The star and executive producer of MTV’s hit show “Catfish,” Nev Schulman, has been accused of sexual misconduct by a one-time subject of the reality show. In response, the network has put the show on hiatus and suspended Schulman pending an internal investigation.
Ayissha Morgan, a woman who appeared on a 2015 episode, posted videos to her YouTube channel accusing the show’s star of sexual harassment. According to Morgan, who’s a self-described lesbian, Schulman questioned her sexuality and engaged in unwanted advances toward her. It’s unclear from the account if Morgan, who apparently invited Schulman up to her hotel room at one point, made it clear to the star that the alleged advances were unwanted.
Schulman, a husband and father, has denied the accusations. “I have always been transparent about my life and would always take responsibility for my actions — but these claims are false,” he said, adding that former show employees could corroborate his innocence.
According to The New York Times, “the show’s seventh season ended in March, but future production is now on hiatus pending the outcome of an internal investigation into Mr. Schulman.”
“We take these allegations very seriously,” the network said in a statement issued Thursday.
In the videos posted to her channel concerning the alleged sexual harassment, Morgan claims the star of the show, whom she calls “Jack,” presumably a pseudonym for Mr. Schulman, was uncomfortably close to her on the couch during taping, repeatedly complimented her looks (for example, he told her she looked like a “doll”), and suggested she sleep with a man to figure out if she’s really a lesbian.
Morgan also intimates that she engaged in sexual acts with a female production assistant working on the show after the two drank tall beers. Morgan said she’s not accusing the “Catfish” employee of drugging her but says she has only felt as disoriented as she did that night on one other occasion. I was “in and out of consciousness,” she claimed.
“It’s past the sadness and now I’m angry,” Morgan said after momentarily breaking into tears.
Schulman then allegedly asked Morgan to re-enact the sex act on him after she agreed to have him come to her hotel room. He also allegedly asked her what she was “willing to do” to be his co-host after the young lady made a joke that she should join him on the show.
In total, the two videos have racked up nearly 800,000 views. After Morgan posted the first video, which ended in teasing-fashion, she asked for 500 “likes” before she gave up the rest of the details in video two.
“I DONT WANT ATTENTION OR MONEY. THE ONLY REASON I REQUESTED 500 LIKES FOR PART 2 IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD 500 PEOPLE TO HELP ME SPREAD AWARENESS. THIS IS A SERIOUS TOPIC THAT I WOULD NEVER LIE ABOUT!!!” Morgan captioned the first video.
Below is the first video:
Second video: