been messing with people,
'’cause we didn'’t say
it was a mess.
So that was last night.
And then this morning
Larrya wrote back.
"Hey, guys.
What'’s up?
What do you guys need?"
- Right.
- So that'’s good.
She seems responsive
and helpful.
- She could probably lead us
to the next thing.
- Larrya is probably
our best bet right now.
- Larrya'’s our only bet.
Who else do we have?
I still think
that it'’s possible
that Larrya and Chanelle
are the same person.
- That makes
a lot of sense.
- Should we just text
her again
and say, "Hey.
Here'’s our number.
Can you call us right now?"
- "Hey, Larrya.
If you could give us a call now,
that'’d be amazing."
- All right.
Let'’s sit down.
[sighs]
Might be here a second.
- Yeah.
I guess we should get comfy.
[cell phone bloops]
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
- Oh, wait. You got something?
- Yep.
She said, "Sorry.
I'’m in class right now.
I can'’t talk.
But I can DM."
- Maybe she doesn'’t want us
to hear her voice
because then he'’ll be
able to say,
"Wait a minute.
That'’s Chanelle."
- Do you think you'’d recognize
Chanelle'’s voice?
- Yeah.
- "Thanks
for getting back to me.
Would like to know
how you know Chanelle."
[cell phone bloops]
She says, "Chanelle
is one of my best friends.
Why do you ask?"
Okay, so, great.
"We'’ve been talking
to her friend Michael
who hasn'’t heard from her
in a month and is worried.
Is she okay?"
[cell phone bloops]
Oh, she said,
"Yeah. She'’s fine.
I just talked
to her last night."
- Okay. She'’s alive.
- So that'’s good.
- Yeah.
- Chanelle'’s alive.
Ask if she'’s in Philly.
We can confirm if we have
the right number for her.
[cell phone bloops]
- Oh. Okay.
"Yes, she'’s in Philly."
She said, "No. That'’s not
the number I have for her.
But I'’m not okay with just
giving out her number."
- Wait. Time-out. Let'’s digest
this piece of information.
That'’s not the number?
- Apparently,
according to Larrya,
Chanelle'’s best friend,
the number you have for her
is not currently her number,
and that'’s probably
why the message we got
was from an angry person
who'’s not Chanelle.
- But there'’s something
that got to be weird.
- Yeah, there'’s
something weird, right?
Larrya'’s the only person
that seems to have access.
- They up to something.
- Why don'’t we ask Larrya
if she wants to meet?
- I think it would be great
to meet up with her.
- Yeah.
- Great.
- I think we should, actually.
- All right.
So let'’s see if we can maybe
meet her today after class.
[cell phone bloops]
Oh, she says,
"I can meet up with you guys
in a few hours close
to my work--maybe FDR Park."
- That'’s awesome.Agree.
- Okay, great.
"We will see you then."
Let'’s do it.
- All right.
We'’ve got a lead.
We got a lead. It'’s hot.
- I don'’t know
what to believe anymore.
- I already don'’t think
there'’s a person named Chanelle.
I think Larrya is
behind the Chanelle profile.
- I don'’t even know if Larrya'’s
gonna show up as Larrya.
Once you lie once,
I believe you gonna keep lying.
- We'’re very close.
This is the park
on the right.
We still have no idea
what we'’re in store for.
Oh, oh.
She wrote back.
She said,
"I'’m on my way."
- We'’re in.
- Wow.
This is cool.
- She'’s definitely got a flair
for the dramatic.
I see a car.
There'’s a car.
Car, car, car.
- Oh, they'’re leaving.
- We'’ve got a walker.
Yeah, we'’ve got someone.
- That looks
like it could be our girl.
Hi.
- Hi.
[giggles]
- Larrya, right?
- Yes.
- Hi.
- How are you?
- I'’m Nev.
- How are you?
- This is Michael.
- Hi, Michael.
How are you?
- This is Max.
- Hi.
- Thanks
for meeting up with us.
I know this is probably
a little weird.
Basically, here'’s what'’s up.
Since, like,
earlier this year,
Michael'’s been
talking to Chanelle.
And then, like, a month ago,
he just totally
stopped hearing from her.
- Mm-hmm.
- And he'’s been worried,
trying to get in touch with her,
texting her,
but he hasn'’t heard anything.
So we'’re just trying
to figure out whatever we can.
