Catfish: The TV Show (2012–…): Season 5, Episode 7 - Ray & Lexi - full transcript
Ray is determined to finally meet his online love of four years, Lexi. But after learning that Lexi's sister has meddled in the relationship in the past, Nev and Max soon find themselves with more questions than answers.
[dramatic music]
- No caller ID.
- Oh, [bleep].
- Hello?
- Lexi?
- Where are you at?
- You coming back?
'’Cause I want to see you.
[phone beeps]
What the hell. - It'’s a different voice.
It'’s a different voice.
♪
- Sound speeds.
- You'’re like a human red cup right now.
- I am a giant party, yeah. - [laughs]
- No--oh, this is gross. - Ew.
- I can'’t believe I'’m letting you do--ok, stop.
- [laughs] - Stop, stop, stop.
Wait, cross. - [laughs]
- [laughs]
We'’ve got work to do. - We do?
- We got an email, Max.
Subject line: "Our puppy love has evolved into love,
"but we still have not met after all these years.
"Dear Nev and Max, My name is Ray.
"I am 19 and live in Las Vegas..."
- Whoa, viva! - Yeah.
"I have fallen in love with a girl named Lexi..."
- ♪ I gave you all of my heart ♪
♪ I took it back to the start... ♪
- "Lexi and I met over four years ago
and we clicked instantly..."
- ♪ Whoa-oh whoa-oh whoa-oh... ♪
- "Soon after, we were either on the phone
or messaging all day every day..."
- ♪ Don'’t cope you gotta feel it feel it... ♪
- "Lexi lives in Phoenix, Arizona..."
Which is pretty close.
"She'’s extremely complicated
"and is just so unpredictable crazy funny
"and I could never figure her out,
"which made her so different from everyone else..."
- ♪ With the past before you... ♪
- "We argue sometimes, yeah,
but we could talk the next day like nothing happened."
♪
"However, there are some things that I have always found odd.
"I always found it weird
that we never had a video chat in four years..."
[dramatic music]
"We also live only four hours away from each other
and we'’ve never met..." - And that'’s four hours by car.
- "At first, it was not an issue because we were so young.
"It wasn'’t like I could just pack up
"and go visit her any time.
"But now we are both older
"and being young is not an excuse anymore.
"Beyond that, Lexi never had much social media that she used
or even posted on..."
- Mmm... - Unlikely.
"After all this time, I still haven'’t been able
"to let go of Lexi. I have to know
"if the person I'’ve been talking to
"for all this time is really into me.
"I could really use your guys'’ help.
Ray."
I'’m excited cause it sounds like we'’re either gonna be going
to Las Vegas or Phoenix,
which are both considerably warmer than where we are.
Let'’s call Ray. [Skype call ringing]
all: Hey!
- What'’s going on? - Uh, it'’s a little cold today.
- Cold in Las Vegas? - Uh, you know, actually,
now I'’m in Chicago. I moved a few weeks ago.
- You just moved to Chicago from Las Vegas?
- Yeah, I got a new job, so, you know.
- I imagine that'’s kind of a bummer
because now you'’re a lot further away from Lexi
than you used to be. - Um, it'’s funny though
'’cause I had just found out, you know, she'’s in Iowa now.
- How did this go from Las Vegas,
the only warm part of America right now
to Chicago... both: Iowa.
- I know, we got [bleep]. - Phoenix--
- [laughs] - She'’s, like, your shadow.
- Yeah, uh, it was weird.
We go from being a couple hours away
to thinking that it'’s gonna be more difficult to,
"Oh, you'’re right here now?" You know?
I kind of feel like maybe it was, like, meant to be.
'’Cause she could have been anywhere.
- So you met Lexi four years ago?
- Yeah. I was on this little chat app
and she messages me,
and it clicked, like, instantly.
Then it became, like, a daily thing.
You know, I was talking to her every day.
- Wow. - You know, all the time.
You know, it was either texting or calling, you know.
The attachment came really fast.
- How does she look? - She'’s gorgeous.
Yeah, she is. When I first seen one of her,
I was like, "Are you serious? This girl'’s talking to me?
Like, are you kidding me?" You know?
So, yeah, she--she'’s gorgeous, yeah.
- So you guys have said very clearly to each other
that you love each other? - All the time.
- All the time? - Yeah, all the time.
- Why haven'’t you guys met? What--what'’s the deal?
- We were young, you know. It'’s not like I can just
be like, "Hey, Mom, can you drive me to Arizona
so I can meet up with this girl I met online?"
- So then you guys, like, turned 18 and...
- Around that time is when we started, you know,
having--having little fights.
♪
That'’s when she really started to go MIA on me,
you know, for weeks at a time.
♪
It bothered me a lot, you know.
You go from talking to somebody every day
and then they stop talking to you for a day or two,
you'’re like, you know, what happened?
And I never really questioned it too much
'’cause I was just kind of happy that we started talking again.
- So why is now finally the time to meet Lexi?
- I'’m starting a new life and, you know,
I want her to be part of it too,
so I want to actually
get past the whole just communication thing.
- I don'’t--I don'’t blame you. - Yes.
- Well, look, it sounds like you'’re both in love
with each other, you'’re starting new lives,
there'’s no reason you shouldn'’t be together,
so I say we come to Chicago,
see if we can help you figure out what'’s going on
and finally meet this girl. - Yeah, definitely.
- All right, later, Ray. - Later.
[Skype call disconnects] - Oh, man.
Come on, let'’s get out of here.
- Where'’s my jacket?
- ♪ I thought the future would be cooler ♪
♪
♪ I thought the future would be cooler, cooler ♪
- We made it to Chicago.
- Right, here we are. - Chi-town.
- ♪ I thought the future would be cooler ♪
♪
- All right, time to meet Ray.
all: Hey, Ray. - How you guys doing?
- What'’s up? - What'’s up, man?
- How you doing? - Good.
What'’re you guys doing? Come in.
Say hi. All right, have a seat.
Have a seat.
Tell us exactly, like, how you guys met
and all the significant details that have led you to here.
- So, I downloaded this app that all my friends had.
I would just get on it when I'’m bored
and one day I get a message from this random girl
and I didn'’t know, you know, who she was,
so I started talking to her.
[soft upbeat music]
- You know, we start having small talk at first.
Got her number and then I called her earlier the next morning.
- So, had you had, like, strong feelings for someone before?
- Not like that--not right away. - Whoa.
- Yeah, because I felt like I knew her.
I'’m not a type of guy to open up
and, you know, talk about stuff,
and I could-- I was able to do that.
- After all the talk, I gotta see what she looks like.
- All right. - All right, let'’s see.
Come on over.
Oh, my goodness. - Wow.
- So she texted you these pictures?
- Yeah, she sent me that one.
- There'’s another kissy face. Okay, all right.
What'’s this? - That'’s from her Kik.
A lot of the other stuff, I had lost
or she made me mad and I deleted some pictures.
- But this is the most recent? - That'’s the most recent, yeah.
- She'’s pretty. - She'’s definitely a babe.
- Did you guys exchange any kind of, like, nudie pictures?
- Uh, none from her.
I had--I had-- - What'’d you send her?
You sent her full-frontal? - Yeah.
- Wow. - [laughs]
- So she knows what you look like?
- Yeah, exactly, yeah.
You know, there'’s no reason why she shouldn'’t.
- She could pick your D out in a lineup?
- Yeah.
- Wow, so you'’re a pretty confident guy.
- [laughs]
- What can you tell me about her?
- Yeah, um, she has an older sister, Alexia,
and a younger one-- - Alexia?
- Alexia, Lexa, and Lexi. Uh, and--
- Wait, hold on a second. Time out.
- She has two sisters--
- [stammers] Alexia, Lexi, and Lexa.
- Really?
- I--they--I'’ve seen, uh, the older one on Facebook.
- Oh. - Yeah.
I had her older sister on Facebook.
- Alexia? - Yeah, Alexia.
I didn'’t think it was weird.
- Okay. - There'’s families that do that.
- So you'’re friends with Lexi'’s older sister Alexia on Facebook?
- Mm-hmm--no, I don'’t have her on Facebook anymore,
but she--her Facebook is still there.
- Why don'’t you-- why aren'’t you friends anymore?
- [clears throat] Because when I was with Lexi
we got this message on Kik,
and the next think you know-- - From some other girl?
- Yeah, and then I get a screenshot from Lexi,
she'’s like, "Who'’s this?"
- Wait, so Lexi sent you a screenshot
of your conversation with some random girl?
- With ano--yeah, yeah. - So did she--
- So she obviously... both: Made that fake profile?
- No, so what-- so what happened was,
after that happened, she messaged me.
She was like, "I'’m sorry. I didn'’t mean to get mad."
She'’s like, "My sister was making these accounts
"to see if you were messing around on me."
