Catfish: The TV Show (2012–…): Season 6, Episode 16 - Robert & Ashleigh - full transcript

- She was my first
meaningful relationship

after I was pronounced dead
twice.

And I just want to see

if the feelings were real.

- What could she possibly
be lying about

that could shock him?

How bad could it be?

Whoa!

- "Suspects charged
in homicide."

- What?

[dramatic musical sting]



Just pick a card
when you see it.

All right.

Find a good spot
to put it in.

Okay.
Is that it?

- Mm-mm.

- No?

That'’s it.
both: No.

- Just keep going;
you'’ll get to it.

Wait, you want to see me--
- No! No!

- You want
to watch me find it?

- Go like this.
Just go like this.

Is that your card?

- There'’s no way
this is my card.

- No, no.



- What?

- [laughing]

What?
[laughter]

John, I am
actually impressed.

I for sure was like,
"This is--no, this is not--

He blew it."

All right,
let'’s see what we got.

Whoa!

"Is This Love Possible?"

"Hey, Nev and Max.
My name is Robert.

I'’m 23 years old
and live in..."

[music winds down]

- Hav...
- Havra de Grah.

- Is that a place?

- All right,
so "My name is Robert.

I'’m 23 years old,
and I live in Maryland."

[laughter]

"Until last summer,

"I was in a relationship
with a girl named Ashleigh.

"Ashleigh is 22 years old
and lives in Tennessee.

"and for two years,
we spoke on the phone

"and messaged every day.

"Ashleigh is caring and sweet.

"She was there for me

"when no one else was.

We fell in love
even though we never met."

-♪ Girl, I'’d go anywhere
for you ♪

- "Finally, last summer,
I told Ashleigh

"that I wanted her
to move up to Maryland

"and marry me.

- Whoa!
- Marry-land.

- ♪Are we in love yet? ♪

♪

- That'’s a big deal.
- That'’s a big deal.

- He asked her to marry him.

- I mean, which is crazy,
'’cause they never met.

"She seemed to be into it

"but then said
she had something to tell me.

"She admitted she was lying
about who she was,

and the pictures she sent me
were fake."

- Fake news.

- "I was honestly
so heartbroken and pissed off

"that I tried
to forget about her.

"I didn'’t hear from her
for months.

"But on Christmas, she started
to message me again.

"I wanted
to start things back up

"and try to meet her,
but my health got in the way.

It always does."

Hmm.

"I'’ve been in and out
of hospitals

"over the past few months,

"and I wanted to wait
until my strength returned

"before I could try
and meet Ashleigh again.

"I don'’t really know how long
my life will be,

and I don'’t want to live
with any regrets."

- Oh, no.

- "I will always regret
not meeting this girl.

Can you guys help me?"

His story'’s incredible.

He already knows
she lied to him,

but he doesn'’t care,
'’cause he loves her,

and he'’s not sure
how long he has to live,

and he wants to meet his girl.

It'’s crazy.
All right.

[line rings]

- Hey!
- Hey, Robert!

- Hey, what'’s up?
-How you doing?

- I'’m doing good.
How are you?

- Good.
- Not bad.

- Are you in--
how do you pronounce it?

Hayver de Gers?

- "Havee de Grace."

- It'’s kind of fun to say,
Havre de Grace.

- Yeah.
[laughs]

- So we just read your email.
- Yeah.

- Very interesting story.

We'’d love to kind of know more.

You have some health issues?

- Yeah, in 2009,
I was 15 years old,

and I was sick

and ended up paralyzed
from the neck down, and--

- Wow.
- Jesus.

- Eventually got it down
to, like, right here,

my chest, and gained my arms.

It took a while to adjust.

I'’m just, you know, still now
just getting comfortable

with being paralyzed
and being myself.

The doctors told me
that eventually

I'’m going to become immune
to all antibiotics

and that I was going
to eventually die,

so I'’m just kind of, like,

trying to live every day
like it'’s my last

and not regret anything.

And I really don'’t want
to regret

not meeting Ashleigh.

- Yeah, I mean, that--
that makes sense.

- Yeah. Tell us about
how that all started

and what'’s going on now.

- In 2014, I was in and out
of the hospital a lot,

- ♪ Love comes in pieces slow

- She didn'’t have no, like,
profile pictures or anything,

but, like, I like personality
more than anything.