- I'’m sorry.
I'’m a little nervous.
[chuckles nervously]
Chanelle and I--
we'’ve been friends for a while.
She'’s a good friend of mine.
- Does she care for Michael?
- She cares
a lot about Michael.
- Michael felt like they were
getting pretty close
and was excited to meet her,
and then she just
sort of disappeared.
Did something happen, like,
in the last two months
or something, like...?
- Yeah, she had
a lot going on.
Um...
I don'’t know
if she would be,
like, comfortable
just telling you.
- I mean...
I understand you don'’t want
to talk about her, but, like...
- No, I mean,
if you have questions,
I'’d be willing
to answer, but...
- Does she have a boyfriend?
Did she get pregnant?
- No. [laughs]
- Like, what the hell happened?
- She just had a lot going on.
- Is there a Chanelle?
- Chanelle
is my friend, yes.
- There'’s a real person
named Chanelle?
- Um...
So I have something
to tell you.
[suspenseful music]
- Is there a real person
named Chanelle?
- I have something
to tell you.
She actually--
I brought her with me.
- She'’s with you now?
- Yeah.
- Like, somewhere
over there maybe, in the car?
- Yeah, she'’s in the car.
- Oh, okay.
- So, if you want me
to go get her or...
- Let'’s go over.
- We'’ll go with you, yeah.
- Yeah.
Let'’s go with you.
Are you ready?
- Nah.
I just have no idea.
- Should we just
wait right here?
Let'’s just wait here.
Uh-oh.
What is going on?
- I don'’t know.
I mean...
- This is some weird [bleep].
- I was sure
that was gonna be her.
- I definitely know
that bitch.
Oh, [bleep].
- You know her?
- Hell, yeah.
A ex.
- That'’s an ex?
- Yeah.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi. Um...
- So you'’re Chanelle...
- That'’s not Chanelle.
- But That'’s not your name.
- No.
- My name is Christina.
- Okay. Hello.
- Hi.
- How are you?
- Hi.
- I get the impression
that you already know Michael.
- Yes.
So Michael
is my ex-boyfriend.
We dated when we were 16...
- Wow.
- For about two months.
But we lost touch
over the years.
You know, he went to college.
I went to college.
- It'’s like a weird wasteof time.
- Who is this girl?
- A two-month relationship,
nothing serious.
- You didn'’t recognize
the voice?
- She'’s a good
[bleep] actress.
- I'’m sure you thought about,
"I should probably just
tell him."
- Even I could see, like,
Michael needed to know, so...
- I could have planned
things out a lot better.
- And it'’s stupid '’cause
I never had a problem with her.
So that'’s what make it
dumb as [bleep].
To go through all that--
that'’s so much...
- It'’s a little bit
of a psycho move.
If she had just kind of...
- Came as herself.
- Came as herself?
- I'’d be cool.
Probably as cool
as we used to be.
- Could you hold on one second?
'’Cause, like...
I don'’t want to have
this whole conversation
without the rest
of the guys here.
Come on back.
I'’m curious to know
why this is happening,
'’cause, obviously, like...
- I'’m curious too.
- You guys know
each other already.
Can you explain why all
this happened?
- Okay, so I created Chanelle
to talk to Michael
just because I missed him.
- But if you--
I mean, if Christina had, like,
texted you or called you...
- I never ignored her,
so I don'’t know
what that'’s all that about.
- Did you have
any reason to think
that he wouldn'’t be interested
in getting a cup of coffee?
- Well, no,
but I didn'’t know...
I just didn'’t know...
- It'’s a waste of time...
- Oh, okay.
- '’Cause it'’s been easier
just to contact me.
- Do you think you would have
been open to talking to her?
- Yeah,
I never had a problem.
- So that'’s frustrating,
'’cause, like,
you guys actually did date.
It'’s not like
you have no reason
to believe that Michael
wouldn'’t be interested in you.
He has previously been
interested in you.
- I'’m sorry for...
all of this.
I didn'’t do it
in a malicious way.
I really did it because...
I kind of wanted to...
somehow use Chanelle
to, like, get to know
what was going on with Michael,
you know, asking him,
like, well, you know,
"Are you seeing anyone?"
And then maybe at some point
swoop in as Christina,
and it'’s like,
"Well, hey, Mike," you know...