I was like, "I didn'’t even-- I wasn'’t even saying anything.
You know, it was a regular conversation."
And then, you know, they had stopped talking over that.
They were upset at each other. - The sisters?
- Yeah, Lexi was-- was mad at her
about-- about doing that.
- So you would keep on getting in fights over the fact
that you were talking to other girls on Kik?
- No, '’cause I stopped. Because I stopped replying to--
- And that'’s also-- - You stopped replying
to the other girls on Kik? - Yeah, yeah.
- Mission accomplished, Lexi. - Right.
- Yeah, I was like--every single time, delete, block.
Every message. - Right, yeah.
- I don'’t trust it. - All right.
- You just moved to Chicago? - Mm.
- Why continue pursuing Lexi
when you'’ve got an entire city now of new interesting people
to meet and go out with?
- I mean, she'’s my first love,
and the top of that, I haven'’t met her,
so I'’m, like, "I'’m gonna keep chasing
till I actually meet you." '’cause I'’m like,
"I'’m not gonna put four years into somebody
and then never talk to them and meet them in person,"
and then after all that, you know, we had made plans
for the future and stuff, so I'’m like,
"I want to continue with that."
♪
- We'’ll dig in and see what we can figure out.
- Okay. - You asked for it, you got it.
- [laughs] - Here we go.
- Hope you'’re ready for the truth.
[dramatic music]
- All right, man. - All right, later, Ray.
Good to meet you. - Ray.
- Good to meet you, man. - Sit tight.
- Yeah. - We'’ll check-in with you later.
- Okay.
- [exhales]
Well, we got a live one here.
This kid'’s super confident. - Right.
- I mean, he'’s a ladies man. - Yeah.
- It'’s not like he can'’t get a date.
He can, but--
- Of all the girls he'’s ever met,
the one girl that he can'’t get out of his head...
- Right. - Is the one girl he can'’t meet.
- Right. - He might not be
such a confident ladies man when this whole thing'’s over.
- We'’ll find out.
- Well, I keep my room... - Uh-huh.
- Ready for internet sleuthing.
See? All prepped and ready.
- ♪ '’Cause I found you and you'’re my crush crush crush ♪
- Ray, for the last four years,
has been talking to this girl, Lexi.
They met when they were 15. They hit it off.
When they'’re talking, it'’s nonstop,
all the time, all day long, but then,
either because Ray will say something like,
you know, "We should meet up,"
or "When can we video chat?" She won'’t respond.
Then Lexi'’s older sister, Alexia, gets involved,
in an effort to try and break them up
makes fake Kik accounts to talk to him,
and then when he responds, she screenshots it
and shows it to Lexi.
- To show her that he'’s a cheater.
And she'’s got another sister named Lexa.
- Right. - Lexa, Lexi, and Alexia.
That'’s a bold creative move
that you'’ve gotta stick by your whole life.
George Foreman named all of his sons George.
- Right. [both laugh]
Anyway, the point is,
until he knows for sure if she'’s real or not,
he'’s always going to want what he can'’t have.
- Sexy Lexi.[laughs]
- We gotta find out who this girl is...
- And why she'’s been so sketchy over the past four years.
- Right--what'’s the deal? What'’s the story?
- All right, let'’s jump in. - Let'’s do this.
- I think we should do an image search.
- Please.
- All right, here we go. You ready?
Okay, image number one is sunglasses, duck lips--
kissy face, whatever you want to call it.
[tense music]
- Nothing. - Next one.
Okay, come on. - Come on.
- Nothing.
All right, so nothing on the image search.
- Let'’s just do a basic search for Lexi [bleep].
- Yeah. both: Whoa.
- Alexis [bleep] in Tucson.
- Seems young--way too young. - Yeah.
- There'’s another Alexus [bleep].
both: From Phoenix.
- Who worked at Dairy Queen.
- This isn'’t her. - All right.
- There'’s someone named The Real Lexi.
Maybe there was a fake one.
- Slexycon.
- Oh, look. - Alexa [bleep].
- Lives in Japan?
- Okay, so that'’s not her. - Oh, my God.
- Okay, how many Lexa [bleep] are there?
- Okay, this doesn'’t help us. All right, so look,
Proving that Lexi is real is gonna be tough
because there'’s very little information,
but Lexi has a sister,
so if we can prove that Alexia is either real or fake,
that will greatly inform whether or not Lexi is real or fake.
We have a Facebook page for Alexia.
- Right. - Okay, here we go.
- This is Alexia, the older sister.
- This is the older sister. What does it say about her?
- This looks relatively real.
I mean, these are kind of pretty real pictures.
Looks like she dated a guy named Jesse.
- Why don'’t we reach out to Jesse,
who can tell us if she'’s a real person.
Hey, Jesse, this is Nev from "Catfish."
Get back to us at your earliest convenience.
- Great.
- So we don'’t have any answers yet.
There'’s no hard evidence that we'’ve found
to prove that Lexi does exist.
On the other hand, there'’s nothing
to prove that she doesn'’t exist.
If anybody'’s real here, it looks like it'’s Alexia.
She actually has a Facebook page.
Hopefully Jesse will get back to us.
- It'’s a house of mirrors. I'’ll tell you that much.
- Yeah.
♪
[computer dings] - Yes, we got a message.
- Whoo. - From Jesse.
He said...
All right. - Great.
- Yeah, why don'’t we give him a ring.
- Let'’s do it.
[line ringing]
- Yeah, hey, it'’s Nev calling you back.
How you doing?
- I'’m great.
Uh, we are trying to help this guy, Ray,
who, for the last four years,
has been talking to a girl named Lexi.
She has an older sister named Alexia,
and when we went to Alexia'’s Facebook page,
we saw a post from four years ago
where she held up a sign that said, "Jesse'’s a cutie,"
and tagged you.
- So how do you know her?
- Right.
- Did you try to meet her in person?
- Right, and that picture she posted
where she'’s holding up that sign...
- That Jesse is a cutie thing...
- Is that something that you had asked her to do?
- Well, but those things can be Photoshopped.
- That'’s true. That could be fake.
- Did you always call her Alexia
or did she ever want to be referred to as Lexi?
Yeah. - So you would call her Lexi?
- Mm-hmm.
- [whispering] Lex, Lexi, there'’s only one.
- Do you remember what she changed her name to?
- Right. - Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
- Okay, well, cool. This has been really helpful.
- Thanks, buddy. Bye.
- That'’s it. - I mean, yeah.
- We got it. - Alexia, Lexi, Lexa,
it'’s all the same person. - Right.
All three sisters in one.
- Now it'’s getting really interesting because
if she'’s catfishing guys into going out with her
or one of her two personalities,
and then she'’s using the other personality
to see if they'’re--cheat on her fake pro--like--
- She'’s keeping them in line.
- We got Ray. He'’s 19.
He gets a sweet new job in a great new city
and brings the baggage of Lexi with him.
- He can'’t take a next step anywhere.
He can--he can'’t even reach that blank slate until he meets her.
- Right. All right, here we are.
Let'’s go upstairs.
Break the news. - Talk to Ray.
- What'’s up, man? - All right.
[tense music]
So, we'’ve got some stuff to show you.
We can'’t find anything on Lexi.
I mean, nothing.
- There are a bunch of Lexi [bleep]
that are somehow connected to Arizona.
- Hard to know if we'’re looking at the right one
or someone totally random.
The only thing we have at this point is Alexia'’s Facebook page,
so then we started thinking, "Okay, we need to figure out
is Lexi'’s older sister, Alexia, a real person?"
She posted a photo of her holding a piece of paper
that says, "Jesse is a cutie," and she tagged Jesse,
so we messaged him and this morning we spoke to him.
- [bleep].
What'’d he say?
- Jesse said
he got a random message from Alexia,
they started talking, and, very similar to you,
they were kind of dating,
but then out of nowhere she would--
- She'’d go cold. She'’d disappear.
- Now, this was Alexia that he was talking to.
- It'’s the older sister. - That'’s exactly what happens
to me for some period of time, but I mean, like,
did he say how long she would disappear for?
- Sometimes it was a couple days, couple weeks,
couple months.
- That'’s--that'’s exactly what happens.
- Then we asked what he called her.
She told him that he could call her Lexi, Lexa, sometimes.
- [bleep].
- So, to him, she was all three.
Alexia, Lexi, and Lexa.
- [bleep].
- She was using them all interchangeably.
- What the [bleep].
This doesn'’t make any sense.
This sucks.
- We don'’t have any answers.
We just have a lot of information that suggests
you don'’t know who you'’re talking to.
At this point, we'’re not really sure what else there is to do
other than just reaching out
to "Lexi" directly.
- Yeah, I wanna--I wanna find out who it is.
- All right, so give me a minute.
I'’ll give her a ring and let you know what she says.
[cell phone ringing]
- Hi, is this Lexi?
Who is this? - Hi, um, this is Nev.
Uh, I make a show called "Catfish" on MTV.
How you doing?
- You know, I-- I know you go by Lexi.
Is that what I should call you?
- Okay, cool, that'’s your name.
Well, I wasn'’t sure if that was a nickname
or if, you know--if...
- I know that you and Ray
have been talking for a long time.
- He definitely has, like, strong feelings for you,
and would love to meet you,
and is excited even just at the idea of,
you know, finally getting to see you.
Is that--do you feel similarly?
Would you want to meet Ray?
♪
- '’Cause, I mean, Ray--Ray'’s got a lot going on in this life too,
and so do I, and, like, sort of so does--
so does everybody, you know?
- Whatever it is that you have going on
and whatever, you know, your feelings are for Ray now
or have been in the past
or what you'’re hoping they will be in the future, like,
the best thing you can do is
deal with it.
Meet him, look him in the face,
so that he knows because, like,
he'’s putting his life on hold in a big way
because he has feelings for you
that he doesn'’t know what to do with.
So I would encourage you
to really think about Ray in this situation
and what might be best for him.
- All right, well, I think that'’s the right thing to do.
Um, could I just ask you, where are you right now?
- Okay, cool.
So we'’ll coordinate it and see you there.
- Great. Thank you, Lexi.
- Bye.
Spoke to her. - Okay.
- She was understandably a little surprised and confused.
Sounded really nice.
I mean, I--she has a really sweet voice.
I don'’t blame you for talking-- like, she'’s nice to talk to.
and she'’s in Iowa... - Wow, okay.
- So that'’s true.
Somewhat reluctantly, she agreed that you deserve this.
It'’s something that she should do,
and...
she would meet up with us.
- Good. - It'’s easy to say.
- Yeah, starts off like that. Everything seems fine,
and then the next thing you know anything could happen
at this point. - Well, that'’s true.
So if you'’re still 100% ready to go,
then we'’re ready to do that. - Yeah.
Yeah, for sure. I have to.
Let'’s do it. - All right.
Why don'’t you meet us over at the hotel in the morning...
- Okay. - And we'’ll head to Iowa.
- ♪ You you you you and I
♪ You you you you...
- Never like going in blind
to a situation like this. Not knowing anything.
- ♪ I was alive I was alive ♪
- If she texts us and actually,
like, follows up with our conversation,
then I'’ll feel like maybe we'’re actually getting somewhere,
but until then, it'’s fingers crossed.
- ♪ And I remember the time of you, you and I ♪
- Okay, it'’s, like, 4:30 in the morning,
and I just woke up because
I got a text message from Lexi.
It says, "I'’m scared,
but I suppose it'’s time."
- What'’s up, man?
- How you feeling? - Man, I'’m nervous.
- Nervous? - Yeah.
- ♪ You throw your heart in the river ♪
♪ If you can'’t let it go... ♪
- What'’re you thinking about? - I think it'’s gonna be
one of those things where it'’s actually the person,
and there--there'’s just like a reason behind everything else.
- I strangely feel like there'’s a chance.
All right. - Oh, here we go.
- ♪ Get off your feet
- Ready to fly.
It'’s a little cold on the plane, huh?
♪
- You didn'’t realize they were showing "Frozen"
on the in-flight entertainment. [all laugh]
- ♪ All in the river
♪ Then I'’ll know... ♪
- Sick. - Nervous?
- Okay, we'’re on our way, my man.
- This is it. What'’s amazing is that
we really have no idea who'’s gonna come out of that door.
- No idea.
- Do you remember the last time you were this nervous?
- No, I don'’t think I'’ve ever been
this nervous before.
How far now?
- Four minutes.
- [bleep]. [laughs]
It'’s so close.
- Four years.
Now you'’re just four minutes.
[dramatic music]
- We'’re looking for [bleep].
- There it is. - [bleep].
♪
- Well...
- Oh, man. - Are you ready to do this?
- Not really, but let'’s go.
♪
[exhales] - All right, well...
- This one?
- Yeah, this is it. - [bleep].
- Why don'’t you and Max hang here.
- Do it.
- You got this. - [laughs nervously]
♪
[door opens]
[knocks on door]
- Oh, [bleep].[laughs]
It'’s too late to turn around now.
[suspenseful music]
♪
- Hi.
- Hello. - Hi.
- How are you? - I'’m good.
- Looking for Lexi.
- Yeah, she'’s not here.
- She'’s not here? - [bleep].
- She got nervous and didn'’t come.
- Does she live here? - Yes.
- How are you related or friends or...
- Sister. - Really?
- Not blood. - Oh.
I'’m Nev. Who are you?
- You'’re Lexa?
- Oh, man, that'’s not good.
- Okay, so hold on a second. So you'’re Lexa?
- Mm-hmm.
- And you have a sister named Lexi...
- Mm-hmm. - Who lives here with you?
- Yes. - But she'’s not here right now?
- No. She flaked.
- Okay. - I told you.
[laughs] It'’s funny.
- So part of me feels like you'’re not telling the truth
and that you'’re actually the person we'’re here for.
- No. - You'’re not.
- No. - So you definitely are not--
you--that--this is... - No.
- Not who--you have not been talking to Ray?
- No. - Okay.
I don'’t want to put you in an awkward position
where your speaking on her behalf...
- Yeah. - But at the same time,
she knew we were coming. She told you--she left--
- She'’s scared. - She left you--no, I get that.
It'’s fine, but, like, I wish we'’d just--
she'’d give us a heads up. - I understand that.
- Um...okay.
So what do you think we should do?
- I could tell her you guys came by.
I mean, obviously she knows... - Right.
- But... - Yeah, okay.
Well, thanks. - You'’re welcome.
- Okay.
So she says her name is Lexa
and that she'’s Lexi'’s sister.
She said that Lexi was here, but she left
'’cause she was super nervous. - Okay, so...
Sisters are real, I guess.
- I don'’t know. I still don'’t know.
That was weird.
- Either we just met her
or she'’s, like, here...
- I mean, she could be in the house.
- Like, watching from, like, the window or...
- I mean, I don'’t know.
All right, huddle up in the car.
- [groans]
- [exhales] All right,
that girl is being so weird right now.
- Yeah, very weird. - But if she'’s being, like,
a loyal sister then-- - Right, that could be
what this girl looks like when she'’s being
a loyal sister in an awkward situation.
Since we have never met her before, we don'’t know.
♪
- I don'’t know.
I just have a hard time believing
that she could stand there in front of you
if that was her and not, like, show any kind of emotion.
- Well she--'’cause she wouldn'’t even look at him.
- But maybe that'’s because she knows
whatever weird truth Lexi'’s been hiding from you
and feels really awkward and uncomfortable about it
and doesn'’t want to, like, give anything away.
I...I don'’t know.
I don'’t know.
I'’m not giving up. - No.
- She'’s not gonna wiggle out of this one.
- We'’re gonna find her.
[dramatic music]
- That was weird. We'’ve never seen that before.
- So weird.
♪
[cell phone buzzes]
- No caller ID.
- Oh, [bleep]. - Hello?
♪
- Lexi?
- Where--where are you at?
- Did your--your sister told you we came by.
- [sighs] It'’s--it'’s okay.
Let me know whenever you-- you actually want to meet up
'’cause I want to see you, and I came all the way here.
You coming back?
- Later? Like, when?
- Tomorrow?
Oh, um...
Okay, like, what time?
[cell phone beeps] What the--man.
- [bleep]. - It'’s a different voice.
It'’s a different voice. - I mean, that does
actually sound like a different person.
- Yeah, you see? - Did it?
- Like doesn'’t-- - Higher--the voice was higher.
Squeakier. - Yeah.
All right, well, look, the good news is, she called.
- Yeah. - She'’ll talk to her sister.
Hopefully, her sister will tell her that, like, we seem nice.
At this point, we gotta be careful
'’cause if we don'’t play our cards right,
she might just ghost.
- How'’s it going?
- I think she might flake again.
- Did you hear anything back from her?
- No. - I think Nev you should call
from your phone. - Okay.
- You gotta work some Nev magic. - All right.
[chuckles] Let'’s see if she answers.
[cell phone ringing]
- Hi, good morning. Is this Lexi?
- Hey, it'’s Nev. Ray is here.
He'’s really excited and hopeful
that we'’ll get a chance to say, "Hello."
No expectations, no pressure. Open mind, open heart.
- Yeah...
- No matter how it goes,
um, you won'’t be letting him down.
You know, you'’ll just be showing up.
- Okay, we'’re available and we'’re ready
whenever you are.
- Okay, so hopefully, when I knock on the door,
today, you'’ll--you'’ll open it?
- Okay, you promise?
- Okay, well, then I will see you later.
- See you, bye. - All right, bye.
- [exhales] Let'’s go.
[dramatic music]
♪
- I feel like "Groundhog Day" here.
- [coughs]
I'’m feeling just as sick as I was yesterday.
[laughs] All the drive here.
- The long, painful road.
- This is it. [chuckles]
- Okay, well, let'’s get some answers.
- Let'’s do it. - All right, let'’s go.
[soft suspenseful music]
♪
[knocks on door]
- Oh, man.
♪
- Hi.
♪
- Hi. Hello, again.
Uh, so, we'’re back.
We were assured we would meet
our intended subject.
- [sighs]
Lexi? - Right.
- Yeah, she'’s not here.
- All right, well, then why don'’t you just come down here
and talk to us.
I don'’t know what--
what the story is, but, you know,
we'’ve--we'’ve sort of been
considering all the possibilities.
Most likely of which is that...
you are, in fact, Lexi.
♪
- Yeah. - What?
- Um... - It'’s--it'’s you?
You'’re Lexi? - [sniffs]
♪
- And what'’s your name?
- Marlayna.
- Marlayna?
- So the Alexia and all that, that was fake?
That was you?
- Yeah. - Everything you'’ve seen
and everyone you'’ve spoken to and everyone--
that'’s all--it'’s all her.
♪
- So you just--you were just [bleep] playing with me
the whole time?
[dramatic music]
I need some answers for real
'’cause I gave you four years of my time
and the--you'’re not even saying [bleep].
- This episode of "Catfish: The TV Show"
continues now.
[dramatic music]
- Okay.
♪
I know we are very eager,
and I'’m sure Ray is many other things,
including eager, to hear from you.
- I don'’t know what to say, honestly.
Like, I'’m just... [sniffs]
I didn'’t do it, like, pur--like, to...
[exhales] I was trying to end it,
honestly, like, I really was.
♪
- If you wanted to end it, you should have just came out
and said something instead of having me waste my [bleep] time.
- I couldn'’t tell you. Like, I didn'’t want to--
I didn'’t want to say it. - If you could--if you could
do all of this [bleep], you can tell me.
- I just-- I wasn'’t gonna say it.
Just know that I didn'’t say it, and I wasn'’t gonna say that,
"Hey, well, yeah, I'’m Marlayna. This whole this was fake."
Like, I just wasn'’t gonna say that.
- This is starting to piss me off.
That'’s beyond [bleep] up.
You were [bleep] with me mentally.
Like, that--that'’s-- - No.
- Yes, you were. - That wasn'’t my intention.
- What is--what is that? That wasn'’t your intentions?
What the [bleep] were you trying to accomplish
by making fake accounts,
trying to see what the [bleep] I was gonna do?
How was that not intentionally messing with me?
Like, how the [bleep] could you just
continue that [bleep] yesterday when I'’m here?
You said you wanted to stop it. Well, apparently not.
Yesterday, you kept the whole story going,
every last bit.
You--you were [bleep] with me on purpose.
- I don'’t know what you want to hear.
- Okay, you got some attitude right now.
- I don'’t have attitude... - You do.
- I'’m just-- - I need you to kind of
accept the fact that you have done something wrong here.
- I know I did something wrong. - Okay, and then--
- I know that, and I don'’t have an attitude.
- You do, but it'’s okay.
What I want you to do, for Ray'’s sake,
I really need you to just drop the attitude
and just tell your side of the story.
- Um...
I did the account when I was 14 because--
I don'’t know, I wasn'’t...
I wasn'’t happy with who I was,
and... [sniffles]
Growing up, I was teased so much.
- Teased how? Why?
- They would say that, like,
"You'’re too black,
and no one'’s gonna want a black girl."
Like, s-- little stuff like that,
and so, like, I started to pretend to be somebody else
to get away from, like, who I was.
[sniffling]
[melancholy music]
♪
When I started talking to Ray-- I don'’t know, like, we just--
I just clicked with him, I guess.
Like, I could really be myself.
I was comfortable.
Like, I was able to tell him anything
and not be--feel like I'’m being judged.
- But at this point, it'’s just you.
- Mm. - Just Lexi and Ray
talking and texting and everything was great.
- Mm-hmm. - So how do we get from there
to two sisters, other fake Kik profiles,
like, what--can you explain just sort of how that happened?
- I don'’t-- - '’Cause it sounds like you had
a good thing and then you sort of started to screw it up.
- I just wanted him to believe it.
Like, I wanted him to know, like, it was all "real."
I was like, "Okay, well, hey, well, let me make up sisters
so he will believe that it'’s real."
Yeah, it sounds [bleep] up, but that'’s just what I did...
at 14 years old.
- When you talk to Ray on the phone,
do you change your voice?
- Yeah, I did. - You did.
- Higher. - Okay.
- [scoffs] - And why did you do that?
- I didn'’t want to be me at the time.
I didn'’t like my race, I didn'’t like anything.
That'’s why I did the Mexican girl.
I wanted to be someone different.
- So, the girls in the profile, you--you know them?
♪
And they know that you'’re using their pictures?
- [sniffles]
- Did you have real feelings for Ray?
Like, did you actually care about him or were you just--
- I did at first.
The first two years, I think, like, just--I got older.
Like, I'’m 16 years old and I'’m realizing,
"Hey, well, I'’m happy with who I am now."
Having to pretend to be somebody else
is not what I wanted to keep doing.
- Those feelings for Ray kind of diminished.
- Yeah. - What I don'’t get is,
why would it be so hard for you to tell him the truth
if you don'’t care about him? Like, if it--
if you'’re not desperately trying to keep him in your life,
and you don'’t need him to make you feel good,
why not just say, "Hey, I'’m actually this person--"
- I couldn'’t do it. - Okay.
- I'’m thinking, "Okay, I'’m hurting his feelings,
but I don'’t want to hurt his feelings more by saying it."
I don'’t know, like, I wasn'’t intentionally trying
to hurt anybody. I really wasn'’t.
I'’m not a bad person. Like, I'’m not a mean person.
I didn'’t mean for it to go on for years and years and years.
I didn'’t mean for any of this.
- I get the whole, "I was bullied."
You know, that sucks, but then to turn around
and do something equally as [bleep] up is not okay.
- I understand that I put you through so much,
and I'’m sorry. Like, I really am.
- The way you were treated, we see it a lot.
Growing up is tough. Especially with social media.
The thing that really frustrates me
is that people who get hurt
end up hurting other people.
It'’s sad, but I hope that
what we'’re doing here and now
and, you know, people are watching realize
that cycle needs to stop at some point.
- I just hope that,
you know, you get past all that.
Don'’t just go back to-- to doing that ever again.
I hope you won'’t do that again. - I'’m not.
- I really hope not... - I'’m not.
- And, you know, you did what you did
and, you know, in the end, this is, like,
it'’s [bleep] up.
- I'’m sorry. I just keep saying that.
- All right, let'’s get out of here.
- See you, guys. - All right, bye, Marlayna.
- Bye.
♪
- That was rough.
[sighs]
- ♪ I'’m moving on... ♪
- Recovery starts now.
- ♪ I'’m moving on ♪
- ♪ Break down the walls...
- This is way better than not knowing anything.
- ♪ I'’m moving on ♪
- I wonder if she still has your dick pic.
- Oh, God.
[laughter]
[Skype call ringing]
- Hey, Ray! - What'’s up?
- What'’s up, Ray? [all laugh]
How are you? - I'’m good, man.
It'’s snowing. - Have you had any communication
with Marlayna? - No, mm-mm.
- So you haven'’t heard from Alexia or Lexa or Lexi or...
- [laughs] - Alexis or...
- No, none of '’em. It still feels awkward to me
how it happened, '’cause then, like,
I go think about the old conversations and I'’m like,
"Wow, man, that was all fake."
- Well, you did the best you could here.
I have a good feeling that you'’ll come out on top.
- All right, man, later.
- Later.
[Skype call ringing]
both: Hey. - Hey.
- How are ya? - I'’m good.
I feel better.
- Do you ever miss Ray or think about him?
- I did think about him the other day '’cause I was like,
"I really did put him through so much stuff."
- Do you think that you'’ve learned anything about yourself
by going through all this?
- I became a better me than I was four years ago.
- Do you feel bad about lying to us?
- Yeah. [both chuckle]
Lying and lying and lying just gives me headache.
Thank you, guys, for the experience.
It helped me get through that.
- Good to see you. - Good to see you guys.
- Bye. - Take care.
- "My name is Joanna.
I am currently still in love with a girl named Bo."
Something happened. - Yeah.
We ended up kind of cuddling.
- With Bo'’s best friend Ana?
- Why do you have to say it like that?
- Wow. - Wow.
[thud] - No, [bleep] you.