So she had a lot of stuff
in her bio

about, like, video games
and, like, the music she liked,

and it was, you know,
similar to what I liked,

so we got to talking
about that.

And then she sent me pictures,

and it just kind of, like,
blossomed into something more.

- Did she know from the start
that you had health issues?

- Yeah, and, like,
that helped me

get through so much,

to always have her to talk to
no matter what.

And no other person, you know,
since I was paralyzed,

really showed
that much interest in me.

Like, I honestly
fell in love with her.

- ♪ Your heart and my heart

- So a year ago,
you proposed to her.

- Yeah.

Almost immediately,
right after,

she'’s like, "There'’s something
I got to tell you."

And she'’s like, "The girl
in the pictures and stuff

is not me."

And I was, like, upset

and just stopped talking.

- Are you in contact now?

- No.

- What do you think
is the deal?

- I'’m not sure.

Like, I'’m a very open person.

I accept people
for who they are.

I just don'’t know why
she never told me everything.

- Do you still have

really strong feelings
for Ashleigh?

- Yeah, like, I love her,

but I think she never really
opened up fully to me.

A part of me
will always love her,

no matter what,

because we spent a lot of time
in a relationship

during the hardest time
of my life, you know.

And so it would mean a lot
to me

if I could really meet her.

- Well, look, we might be able
to figure out who she is.

And we know she lied;
she admitted it.

At the very least, like,
we can go meet her

and bring her to meet you

and see if we can
figure that out.

- All right.
Well, thank you so much.

- I'’m really looking forward
to meeting you.

- Great. I'’m looking forward
to meeting you guys too.

- Later.

- Later.

- Jesus.

What a terrible,
unfortunate story.

- We got to go help this guy.
- We got to go.

- Yeah, let'’s do it.

- ♪ Come on, I'’ll meet you there
at midnight ♪

♪ For you, I'’ll bring
the Googoo Googoo ♪

♪ Too many days
in a canapé ♪

♪ Never mind I smell
of springtime ♪

- All right, we made it
to Baltimore.

- Whoo!

- Baltimore!
- Yeah!

[laughter]

- All right,Robert.

He seems like
a really nice guy

who just randomly got stuck

with this terrible paralysis.

- Yeah.

When he says he wants to live
every day to the fullest

because it could be his last,
he means it.

- Right.
Oh, here is Havre de Grace.

Look, there she blows.

Okay.
- Let'’s do it.

- Let'’s do this.

- Hey, what'’s up?

- I'’m Patrick.
- Patrick, come on out.

What'’s up?
This is Max.

- How you doing, man?
- How you doing?

- Nice to meet you.
- I'’m his neighbor.

- Oh, cool.
- Taking care of him.

- Oh, sweet.
- Helping out.

- Nice.
- You can come in.

- What'’s up, buddy?
- Hey, man.

- What'’s up?
- How you doing?

- Good.

- Is this
your preferred position?

- Yeah, comfortable.

I'’m not hurting
in this position.

- Are you--
- You look very comfortable.

I mean, like--
- Yeah, I'’m jealous.

- One hand behind your head,
just like--

- See if I can get in there.

Oh!

Oh, yeah.
- [laughs]

- Okay.

- So has there been
an understanding or diagnosis

of, like, what happened?

- Basically, my, you know,
immune system

attacked itself,

and it swelled my spine
in two places,

and it paralyzed me.

- That must have been
[bleep] scary.

- It was, and, like,
the way I motivated myself

to, you know,
gain my strength back

was video games.

[video game noises]

Like, the more you move
your muscles, you know,

it'’s potentially
occupational therapy,

so you gain it back.

So I was doing
as much as I can.

But doctors told me
and my mom

that my body is becoming immune
to the antibiotics,

and they said that
"he'’s going to die."

- [sighs]

- Jeez.

- So I was, you know, just
kind of terrified about that.

In 2014,
I went in cardiac arrest.

I flatlined dozens of times.

I was pronounced dead twice,
in a coma for four days.

- [sighs]

- How did you go
from being pronounced dead twice

to meeting Ashleigh?

- I met Ashleigh while I was
in a different nursing home,

and we started talking.

Her profiles
would never have pictures

and albums of, you know,
a person.

She would always send me
the pictures

of the girl
that I was falling for.

- What does she look like?

- Blonde and really, really hot.

- Didn'’t you think, like,
"Wait a second"?

- Well, she sent multiple
different, like, you know,

pictures of her.

Like, it wasn'’t just
one picture.

- How long after you started
talking to Ashleigh

did she send you
a picture?

- A couple weeks.

- So when you met her,
you really just liked her

because of her personality.

- Yeah.

- She was nice to talk to.

It wasn'’t because she was
some super-hot babe.

- No.

- You said, "Let'’s get married"?
- Yeah.

- Was she, like,
excited and enthusiastic?

- Yeah, she was excited.

But when she told me
she wasn'’t who she said she was,

I kind of, like--
"Okay, this is just too much."

- Why did you do that?
Why didn'’t you--

- '’Cause I was just already,
like, heartbroken completely.

- Did you even give her
a chance?

Did you say, "Well, okay,
so send me a photo of you"?

- No, I don'’t even think
I did that.

- Like, try to talk about it?

- No, I was kind of scared,

and everything just, like,
played back in my head.

Like...

I think she was intimidated
about, you know,

maybe one day
having to take care of me.

And I think it just
might have been too much.

So it was just overwhelming.

- Is she in school?
Does she have a job?

- No.

Like, I don'’t know if she has
a disability herself or what,

but she said the state
sent her money.

She just stays home.

- Do you have most of
your text conversations?

- Just a bit of it
from when she was apologizing.

Like, she sent me a lot.

- Oh, wow.
All right.

Well, can I scroll to the top?
- Yeah.

- So she said, "Hey,
I just wanted to tell you

"how sorry I am
for not just hurting you

"but breaking your heart too.

"You'’re such
a kindhearted person.

"I'’m not looking for a reply
or for you to forgive me.

"But even if you don'’t trust me,

"you still deserve an apology
and an explanation.

"I'’m sorry
I wasn'’t there for you

or made you feel better
when you needed it."

And then you didn'’t talk to her
for a few weeks,

and then she said,
"Happy birthday."

And you said, "Thanks."

And she said,
"Hope it goes well."

And then she texted you again,
"Happy Valentine."

So she'’s been kind of, like,
reaching out periodically.

- Yeah.

She meant a lot to me,
because, you know,

she was my first
meaningful relationship.

And I just want to see
if, you know,

the feelings were real.

- We got to figure out
who this girl is.

Let us do a little digging,
see what we can find out.

- Whatever it takes.

- Good to meet you.

- Good to meet you.

- This is new territory
for us.

- Yeah, if she were
really sorry, like...

- Right. She'’d say,
"This is who I really am."

What could she possibly
be lying about

that could shock him?

Honestly, how bad could it be?

- Hold on!

Who is it?
I can'’t see.

- Splash scalding hot tea
in your face.

- I can'’t see it.

I can only see the tea;
I can'’t see you.

Nice plaid flannel shirt.

- All right, let'’s see
what we can figure out.

- All right.
- Okay, here we go.

Robert email.

"Hey, guys, this is
what I know about Ashleigh.

"She told me that her name
is Ashleigh [bleep].

"She lives in Knoxville,
Tennessee.

And she'’s 22 years old."

- We'’ve got a phone number.

- I think we start
with the phone number.

Search.

- What?
- What?

Whoa.Gina?

- Gina [bleep], late 50s.

- Ew. And look,
she'’s in Tennessee.

Let'’s look that name up
on Facebook.

- Choose location.

- Look, she'’s from Memphis.

- She'’s got kids.
I mean...

- Well...

- She doesn'’t strike me
as the kind of person--

- Well, it could be
her daughter.

- I don'’t think that this woman
really is her.

I mean, what else
do we even have to look up?

- Do a cut-and-paste search
for her full name,

"Ashleigh [bleep] [bleep]"
in Tennessee.

All right,
do we have anything?

Whoa!

- Whoa.
- Time out.

- Her full name.

- "Suspects in homicide"?

They'’re from Tennessee.

- Oh, Nashville!

- Yeah,
that'’s what I'’m saying.

Are you kidding me?

- "Four people were charged
with murder."

- Dude,
Ashleigh [bleep] [bleep].

- 20.
- From Tennessee.

- "Facilitation
of first-degree homicide"?

This was two years ago.

This girl...
both: Is 22.

[dramatic music]

- She said she was using meth

for two days prior
to the homicide.

Did she get charged?
- I don'’t know!

He thought that she might be
inside all day.

She could be in prison.

- Well, or it could be because
she'’s not allowed

to leave the state of Tennessee
for legal reasons.

- I mean, this is crazy.

She'’s from Tennessee.

She'’s exactly the right age.

She'’s got
exactly the right name.

It'’s her!

- [sighs]

I mean, look.

Bottom line is,

got a couple leads.

But what we know for sure

is that Robert'’s time
is limited.

So why don'’t we just skip
to dessert on this one,

call Ashleigh?

Robert wants answers.

- Yes.

- The last thing
I want to do right now

is go over there
and tell him, like,

"Well, all we know

is that she could be involved
in a murder."

- Meth-addled murderer.

- Spare him.

- Let'’s just give him
the results.

[line rings]

- Hi.
Is this Ashleigh?

- My name is Nev.

I'’m making a show
called "Catfish"--

I don'’t know if you'’ve
heard of it--on MTV.

Yeah, sorry,
this must be a little weird.

I got your number
from your friend Robert

in Maryland.

He regrets that things
kind of went the way they did

and still would like
to meet you and sort of--

You mean just--
just about the photos?

Or was there more than that?

He still--he definitely
still has feelings--

- He definitely
still has feelings--

Is there any other
huge part of who you are

that you lied to him about?

Yeah.

I understand.

No pressure, obviously.

But I'’d at least
like to meet you.

I could probably fly
to Knoxville later today,

and maybe tomorrow we could--

Yeah, well, Robert,
you know--

I mean, not to be
overly dramatic,

but, like, every day
is a gift for him.

Okay, cool.
So look, just sit tight.

I'’ll get over to Knoxville,

and tomorrow we'’ll find
a time to get together,

and we'’ll chat.

Okay, thanks, Ashleigh.

What does your expert
voice detection tell you?

- There were birds chirping
in the background.

Those were definitely birds.
- Really?

- So she'’s not, like,
deep inside of a--

- Solitary, right.

What could she be hiding?

- What could she be hiding?

- So get over to Robert'’s.

I'’m going to head
to the airport.

- This is crazy.
So we'’re gonna split.

- Are you gonna be okay?

- You know I'’ll be fine.

Are yougonna be okay?

All right, so right now,

we'’re headed over
to Robert'’s house.

Nev is on his way
to the airport

to go meet Ashleigh.

- Solo mission.

- I hope he'’s gonna be okay.

- And if I'’ve ever wanted
to help someone on this show,

it'’s Robert.

He got a really tough break
as a teenager,

and the best thing
that'’s happened to him

has been this girl.

- So I'’m gonna go over
to Robert'’s house.

I'’m gonna show him
a little bit of what we found.

And yeah, I mean, otherwise,

I'’m just gonna hold down
the fort

until Nev gets back.

[knocks]
Yo.

Hey, Robert.
- Hey.

- How you doing, man?

- Good.

- So you mind
if I sit down?

So are we leaning back today?

- Yeah.

- All right.
- Yeah.

- Okay, so did a bunch
of research,

and as you could see,
Nev is not here right now.

So Nev called the number,

and Nev actually talked to her.

She'’s super nervous.

And so Nev offered
to go to Knoxville,

meet her, and, like,
convince her to come back.

- What?

- But who is this person?
- Yeah.

- So the first thing we did

is that we looked up
the phone number,

and we got a hit...

- Oh, God.

- For a Gina R. [bleep].

- Yeah, I'’m looking
at the "late 50s."

- Right.
- The age.

- She'’s in her late 50s.
- Yeah.

- Okay, so then we looked up
Gina [bleep] on Facebook,

and we actually found one
in Memphis, Tennessee.

She looks to be
in her late 50s.

- Yeah.

- Do you think
that that could be

the person
you'’ve been talking to?

- No.
- Why not?

- Because she sounds
really young

on the phone.

- Well, that'’s what
we figured,

but a voice is easy to fake.

- Yeah.

- Then we searched
for an Ashleigh [bleep] [bleep]

on Google
just to search her name

and see what we find.

And we found this.

"Suspects in homicide."

[tense music]

- What?