But I got comfortable
with being his comforter
as Chanelle,
'’cause he opened up
to Chanelle,
and, you know, I didn'’t expect
for that to happen.
- Right. You were
in a little bit of a slump.
- Slump, yeah.
- And talking to Chanelle
definitely, like--
- She could have came
as herself.
Whatever you were trying
didn'’t work.
You just made
everything worse.
- How strong
are your feelings now?
- Well, we'’ve stopped talking.
- Yeah. What was that about?
- So I wasn'’t using
my own phone.
I was using
a friend'’s phone.
- The whole time?
- The whole time.
- Your friend Stacey?
- Yes.
We aren'’t speaking.
So that'’s why we stopped.
- What if he texted her,
like, late at night?
Like, who would respond
if you weren'’t there?
- Well, I mean,
she would ask me like,
"Oh," you know, "Hey,
Mike texted, and he said this."
If it was...
- Wow.
- So sometimes
she would write back for you?
- Yeah, and I would just
give it the okay.
- But that also means
that she'’s seen everything
that you guys
have said to each other,
which is kind of crazy,
'’cause, like,
you guys were talking
about personal stuff.
- Yeah.
- I don'’t even want to hear
this [bleep].
I'’m gonna get in the car.
- Why don'’t you give us
a little time?
We'’ll get back
in touch with you guys.
- All right.
- Nice to meet you guys.
- Thank you.
It was nice to meet you.
♪
- [groans]
- It'’s so weird why she would
think she should do this.
- She'’s a [bleep] psycho.
- ♪ Back and forth
♪ Playing mind games
- No wonder Stacey
texted us back and was like,
"I want no part
of this crazy BS."
- She'’s been dealing
with it on her phone
for the last eight months.
- Right.
She'’s probably all fed up.
- That'’s probably
why they stopped being friends,
'’cause, "Your boyfriend
keeps texting me,
and I got to deal with it
all the time."
- It'’s a "Fatal Attraction"
psycho move.
- ♪ Mind games, mind games
♪ Mind games, mind games
- This episode of "Catfish:
The TV Show" continues now.
[line trilling]
- Hey,
good morning, Michael.
We were wondering if you wanted
to talk to Christina
and see what she has to say.
I understand.
Max and I will head
over to Christina'’s for a bit
and then give you update.
Yesterday we didn'’t find out
anything about her
except for the fact
that they dated in high school.
- Yeah.
There are a lot of questions.
We really don'’t know
her side of the story.
Why him?
- Yeah.
- And why carry this out?
And why not just
talk to him as herself?
[knock at door]
- Hi.
- Hi. How you doing?
- Hi.
You guys can come in.
- Oh, great.
Thank you.
All right.
How you doing?
- I'’m glad
you guys are here.
Yesterday I don'’t feel
as though I was really heard
and what my reasoning was
for catfishing Michael.
He probably thinks I was just
pulling a joke on him.
That wasn'’t it at all.
- Yeah, I was gonna say,
if you could just explain,
you know, just kind of what'’s
been going on, what'’s happened,
how that all led
to the Chanelle profile
and this whole situation.
- Right.
Okay.
So, when I started this--
I follow his brother
on Instagram,
and he posted
a picture of Michael.
And I was like, "Wow."
Like, "I didn'’t talk to him
in a long time."
I started thinking about the
times that we shared together--
going to the movies,
just hanging out.
Whatever.
We were good friends.
So I figured I would reach out
to him as Chanelle
and kind of went with it.
- But if you guys
were such good friends,
like, it wouldn'’t be
that weird
for you to send a message
and say like,
Hey, been so long.
How is everything?"
- I think it was just
where I was at with myself.
- Right. Well, I think
that'’s kind of what
we don'’t know about,
what we need to know about.
- Okay.
So, at the time,
I was trying to get
over postpartum depression.
I went through it terribly.
My son was over one,
and I was still
kind of not wanting
to go anywhere,
in the house all the time,
just feeling like
I didn'’t have the freedom
and insecurities
about myself.
Like, I didn'’t lose
the baby weight
and everything like that.
So I was feeling some type
of way about myself.
So that'’s why I did like
talking to Michael,
because, you know,
if he'’s telling me
what he'’s going through,
that gives me a escape
from what I'’m going through,
and I get to comfort him
and talk to him.
And I was feeling useful,
and so I liked that,
which is why it continued.