- You [bleep] bitch. - [bleep] you, bitch.
I don'’t give a [bleep]. Oh, my God.
I want to get the [bleep] out of here.
- No caller ID.
- Oh, [bleep].
- Hello?
- Lexi?
- Where are you at?
- You coming back?
'’Cause I want to see you.
[phone beeps]
What the hell. - It'’s a different voice.
It'’s a different voice.
♪
- Sound speeds.
- You'’re like a human red cup right now.
- I am a giant party, yeah. - [laughs]
- No--oh, this is gross. - Ew.
- I can'’t believe I'’m letting you do--ok, stop.
- [laughs] - Stop, stop, stop.
Wait, cross. - [laughs]
- [laughs]
We'’ve got work to do. - We do?
- We got an email, Max.
Subject line: "Our puppy love has evolved into love,
"but we still have not met after all these years.
"Dear Nev and Max, My name is Ray.
"I am 19 and live in Las Vegas..."
- Whoa, viva! - Yeah.
"I have fallen in love with a girl named Lexi..."
- ♪ I gave you all of my heart ♪
♪ I took it back to the start... ♪
- "Lexi and I met over four years ago
and we clicked instantly..."
- ♪ Whoa-oh whoa-oh whoa-oh... ♪
- "Soon after, we were either on the phone
or messaging all day every day..."
- ♪ Don'’t cope you gotta feel it feel it... ♪
- "Lexi lives in Phoenix, Arizona..."
Which is pretty close.
"She'’s extremely complicated
"and is just so unpredictable crazy funny
"and I could never figure her out,
"which made her so different from everyone else..."
- ♪ With the past before you... ♪
- "We argue sometimes, yeah,
but we could talk the next day like nothing happened."
♪
"However, there are some things that I have always found odd.
"I always found it weird
that we never had a video chat in four years..."
[dramatic music]
"We also live only four hours away from each other
and we'’ve never met..." - And that'’s four hours by car.
- "At first, it was not an issue because we were so young.
"It wasn'’t like I could just pack up
"and go visit her any time.
"But now we are both older
"and being young is not an excuse anymore.
"Beyond that, Lexi never had much social media that she used
or even posted on..."
- Mmm... - Unlikely.
"After all this time, I still haven'’t been able
"to let go of Lexi. I have to know
"if the person I'’ve been talking to
"for all this time is really into me.
"I could really use your guys'’ help.
Ray."
I'’m excited cause it sounds like we'’re either gonna be going
to Las Vegas or Phoenix,
which are both considerably warmer than where we are.
Let'’s call Ray. [Skype call ringing]
all: Hey!
- What'’s going on? - Uh, it'’s a little cold today.
- Cold in Las Vegas? - Uh, you know, actually,
now I'’m in Chicago. I moved a few weeks ago.
- You just moved to Chicago from Las Vegas?
- Yeah, I got a new job, so, you know.
- I imagine that'’s kind of a bummer
because now you'’re a lot further away from Lexi
than you used to be. - Um, it'’s funny though
'’cause I had just found out, you know, she'’s in Iowa now.
- How did this go from Las Vegas,
the only warm part of America right now
to Chicago... both: Iowa.
- I know, we got [bleep]. - Phoenix--
- [laughs] - She'’s, like, your shadow.
- Yeah, uh, it was weird.
We go from being a couple hours away
to thinking that it'’s gonna be more difficult to,
"Oh, you'’re right here now?" You know?
I kind of feel like maybe it was, like, meant to be.
'’Cause she could have been anywhere.
- So you met Lexi four years ago?
- Yeah. I was on this little chat app
and she messages me,
and it clicked, like, instantly.
Then it became, like, a daily thing.
You know, I was talking to her every day.
- Wow. - You know, all the time.
You know, it was either texting or calling, you know.
The attachment came really fast.
- How does she look? - She'’s gorgeous.
Yeah, she is. When I first seen one of her,
I was like, "Are you serious? This girl'’s talking to me?
Like, are you kidding me?" You know?
So, yeah, she--she'’s gorgeous, yeah.
- So you guys have said very clearly to each other
that you love each other? - All the time.
- All the time? - Yeah, all the time.
- Why haven'’t you guys met? What--what'’s the deal?
- We were young, you know. It'’s not like I can just
be like, "Hey, Mom, can you drive me to Arizona
so I can meet up with this girl I met online?"
- So then you guys, like, turned 18 and...
- Around that time is when we started, you know,
having--having little fights.
♪
That'’s when she really started to go MIA on me,
you know, for weeks at a time.
♪
It bothered me a lot, you know.
You go from talking to somebody every day
and then they stop talking to you for a day or two,
you'’re like, you know, what happened?
And I never really questioned it too much
'’cause I was just kind of happy that we started talking again.
- So why is now finally the time to meet Lexi?
- I'’m starting a new life and, you know,
I want her to be part of it too,
so I want to actually
get past the whole just communication thing.
- I don'’t--I don'’t blame you. - Yes.
- Well, look, it sounds like you'’re both in love
with each other, you'’re starting new lives,
there'’s no reason you shouldn'’t be together,
so I say we come to Chicago,
see if we can help you figure out what'’s going on
and finally meet this girl. - Yeah, definitely.
- All right, later, Ray. - Later.
[Skype call disconnects] - Oh, man.
Come on, let'’s get out of here.
- Where'’s my jacket?
- ♪ I thought the future would be cooler ♪
♪
♪ I thought the future would be cooler, cooler ♪
- We made it to Chicago.
- Right, here we are. - Chi-town.
- ♪ I thought the future would be cooler ♪
♪
- All right, time to meet Ray.
all: Hey, Ray. - How you guys doing?
- What'’s up? - What'’s up, man?
- How you doing? - Good.
What'’re you guys doing? Come in.
Say hi. All right, have a seat.
Have a seat.
Tell us exactly, like, how you guys met
and all the significant details that have led you to here.
- So, I downloaded this app that all my friends had.
I would just get on it when I'’m bored
and one day I get a message from this random girl
and I didn'’t know, you know, who she was,
so I started talking to her.
[soft upbeat music]
- You know, we start having small talk at first.
Got her number and then I called her earlier the next morning.
- So, had you had, like, strong feelings for someone before?
- Not like that--not right away. - Whoa.
- Yeah, because I felt like I knew her.
I'’m not a type of guy to open up
and, you know, talk about stuff,
and I could-- I was able to do that.
- After all the talk, I gotta see what she looks like.
- All right. - All right, let'’s see.
Come on over.
Oh, my goodness. - Wow.
- So she texted you these pictures?
- Yeah, she sent me that one.
- There'’s another kissy face. Okay, all right.
What'’s this? - That'’s from her Kik.
A lot of the other stuff, I had lost
or she made me mad and I deleted some pictures.
- But this is the most recent? - That'’s the most recent, yeah.
- She'’s pretty. - She'’s definitely a babe.
- Did you guys exchange any kind of, like, nudie pictures?
- Uh, none from her.
I had--I had-- - What'’d you send her?
You sent her full-frontal? - Yeah.
- Wow. - [laughs]
- So she knows what you look like?
- Yeah, exactly, yeah.
You know, there'’s no reason why she shouldn'’t.
- She could pick your D out in a lineup?
- Yeah.
- Wow, so you'’re a pretty confident guy.
- [laughs]
- What can you tell me about her?
- Yeah, um, she has an older sister, Alexia,
and a younger one-- - Alexia?
- Alexia, Lexa, and Lexi. Uh, and--
- Wait, hold on a second. Time out.
- She has two sisters--
- [stammers] Alexia, Lexi, and Lexa.
- Really?
- I--they--I'’ve seen, uh, the older one on Facebook.
- Oh. - Yeah.
I had her older sister on Facebook.
- Alexia? - Yeah, Alexia.
I didn'’t think it was weird.
- Okay. - There'’s families that do that.
- So you'’re friends with Lexi'’s older sister Alexia on Facebook?
- Mm-hmm--no, I don'’t have her on Facebook anymore,
but she--her Facebook is still there.
- Why don'’t you-- why aren'’t you friends anymore?
- [clears throat] Because when I was with Lexi
we got this message on Kik,
and the next think you know-- - From some other girl?
- Yeah, and then I get a screenshot from Lexi,
she'’s like, "Who'’s this?"
- Wait, so Lexi sent you a screenshot
of your conversation with some random girl?
- With ano--yeah, yeah. - So did she--
- So she obviously... both: Made that fake profile?
- No, so what-- so what happened was,
after that happened, she messaged me.
She was like, "I'’m sorry. I didn'’t mean to get mad."
She'’s like, "My sister was making these accounts
"to see if you were messing around on me."
I was like, "I didn'’t even-- I wasn'’t even saying anything.
You know, it was a regular conversation."
And then, you know, they had stopped talking over that.