- Ashleigh [bleep] [bleep], 20,

first-degree murder.

- Oh, my God.

- She'’s from Tennessee.

She'’s got
exactly the right name.

It says she'’s 20 there,
but this is from 2015.

- So she'’d be 22 now.

- Which is exactly how old
she'’s supposed to be, right?

- Yeah.

- Apparently, she
and three guys from Tennessee

were accused
of killing a guy.

- Whoa.

- Did Ashleigh ever mention
anything like this,

like a big issue
in her past?

- No, nothing like that.

- Maybe she couldn'’t
come live with you

because she can'’t leave
the state.

- Wow.

- Would you accept someone

who was involved in a murder?

- But...

I mean, I guess cops
accidentally kill people.

- She could be a cop

that accidentally kidnapped and
killed someone while on meth?

- [laughs]

- I'’m just saying.

If not, what could she
possibly be hiding

that she can'’t tell you?

- I'’m not sure.

But, I mean, I may not be
everyone'’s type myself

'’cause of the disability,so...

Everyone deserves a chance.

- ♪It'’s up to you ♪

- We can work with that.

- All right.

- ♪ The ugliest of days

[phone rings]

- Hey!
- Hey!

- Hey!
- How is it over there?

- I just texted with Ashleigh.

She gave me her address
and told me to come by.

So right now, we'’re about
to head over to meet her.

How did he take
the whole murder thing?

- I showed him everything,
and he was like,

"You know, everyone deserves
a chance.

"I deserve a chance.

You know, I'’m not
most people'’s type."

He just really wants
to meet her

and start a relationship
with her,

if all goes well.

You know, the pressure'’s on you

to really rope this one in.

- All right, well, sit tight.

I'’m gonna go over there
and talk to her.

- You better succeed.

- This is different.

This is hard.
This is tricky.

There'’s a lot more at stake
than normal.

There'’s no turning back.

I'’m walking into a web here,

and I don'’t know
whose web it is

and how hungry they are.

[dramatic music]

Oh, there it is.

♪

Okay.

♪

[knocking at door]

Hi.

Ashleigh, right?
- Yeah.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Nice to meet you.

How'’s it going?

- Uh, it'’s going.
- Yeah.

Obviously, you know
why I'’m here.

We met Robert.

You guys have been having
this kind of crazy relationship

for the past three-plus years.

- Mm-hmm.

- And yeah, he wanted
to meet you.

- Mm-hmm.

- But in our search

to see if we could find out
more about you,

we discovered there'’s
an Ashleigh [bleep] [bleep]

in Tennessee who was involved
in a homicide.

However, it'’s clear
it'’s not you in the mugshot.

You don'’t have any, like,
strange criminal...

- No.

- [sighs]

I mean, like, you'’re already
on the plus side of things.

I'’m curious just to know
a little bit more about you.

- Well, where should I start?

Well, your name
is Ashleigh, right?

Ashleigh [bleep] [bleep],right?

- Mm-hmm.
- I mean, like, that'’s good.

So the way Robert told us,
you guys met on MeetMe.

Why, after your sort of
first few weeks of talking,

did you feel the need

to send him photos
of someone else?

- When I was younger,
I was bullied a lot.

My mother put me down a lot,

and I just felt like
nobody would like me,

and I felt like if I told him,
he wouldn'’t want to be with me.

And I didn'’t want him to leave.

My mother passed away
when I was 18.

I loved her, but there was
a point in my life

where I could say
that I didn'’t really feel

any feelings towards her.

- That'’s really awful.

Does Robert know all of that?

- I'’ve told him quite a bit
about it, yeah.

- Okay, so you haven'’t lied
to him about your life, really.

- Uh-uh.

- It was just the photos.

- Mm-hmm.

- And so Robert'’s
sort of impression

that you guys were,
I think, you know, in love,

is that something
that you felt as well?

- Yes.

- You were just as invested.

- Yes.

- If you want to meet this guy

and see what'’s there,
what could be,

like, for a young man
who doesn'’t know

how long they'’re gonna be
on this planet,

he doesn'’t want
to keep losing time.

You got to do it.

- But I feel like
I can'’t face him.

I'’m pretty terrified.

- I'’m pretty terrified.

I don'’t know if I'’m ready
to face him.

- But he likes you.