- So pretending
to be Chanelle
was kind of part
of your rehabilitation.
And it kind of worked.
- In a way, yes.
- But were you using him
to make yourself feel better?
- No.
- Or did you really care
about him?
- No. I still really,
genuinely care about him.
- That'’s why I think
he'’s so confused,
'’cause you guys were friends,
so, like, you should know that
doing something like this to him
would lead
to him getting really hurt.
- Right.
- So you can see why Michael
didn'’t want to come today.
- Yeah.
I do think
I'’m going to reach out him,
because I didn'’t get a chance
to talk to him at all,
so...
- Yeah, but, like...
I don'’t know
if you should reach out to him,
because he doesn'’t want
to hear from you
and for good reason.
He thinks
you did something crazy,
and he doesn'’t want to have
a relationship
with someone
that can hurt him like that.
It just seems like if you really
care about him,
trying to talk to him more
and to get him to forgive you
is trying to make
yourself feel less guilty
about what you did to him.
- But I know when someone
does me wrong,
I would like
to have offered
at least my--well, you know,
my sincere apology.
- Sometimes the best thing
you can do for someone
is acknowledge that
they don'’t want to have anything
to do with you
and give them that space.
He has your information.
If he wants to talk about it,
he certainly knows how to.
- Right.
- And it'’s frustrating.
It sucks, but, like...
sometimes the best way
to really make sure
you don'’t do something again
is to...
lose something
that you want.
- Right.
'’Cause that'’s definitely true.
- Right.
I mean, we are gonna head
over there.
Is there anything you feel
like you didn'’t say
or you want us
to really be clear about
in terms
of communicating to him?
- I do apologize to him
for everything
that'’s happened
and that I do, you know,
wish him the best
with everything.
- Well,
we should head over there.
I know he'’s waiting for us.
- Okay.
- Good to meet you.
- Sorry.
It'’s nice to meet you as well.
- And we'’ll tell Michael
that you'’re sorry
and all that stuff.
- Thank you so much for coming
and talking with me.
all: Bye.
[doorbell rings]
There he is.
Hey.
- Like Mike.
- How you doing, man?
- I'’m good.
So how'’d it go?
- I don'’t think she totally
understands what she'’s done.
She explained to us
she had a kid.
- I don'’t know about that.
- For over a year, she went
through postpartum depression.
She didn'’t want
to leave the house.
- She was in a bad place.
- She felt just really bad,
in general,
and didn'’t want
to do anything,
and then she saw a post of you
on Instagram,
and that'’s what was like,
"Oh, wow. Michael.
I wonder what he'’s doing.
We were so close."
- Where she'’s a little fuzzy
is why she reached out
as Chanelle
and not as herself.
- It'’s unfortunate
that "hello" turned
into, like, eight months.
- Right.
- Well, she also
kind of explained
that talking to you
made her feel better,
and then she kind of climbed
out of her own hole,
and that'’s why
she kept it going,
in a way,
because it was helping her out.
- At least I know it wasn'’t just
for fun and games.
- Right. She really wanted us
to say that.
- It definitely wasn'’t
for fun and games.
I mean, I don'’t think
she was doing this to,
like, get you or, you know,
punk you in any way.
- Yeah, she cares about you.
- Yeah, I may talk to her
in the future--
regular conversation.
Let her know I'’m not upset.
- But if you are upset,
that'’s fine too.
- Yeah.
I know to be more careful
of who I spend my time on,
'’cause I played a part too.
- If you meet another girl
on the Internet
and you'’re not quite sure,
just text us.
- [laughing]
I got you.
- You know, give us the rundown,
and we'’ll look her up.
- All right.
I definitely will.
- All right, man.
- Say good-bye to Sid.
- Yeah.
Keep an eye on that guy.
- I got to watch his DM.
- [laughs]
- Later, Michael.
- See you.
- ♪ We stay up, we stay on
♪ All day and all night
♪
- "I have fallen in love
with a girl named Lexi."
- I'’m starting a new life.
I want her to be part of it.
- Time.
She has two sisters?
- Alexia, Lexi, and Lexa.
- Really?
We'’re looking for Lexi.
- Yeah. She'’s not here.
- [bleep].
- Do you think she'’s, like,
watching us right now?
- We'’re not giving up.
You'’re not gonna wiggle
out of this one.
1037
00:41:04.