They were upset at each other. - The sisters?
- Yeah, Lexi was-- was mad at her
about-- about doing that.
- So you would keep on getting in fights over the fact
that you were talking to other girls on Kik?
- No, '’cause I stopped. Because I stopped replying to--
- And that'’s also-- - You stopped replying
to the other girls on Kik? - Yeah, yeah.
- Mission accomplished, Lexi. - Right.
- Yeah, I was like--every single time, delete, block.
Every message. - Right, yeah.
- I don'’t trust it. - All right.
- You just moved to Chicago? - Mm.
- Why continue pursuing Lexi
when you'’ve got an entire city now of new interesting people
to meet and go out with?
- I mean, she'’s my first love,
and the top of that, I haven'’t met her,
so I'’m, like, "I'’m gonna keep chasing
till I actually meet you." '’cause I'’m like,
"I'’m not gonna put four years into somebody
and then never talk to them and meet them in person,"
and then after all that, you know, we had made plans
for the future and stuff, so I'’m like,
"I want to continue with that."
♪
- We'’ll dig in and see what we can figure out.
- Okay. - You asked for it, you got it.
- [laughs] - Here we go.
- Hope you'’re ready for the truth.
[dramatic music]
- All right, man. - All right, later, Ray.
Good to meet you. - Ray.
- Good to meet you, man. - Sit tight.
- Yeah. - We'’ll check-in with you later.
- Okay.
- [exhales]
Well, we got a live one here.
This kid'’s super confident. - Right.
- I mean, he'’s a ladies man. - Yeah.
- It'’s not like he can'’t get a date.
He can, but--
- Of all the girls he'’s ever met,
the one girl that he can'’t get out of his head...
- Right. - Is the one girl he can'’t meet.
- Right. - He might not be
such a confident ladies man when this whole thing'’s over.
- We'’ll find out.
- Well, I keep my room... - Uh-huh.
- Ready for internet sleuthing.
See? All prepped and ready.
- ♪ '’Cause I found you and you'’re my crush crush crush ♪
- Ray, for the last four years,
has been talking to this girl, Lexi.
They met when they were 15. They hit it off.
When they'’re talking, it'’s nonstop,
all the time, all day long, but then,
either because Ray will say something like,
you know, "We should meet up,"
or "When can we video chat?" She won'’t respond.
Then Lexi'’s older sister, Alexia, gets involved,
in an effort to try and break them up
makes fake Kik accounts to talk to him,
and then when he responds, she screenshots it
and shows it to Lexi.
- To show her that he'’s a cheater.
And she'’s got another sister named Lexa.
- Right. - Lexa, Lexi, and Alexia.
That'’s a bold creative move
that you'’ve gotta stick by your whole life.
George Foreman named all of his sons George.
- Right. [both laugh]
Anyway, the point is,
until he knows for sure if she'’s real or not,
he'’s always going to want what he can'’t have.
- Sexy Lexi.[laughs]
- We gotta find out who this girl is...
- And why she'’s been so sketchy over the past four years.
- Right--what'’s the deal? What'’s the story?
- All right, let'’s jump in. - Let'’s do this.
- I think we should do an image search.
- Please.
- All right, here we go. You ready?
Okay, image number one is sunglasses, duck lips--
kissy face, whatever you want to call it.
[tense music]
- Nothing. - Next one.
Okay, come on. - Come on.
- Nothing.
All right, so nothing on the image search.
- Let'’s just do a basic search for Lexi [bleep].
- Yeah. both: Whoa.
- Alexis [bleep] in Tucson.
- Seems young--way too young. - Yeah.
- There'’s another Alexus [bleep].
both: From Phoenix.
- Who worked at Dairy Queen.
- This isn'’t her. - All right.
- There'’s someone named The Real Lexi.
Maybe there was a fake one.
- Slexycon.
- Oh, look. - Alexa [bleep].
- Lives in Japan?
- Okay, so that'’s not her. - Oh, my God.
- Okay, how many Lexa [bleep] are there?
- Okay, this doesn'’t help us. All right, so look,
Proving that Lexi is real is gonna be tough
because there'’s very little information,
but Lexi has a sister,
so if we can prove that Alexia is either real or fake,
that will greatly inform whether or not Lexi is real or fake.
We have a Facebook page for Alexia.
- Right. - Okay, here we go.
- This is Alexia, the older sister.
- This is the older sister. What does it say about her?
- This looks relatively real.
I mean, these are kind of pretty real pictures.
Looks like she dated a guy named Jesse.
- Why don'’t we reach out to Jesse,
who can tell us if she'’s a real person.
Hey, Jesse, this is Nev from "Catfish."
Get back to us at your earliest convenience.
- Great.
- So we don'’t have any answers yet.
There'’s no hard evidence that we'’ve found
to prove that Lexi does exist.
On the other hand, there'’s nothing
to prove that she doesn'’t exist.
If anybody'’s real here, it looks like it'’s Alexia.
She actually has a Facebook page.
Hopefully Jesse will get back to us.
- It'’s a house of mirrors. I'’ll tell you that much.
- Yeah.
♪
[computer dings] - Yes, we got a message.
- Whoo. - From Jesse.
He said...
All right. - Great.
- Yeah, why don'’t we give him a ring.
- Let'’s do it.
[line ringing]
- Yeah, hey, it'’s Nev calling you back.
How you doing?
- I'’m great.
Uh, we are trying to help this guy, Ray,
who, for the last four years,
has been talking to a girl named Lexi.
She has an older sister named Alexia,
and when we went to Alexia'’s Facebook page,
we saw a post from four years ago
where she held up a sign that said, "Jesse'’s a cutie,"
and tagged you.
- So how do you know her?
- Right.
- Did you try to meet her in person?
- Right, and that picture she posted
where she'’s holding up that sign...
- That Jesse is a cutie thing...
- Is that something that you had asked her to do?
- Well, but those things can be Photoshopped.
- That'’s true. That could be fake.
- Did you always call her Alexia
or did she ever want to be referred to as Lexi?
Yeah. - So you would call her Lexi?
- Mm-hmm.
- [whispering] Lex, Lexi, there'’s only one.
- Do you remember what she changed her name to?
- Right. - Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
- Okay, well, cool. This has been really helpful.
- Thanks, buddy. Bye.
- That'’s it. - I mean, yeah.
- We got it. - Alexia, Lexi, Lexa,
it'’s all the same person. - Right.
All three sisters in one.
- Now it'’s getting really interesting because
if she'’s catfishing guys into going out with her
or one of her two personalities,
and then she'’s using the other personality
to see if they'’re--cheat on her fake pro--like--
- She'’s keeping them in line.
- We got Ray. He'’s 19.
He gets a sweet new job in a great new city
and brings the baggage of Lexi with him.
- He can'’t take a next step anywhere.
He can--he can'’t even reach that blank slate until he meets her.
- Right. All right, here we are.
Let'’s go upstairs.
Break the news. - Talk to Ray.
- What'’s up, man? - All right.
[tense music]
So, we'’ve got some stuff to show you.
We can'’t find anything on Lexi.
I mean, nothing.
- There are a bunch of Lexi [bleep]
that are somehow connected to Arizona.
- Hard to know if we'’re looking at the right one
or someone totally random.
The only thing we have at this point is Alexia'’s Facebook page,
so then we started thinking, "Okay, we need to figure out
is Lexi'’s older sister, Alexia, a real person?"
She posted a photo of her holding a piece of paper
that says, "Jesse is a cutie," and she tagged Jesse,
so we messaged him and this morning we spoke to him.
- [bleep].
What'’d he say?
- Jesse said
he got a random message from Alexia,
they started talking, and, very similar to you,
they were kind of dating,
but then out of nowhere she would--
- She'’d go cold. She'’d disappear.
- Now, this was Alexia that he was talking to.
- It'’s the older sister. - That'’s exactly what happens
to me for some period of time, but I mean, like,
did he say how long she would disappear for?
- Sometimes it was a couple days, couple weeks,
couple months.
- That'’s--that'’s exactly what happens.
- Then we asked what he called her.
She told him that he could call her Lexi, Lexa, sometimes.
- [bleep].
- So, to him, she was all three.
Alexia, Lexi, and Lexa.
- [bleep].
- She was using them all interchangeably.
- What the [bleep].
This doesn'’t make any sense.
This sucks.
- We don'’t have any answers.
We just have a lot of information that suggests
you don'’t know who you'’re talking to.
At this point, we'’re not really sure what else there is to do
other than just reaching out
to "Lexi" directly.
- Yeah, I wanna--I wanna find out who it is.
- All right, so give me a minute.
I'’ll give her a ring and let you know what she says.
[cell phone ringing]
- Hi, is this Lexi?
Who is this? - Hi, um, this is Nev.