He needs someone
that'’s gonna love him

and want to take care of him.

Is it because you'’re probably
maybe not so interested

in, like, taking care of him?

- I mean, honestly,
I wouldn'’t mind doing it.

- Really?

- I helped take care
of my mother

before she passed,
for years.

- Right.

- And my dad has
early-on Alzheimer'’s.

I help take care of him.

- So you'’re kind of, like,
the family nurse.

- Yeah.

- The foundation that you have
with Robert

and the realities
of yours and his life,

like, in many ways,
match up.

I really think meeting him
would be great for both of you.

- Um...

Okay.

- Yeah.
That was easy, right?

- No.

- Plus, he'’s already
considered the fact

that you might be a murderer,

so you'’re already doing well
not being one.

- [laughs]

- If we'’re gonna go
to Maryland,

we should do it today.

- Okay.

- Put together a little bag,

and we'’ll leave.

- Okay.

[phone line rings]

- Max.

- What'’s up?
What'’s the news?

- Though very, very nervous
and worried...

- Whoa.
- Epic.

- Is she the killer?

- Thank God.

- Well, that'’s good.

- ...bringing you together
will be a really good thing.

- Nice work, buddy.

All right.
- Thank you.

- Robert is very happy
over here.

- All right, well, good.

So hang tight.
We'’re gonna...

- All right, buddy.
Enjoy the travel.

- What do you make of that?

- It was epic
that she'’s coming.

I'’m really excited.

- Yeah?

- I, like, can'’t stop
smiling and thinking.

I wonder if we'’re
gonna hold hands.

- ♪Tell me, once you give us
one more chance? ♪

- Okay.

Wow, you got it all.

- ♪ I think about you ♪

- Okay, here we go.

- I'’ve never been
on a plane before at all.

- Wow, first time
on a plane.

- Yeah.

- Pssssh!
That'’s already a big deal.

Forget that we'’re flying
to a place you'’ve never been

to meet a guy you were
or are in love with.

- I--I--I do love him.
I'’ll always love him.

- You guys are perfect
for each other.

- Fingers crossed.
[laughs]

- Okay, McGhee Tyson Airport.

- ♪ Tell me, would you
give us one more try? ♪

- Give me your best model walk.
There it is.

Uh-huh.
Give it to me.

Mm-mm.
Yes, yes, yes.

- ♪ Heavy-hearted trouble
on my mind ♪

♪ '’Cause I, I think about,
I think about you ♪

- ♪I think about,
I think about you ♪

- Hey.
- Hey, you look great.

- Thank you.
- How are you feeling?

- I'’m really [bleep] nervous.

- You'’re really nervous.Okay.

Well, that'’s all right.

Why don'’t we just check in
with Max,

see what'’s going on over there?

I'’m sure
Robert'’s nervous too.

[phone line rings]

- Oh, this is Nev calling.

- All right, cool.
Dope.

- Hello?

- Yo.
Good morning.

- Good morning.

- Nev!
- Hey, Robert.

Well, I'’m over at the hotel
with a lovely young lady.

- Yes.
- Say hi, lady.

- Hi.

- Hey.

What'’s up, boo-boo?

- [laughs]

I might barf on you.

- Uh-oh.

- Aw.

- ...super nervous.

But we'’re ready to come over,

if you guys are ready
to have us.

- Hell, yeah, I'’m ready!

[laughter]

Come to Daddy, boo-boo!

- All right, boo-boo.

[laughs]
Bye.

Here we go.

What are you most nervous about?

- Everything, I guess.

I just really want him
to like me.

- It'’s gonna be good.

All right.

Okay.

- Okay.

- Okay, ready?

- I might barf.
- Here she is.

- You'’re not actually
gonna barf, are you?

- I might.
- I don'’t think you are.

- I might.
I'’m being serious. I might.

- Come on, princess.

- You'’re good.
You'’re good. You'’re good.

- No, I'’m so nervous.

- All right, man.
This is it.

- Come on.

- Oh, [bleep].
- No.

- Okay, ready?

- I might barf.

- Wait, they'’re here.

- All right, cool.

- You ready?
- Yeah.

- You'’re not actually
gonna barf, are you?

- I might.
- I don'’t think you are.

- I might.
I'’m being serious.

I might.

- Come on, princess!

- You'’re good.
You'’re good. You'’re good.

- No, I'’m so nervous.

- All right, man.
This is it.

- Oh, [bleep].

- No.

- Come on.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- I don'’t feel like it.

- Hi, I'’m Max.
- This is Ashleigh.

- Hi.
Nice to meet you.

- Very nervous.
- How you doing?

Why--why are you
so nervous?

- I...I might barf.

[laughter]

- Take a deep breath.

[inhales and exhales deeply]

- I'’m breathing.

- I know.
I can hear you breathing.

- [laughs]

- Okay.
See, that wasn'’t so bad.

- Yes, it was.

- So, Ashleigh, Robert.

- Hi.

- Robert, Ashleigh.

- Here we are.

[laughs]

- Is it weird to be here?

- Yeah.

- Does Robert look different

than how you'’ve seen him
in all the--

- Uh-uh.
- No?

This is exactly
what you expected?

- Mm-hmm.

- I'’d love to know
a little bit about your story.

- Me too.

- When you met Robert,
what was that account?

- It was an account on MeetMe.

- Uh-uh.
And why did you...

- Because I wasn'’t really
comfortable with who I was.

There was a lot of abuse
that went down.

My mom would always comment
on how I looked

or what I smelled like
or if my hair looked bad.

And when I told her
I was suffering from depression

and I self-harmed,she said

she didn'’t want to listen,
she didn'’t care.

- I cared,
and I talked to you for hours.

- I know.

I really like talking to you,

so I just kept talkingto you.

I told you that I wasn'’t
the girl in the pictures

and that I was sorry.

And I kept saying "sorry."

- I was just scared.

That'’s the only reason
I disappeared.

- Mm-hmm.

- I'’m sorry.

- When you were talking
to Robert,

were your feelings
for him genuine?

- Yes.

- And you know what,
kind of, going out with him

would entail, right?

It'’s a commitment.

- I already take care
of everybody else.

- Yeah, I mean,
when Ashleigh'’s mom...

- Passed, I helped take care
of her for years,

and I took care--I still
take care of my dad.

- She'’s a very caring person.

And so it'’s been hard
for Ashleigh,

because she felt like

she had hurt you
and that you were upset

and didn'’t want to bother you.

- I was depressed.

But I got over everything.

Don'’t worry.
Be happy.

- Why don'’t--let'’s take
a two-second break,

get a little fresh air.

I want to see
how you'’re feeling.

We'’ll come right back.

- I'’m shocked.

- Bad shock or good shock?

- Don'’t know.

- She seems to really
have feelings for you.

- Yeah.

- But not your type?

- I don'’t know.

Just love hurts.
I'’m just scared.

- So?

Not so bad, right?

- It still feels
pretty overwhelming.

- Sure, it'’s a little awkward.

What do you--when you
sort of sit with him

and you look at him
and you hear him talking

and, like, making jokes,
like, how does that feel?

- It feels good.

- Well, that'’s good.

- [laughs]
Yeah.

- Yeah.

- What are you feeling
right now?

- Anxious.

- The door'’s open for you

to have a relationship
with this girl.

Would--are you open to that?

- I don'’t know.

I don'’t--I don'’t know.

I'’m, like, nervous, scared.

- Of what?

- Just falling harder
and then being hurt worse.

- You got this girl.

She'’s cool.

She likes the same stuffyou do.

That checks a lot
of boxes, you know?

- True.

Just scared of getting hurt.

- But if you'’re scared
of getting hurt,

that means that you have
real feelings for her.

- Yeah.

- I think you should
kind of, like,

feel it out a little more

before you have to come
to a decision.

- [sighs]

- All right, let me--
let me just go see

what Nev is up to.

- All right.

- Where'’s Nev?

- He'’s in the car.

- Just me?
Okay, hold on.

Max just wants to talk to me
quickly.

-We have a problem.

I think he'’s not feeling it,

but he feels guilty
for not feeling it.

And he, like, doesn'’t know
how to extricate,

and he'’s like, "I just
don'’t want to get hurt."

But I actually think
he'’s, like,

being crushed under the, like,
anxiety of this right now.

- Right.

The sad thing is that
all of her

worst fears of being,
like, rejected--

- And I think he knows that.
- Right.

- You got a lot of things
going on in your head right now.

I'’d like to know
what they are.