Uh, I make a show called "Catfish" on MTV.
How you doing?
- You know, I-- I know you go by Lexi.
Is that what I should call you?
- Okay, cool, that'’s your name.
Well, I wasn'’t sure if that was a nickname
or if, you know--if...
- I know that you and Ray
have been talking for a long time.
- He definitely has, like, strong feelings for you,
and would love to meet you,
and is excited even just at the idea of,
you know, finally getting to see you.
Is that--do you feel similarly?
Would you want to meet Ray?
♪
- '’Cause, I mean, Ray--Ray'’s got a lot going on in this life too,
and so do I, and, like, sort of so does--
so does everybody, you know?
- Whatever it is that you have going on
and whatever, you know, your feelings are for Ray now
or have been in the past
or what you'’re hoping they will be in the future, like,
the best thing you can do is
deal with it.
Meet him, look him in the face,
so that he knows because, like,
he'’s putting his life on hold in a big way
because he has feelings for you
that he doesn'’t know what to do with.
So I would encourage you
to really think about Ray in this situation
and what might be best for him.
- All right, well, I think that'’s the right thing to do.
Um, could I just ask you, where are you right now?
- Okay, cool.
So we'’ll coordinate it and see you there.
- Great. Thank you, Lexi.
- Bye.
Spoke to her. - Okay.
- She was understandably a little surprised and confused.
Sounded really nice.
I mean, I--she has a really sweet voice.
I don'’t blame you for talking-- like, she'’s nice to talk to.
and she'’s in Iowa... - Wow, okay.
- So that'’s true.
Somewhat reluctantly, she agreed that you deserve this.
It'’s something that she should do,
and...
she would meet up with us.
- Good. - It'’s easy to say.
- Yeah, starts off like that. Everything seems fine,
and then the next thing you know anything could happen
at this point. - Well, that'’s true.
So if you'’re still 100% ready to go,
then we'’re ready to do that. - Yeah.
Yeah, for sure. I have to.
Let'’s do it. - All right.
Why don'’t you meet us over at the hotel in the morning...
- Okay. - And we'’ll head to Iowa.
- ♪ You you you you and I
♪ You you you you...
- Never like going in blind
to a situation like this. Not knowing anything.
- ♪ I was alive I was alive ♪
- If she texts us and actually,
like, follows up with our conversation,
then I'’ll feel like maybe we'’re actually getting somewhere,
but until then, it'’s fingers crossed.
- ♪ And I remember the time of you, you and I ♪
- Okay, it'’s, like, 4:30 in the morning,
and I just woke up because
I got a text message from Lexi.
It says, "I'’m scared,
but I suppose it'’s time."
- What'’s up, man?
- How you feeling? - Man, I'’m nervous.
- Nervous? - Yeah.
- ♪ You throw your heart in the river ♪
♪ If you can'’t let it go... ♪
- What'’re you thinking about? - I think it'’s gonna be
one of those things where it'’s actually the person,
and there--there'’s just like a reason behind everything else.
- I strangely feel like there'’s a chance.
All right. - Oh, here we go.
- ♪ Get off your feet
- Ready to fly.
It'’s a little cold on the plane, huh?
♪
- You didn'’t realize they were showing "Frozen"
on the in-flight entertainment. [all laugh]
- ♪ All in the river
♪ Then I'’ll know... ♪
- Sick. - Nervous?
- Okay, we'’re on our way, my man.
- This is it. What'’s amazing is that
we really have no idea who'’s gonna come out of that door.
- No idea.
- Do you remember the last time you were this nervous?
- No, I don'’t think I'’ve ever been
this nervous before.
How far now?
- Four minutes.
- [bleep]. [laughs]
It'’s so close.
- Four years.
Now you'’re just four minutes.
[dramatic music]
- We'’re looking for [bleep].
- There it is. - [bleep].
♪
- Well...
- Oh, man. - Are you ready to do this?
- Not really, but let'’s go.
♪
[exhales] - All right, well...
- This one?
- Yeah, this is it. - [bleep].
- Why don'’t you and Max hang here.
- Do it.
- You got this. - [laughs nervously]
♪
[door opens]
[knocks on door]
- Oh, [bleep].[laughs]
It'’s too late to turn around now.
[suspenseful music]
♪
- Hi.
- Hello. - Hi.
- How are you? - I'’m good.
- Looking for Lexi.
- Yeah, she'’s not here.
- She'’s not here? - [bleep].
- She got nervous and didn'’t come.
- Does she live here? - Yes.
- How are you related or friends or...
- Sister. - Really?
- Not blood. - Oh.
I'’m Nev. Who are you?
- You'’re Lexa?
- Oh, man, that'’s not good.
- Okay, so hold on a second. So you'’re Lexa?
- Mm-hmm.
- And you have a sister named Lexi...
- Mm-hmm. - Who lives here with you?
- Yes. - But she'’s not here right now?
- No. She flaked.
- Okay. - I told you.
[laughs] It'’s funny.
- So part of me feels like you'’re not telling the truth
and that you'’re actually the person we'’re here for.
- No. - You'’re not.
- No. - So you definitely are not--
you--that--this is... - No.
- Not who--you have not been talking to Ray?
- No. - Okay.
I don'’t want to put you in an awkward position
where your speaking on her behalf...
- Yeah. - But at the same time,
she knew we were coming. She told you--she left--
- She'’s scared. - She left you--no, I get that.
It'’s fine, but, like, I wish we'’d just--
she'’d give us a heads up. - I understand that.
- Um...okay.
So what do you think we should do?
- I could tell her you guys came by.
I mean, obviously she knows... - Right.
- But... - Yeah, okay.
Well, thanks. - You'’re welcome.
- Okay.
So she says her name is Lexa
and that she'’s Lexi'’s sister.
She said that Lexi was here, but she left
'’cause she was super nervous. - Okay, so...
Sisters are real, I guess.
- I don'’t know. I still don'’t know.
That was weird.
- Either we just met her
or she'’s, like, here...
- I mean, she could be in the house.
- Like, watching from, like, the window or...
- I mean, I don'’t know.
All right, huddle up in the car.
- [groans]
- [exhales] All right,
that girl is being so weird right now.
- Yeah, very weird. - But if she'’s being, like,
a loyal sister then-- - Right, that could be
what this girl looks like when she'’s being
a loyal sister in an awkward situation.
Since we have never met her before, we don'’t know.
♪
- I don'’t know.
I just have a hard time believing
that she could stand there in front of you
if that was her and not, like, show any kind of emotion.
- Well she--'’cause she wouldn'’t even look at him.
- But maybe that'’s because she knows
whatever weird truth Lexi'’s been hiding from you
and feels really awkward and uncomfortable about it
and doesn'’t want to, like, give anything away.
I...I don'’t know.
I don'’t know.
I'’m not giving up. - No.
- She'’s not gonna wiggle out of this one.
- We'’re gonna find her.
[dramatic music]
- That was weird. We'’ve never seen that before.
- So weird.
♪
[cell phone buzzes]
- No caller ID.
- Oh, [bleep]. - Hello?
♪
- Lexi?
- Where--where are you at?
- Did your--your sister told you we came by.
- [sighs] It'’s--it'’s okay.
Let me know whenever you-- you actually want to meet up
'’cause I want to see you, and I came all the way here.
You coming back?
- Later? Like, when?
- Tomorrow?
Oh, um...
Okay, like, what time?
[cell phone beeps] What the--man.
- [bleep]. - It'’s a different voice.
It'’s a different voice. - I mean, that does
actually sound like a different person.
- Yeah, you see? - Did it?
- Like doesn'’t-- - Higher--the voice was higher.
Squeakier. - Yeah.
All right, well, look, the good news is, she called.
- Yeah. - She'’ll talk to her sister.
Hopefully, her sister will tell her that, like, we seem nice.
At this point, we gotta be careful
'’cause if we don'’t play our cards right,
she might just ghost.
- How'’s it going?
- I think she might flake again.
- Did you hear anything back from her?
- No. - I think Nev you should call
from your phone. - Okay.
- You gotta work some Nev magic. - All right.
[chuckles] Let'’s see if she answers.
[cell phone ringing]
- Hi, good morning. Is this Lexi?
- Hey, it'’s Nev. Ray is here.
He'’s really excited and hopeful
that we'’ll get a chance to say, "Hello."
No expectations, no pressure. Open mind, open heart.
- Yeah...
- No matter how it goes,
um, you won'’t be letting him down.
You know, you'’ll just be showing up.
- Okay, we'’re available and we'’re ready
whenever you are.
- Okay, so hopefully, when I knock on the door,
today, you'’ll--you'’ll open it?
- Okay, you promise?
- Okay, well, then I will see you later.
- See you, bye. - All right, bye.
- [exhales] Let'’s go.