- My health, if I'’m going
to fall back in love with her,

if, you know,
we'’re just gonna be okay

as being friends.

Am I gonna break her heart?

Am I gonna get
my heart broken?

- All valid.

- Yeah.

- So now what?

- First of all,
for someone who struggles

with a lot of things,

the fact that you agreed
to fly to Maryland

on a television show
to meet someone

that you have
very strong feelings--

like, that'’s incredible.

That said, we already know
he likes Ashleigh as a friend,

so I don'’t know if he'’s ready
to make a decision

on, like, anything further
than that.

- Mm-hmm.

- It'’s gonna take time.

- Yeah.

- All right, we'’re back.

- Someone hates
getting wet.

- [sighs]

- Okay.
So look.

Here we are.

- Eventually,
Ashleigh has to go back

to Knoxville, obviously.

- Yeah.

- What do you--
now that you'’ve met

and sort of hopefully put
most, if not all,

of the mystery and confusion
behind you,

like, what do you guys want
moving forward?

- Friends at the least.

Friends at the least,
so more, maybe.

- That'’s how you--
and do you imagine...

- Mm-hmm.
- Well, that'’s good.

I mean, that'’s like--
that'’s a huge win

in this type of situation.

- Yeah.

- Most catfish
don'’t get that far.

- Yeah.

- How are you feeling?

- I don'’t know.

- That'’s to be expected.

This has already been
a lot.

All right, so...

- Nev and I are going
to step outside.

- Yeah.

- And you guys can kind of
say good-bye to each other.

- Roberto?

All right, buddy.
- Yes?

- Good meeting you, man.

We'’ll come through
next time we'’re in the '’hood.

- All right.
- I'’ll see you outside.

- We'’ll see you
out in the car.

- Yeah.

- ♪ It took a lot
to introduce myself ♪

♪ I had to put my heart up

- Thank you.

- ♪ I didn'’t know ♪

♪ That it could be so hard

♪

♪ That night, I got home

♪ I was all alone

♪ And left to wonder
about the great unknown ♪

- Hey.
- Hey.

- That was fast.

- I gave him a hug
and told him I loved him,

and I left.

- Aw.

- Yeah.

-♪ Hope that time

♪ Doesn'’t pass us by ♪

♪ Or am I fooling myself?

- I feel kind of sad,

'’cause everything isn'’t, like,
the way it used to be,

but I'’m glad I met him.

I'’m really glad I met him.

- And who knows what'’ll happen?

- Yeah.

- ♪ Time doesn'’t pass us by ♪

[computer ringing]

both: Yo!

- What up?

- Not much, just chilling.

- What'’s going on
with Ashleigh?

You guys talking?

- No.

But I let her know
that I was, you know,

talking to a girl.

- Whoa.
Is she local?

- She'’s local.

She'’s, like, 30 minutes away.

- So you and Ashleigh

haven'’t really talked
in how long now?

- About a month.

She got all pissy with me,

and I just could not put up
with her.

It'’s just for the best.

I can'’t deal with a lot
of drama right now.

I got to worry about my health,

or I'’m not gonna be around.

- Well, look, we'’re about
to talk to Ashleigh.

- Anything you want us
to tell her?

- Just that I hope
she'’s doing good.

- All right.
- Have a great summer.

- All right.

- Good talking to you, man.
Good luck.

- All right. Thanks.
-Later, buddy.

[computer ringing]

both: Hey!

- Hey.
-What'’s up, Ashleigh?

We just talked to Robert.

What'’s going on with you guys?

- Well, it was great

for, like, the first two days
or whatever.

Then we had a fight.

He pretty much
disregards the fact

that, like, I have feelings.

I tried really hard

to show that I care about him
and I love him,

and he doesn'’t give a [bleep].

It really hurts,

because he won'’t even
recognize how I feel.

- Doesn'’t sound like you guys
are meant to be together.

- Yeah.

- There'’s a better match
for you

somewhere else.

- Yeah.

- You deserve to be with someone

who makes you feel good
about yourself,

and if that'’s not Robert,
then that'’s not Robert.

- Mm-hmm.

- You have a bright future

if you just let yourself
pursue it.

- Yeah.

- All right, Ashleigh.

Nice talking to you.

- Yeah.
- Bye, Ashleigh.

1058
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