[dramatic music]
♪
- I feel like "Groundhog Day" here.
- [coughs]
I'’m feeling just as sick as I was yesterday.
[laughs] All the drive here.
- The long, painful road.
- This is it. [chuckles]
- Okay, well, let'’s get some answers.
- Let'’s do it. - All right, let'’s go.
[soft suspenseful music]
♪
[knocks on door]
- Oh, man.
♪
- Hi.
♪
- Hi. Hello, again.
Uh, so, we'’re back.
We were assured we would meet
our intended subject.
- [sighs]
Lexi? - Right.
- Yeah, she'’s not here.
- All right, well, then why don'’t you just come down here
and talk to us.
I don'’t know what--
what the story is, but, you know,
we'’ve--we'’ve sort of been
considering all the possibilities.
Most likely of which is that...
you are, in fact, Lexi.
♪
- Yeah. - What?
- Um... - It'’s--it'’s you?
You'’re Lexi? - [sniffs]
♪
- And what'’s your name?
- Marlayna.
- Marlayna?
- So the Alexia and all that, that was fake?
That was you?
- Yeah. - Everything you'’ve seen
and everyone you'’ve spoken to and everyone--
that'’s all--it'’s all her.
♪
- So you just--you were just [bleep] playing with me
the whole time?
[dramatic music]
I need some answers for real
'’cause I gave you four years of my time
and the--you'’re not even saying [bleep].
- This episode of "Catfish: The TV Show"
continues now.
[dramatic music]
- Okay.
♪
I know we are very eager,
and I'’m sure Ray is many other things,
including eager, to hear from you.
- I don'’t know what to say, honestly.
Like, I'’m just... [sniffs]
I didn'’t do it, like, pur--like, to...
[exhales] I was trying to end it,
honestly, like, I really was.
♪
- If you wanted to end it, you should have just came out
and said something instead of having me waste my [bleep] time.
- I couldn'’t tell you. Like, I didn'’t want to--
I didn'’t want to say it. - If you could--if you could
do all of this [bleep], you can tell me.
- I just-- I wasn'’t gonna say it.
Just know that I didn'’t say it, and I wasn'’t gonna say that,
"Hey, well, yeah, I'’m Marlayna. This whole this was fake."
Like, I just wasn'’t gonna say that.
- This is starting to piss me off.
That'’s beyond [bleep] up.
You were [bleep] with me mentally.
Like, that--that'’s-- - No.
- Yes, you were. - That wasn'’t my intention.
- What is--what is that? That wasn'’t your intentions?
What the [bleep] were you trying to accomplish
by making fake accounts,
trying to see what the [bleep] I was gonna do?
How was that not intentionally messing with me?
Like, how the [bleep] could you just
continue that [bleep] yesterday when I'’m here?
You said you wanted to stop it. Well, apparently not.
Yesterday, you kept the whole story going,
every last bit.
You--you were [bleep] with me on purpose.
- I don'’t know what you want to hear.
- Okay, you got some attitude right now.
- I don'’t have attitude... - You do.
- I'’m just-- - I need you to kind of
accept the fact that you have done something wrong here.
- I know I did something wrong. - Okay, and then--
- I know that, and I don'’t have an attitude.
- You do, but it'’s okay.
What I want you to do, for Ray'’s sake,
I really need you to just drop the attitude
and just tell your side of the story.
- Um...
I did the account when I was 14 because--
I don'’t know, I wasn'’t...
I wasn'’t happy with who I was,
and... [sniffles]
Growing up, I was teased so much.
- Teased how? Why?
- They would say that, like,
"You'’re too black,
and no one'’s gonna want a black girl."
Like, s-- little stuff like that,
and so, like, I started to pretend to be somebody else
to get away from, like, who I was.
[sniffling]
[melancholy music]
♪
When I started talking to Ray-- I don'’t know, like, we just--
I just clicked with him, I guess.
Like, I could really be myself.
I was comfortable.
Like, I was able to tell him anything
and not be--feel like I'’m being judged.
- But at this point, it'’s just you.
- Mm. - Just Lexi and Ray
talking and texting and everything was great.
- Mm-hmm. - So how do we get from there
to two sisters, other fake Kik profiles,
like, what--can you explain just sort of how that happened?
- I don'’t-- - '’Cause it sounds like you had
a good thing and then you sort of started to screw it up.
- I just wanted him to believe it.
Like, I wanted him to know, like, it was all "real."
I was like, "Okay, well, hey, well, let me make up sisters
so he will believe that it'’s real."
Yeah, it sounds [bleep] up, but that'’s just what I did...
at 14 years old.
- When you talk to Ray on the phone,
do you change your voice?
- Yeah, I did. - You did.
- Higher. - Okay.
- [scoffs] - And why did you do that?
- I didn'’t want to be me at the time.
I didn'’t like my race, I didn'’t like anything.
That'’s why I did the Mexican girl.
I wanted to be someone different.
- So, the girls in the profile, you--you know them?
♪
And they know that you'’re using their pictures?
- [sniffles]
- Did you have real feelings for Ray?
Like, did you actually care about him or were you just--
- I did at first.
The first two years, I think, like, just--I got older.
Like, I'’m 16 years old and I'’m realizing,
"Hey, well, I'’m happy with who I am now."
Having to pretend to be somebody else
is not what I wanted to keep doing.
- Those feelings for Ray kind of diminished.
- Yeah. - What I don'’t get is,
why would it be so hard for you to tell him the truth
if you don'’t care about him? Like, if it--
if you'’re not desperately trying to keep him in your life,
and you don'’t need him to make you feel good,
why not just say, "Hey, I'’m actually this person--"
- I couldn'’t do it. - Okay.
- I'’m thinking, "Okay, I'’m hurting his feelings,
but I don'’t want to hurt his feelings more by saying it."
I don'’t know, like, I wasn'’t intentionally trying
to hurt anybody. I really wasn'’t.
I'’m not a bad person. Like, I'’m not a mean person.
I didn'’t mean for it to go on for years and years and years.
I didn'’t mean for any of this.
- I get the whole, "I was bullied."
You know, that sucks, but then to turn around
and do something equally as [bleep] up is not okay.
- I understand that I put you through so much,
and I'’m sorry. Like, I really am.
- The way you were treated, we see it a lot.
Growing up is tough. Especially with social media.
The thing that really frustrates me
is that people who get hurt
end up hurting other people.
It'’s sad, but I hope that
what we'’re doing here and now
and, you know, people are watching realize
that cycle needs to stop at some point.
- I just hope that,
you know, you get past all that.
Don'’t just go back to-- to doing that ever again.
I hope you won'’t do that again. - I'’m not.
- I really hope not... - I'’m not.
- And, you know, you did what you did
and, you know, in the end, this is, like,
it'’s [bleep] up.
- I'’m sorry. I just keep saying that.
- All right, let'’s get out of here.
- See you, guys. - All right, bye, Marlayna.
- Bye.
♪
- That was rough.
[sighs]
- ♪ I'’m moving on... ♪
- Recovery starts now.
- ♪ I'’m moving on ♪
- ♪ Break down the walls...
- This is way better than not knowing anything.
- ♪ I'’m moving on ♪
- I wonder if she still has your dick pic.
- Oh, God.
[laughter]
[Skype call ringing]
- Hey, Ray! - What'’s up?
- What'’s up, Ray? [all laugh]
How are you? - I'’m good, man.
It'’s snowing. - Have you had any communication
with Marlayna? - No, mm-mm.
- So you haven'’t heard from Alexia or Lexa or Lexi or...
- [laughs] - Alexis or...
- No, none of '’em. It still feels awkward to me
how it happened, '’cause then, like,
I go think about the old conversations and I'’m like,
"Wow, man, that was all fake."
- Well, you did the best you could here.
I have a good feeling that you'’ll come out on top.
- All right, man, later.
- Later.
[Skype call ringing]
both: Hey. - Hey.
- How are ya? - I'’m good.
I feel better.
- Do you ever miss Ray or think about him?
- I did think about him the other day '’cause I was like,
"I really did put him through so much stuff."
- Do you think that you'’ve learned anything about yourself
by going through all this?
- I became a better me than I was four years ago.
- Do you feel bad about lying to us?
- Yeah. [both chuckle]
Lying and lying and lying just gives me headache.
Thank you, guys, for the experience.
It helped me get through that.
- Good to see you. - Good to see you guys.
- Bye. - Take care.
- "My name is Joanna.
I am currently still in love with a girl named Bo."
Something happened. - Yeah.
We ended up kind of cuddling.
- With Bo'’s best friend Ana?
- Why do you have to say it like that?
- Wow. - Wow.
[thud] - No, [bleep] you.
- You [bleep] bitch. - [bleep] you, bitch.
I don'’t give a [bleep]. Oh, my God.
I want to get the [bleep] out of here.