MTV has resumed production on “Catfish” after it found sexual misconduct allegations against host and executive producer Nev Schulman to be “not credible and without merit.”
“Although we never received a formal complaint, MTV and Critical Content immediately engaged an independent third party investigator. The independent investigator found the allegations made in the YouTube videos to be not credible and without merit,” an MTV spokesperson said in a statement to TheWrap Saturday. “Given the results of the investigation, ‘Catfish’ will resume filming. We take these matters very seriously and are committed to providing a safe working environment.”
MTV had briefly suspended production last month after two YouTube videos were posted by Ayissha Morgan, a woman who appeared on the show in 2015. In the videos, she alleged that a man she dubbed “Jack” made repeated sexual advances and lewd comments while they filmed her episode. Morgan did not identify Schulman by name, though she referred to “Jack” as “the main guy on the show.”
Schulman himself confirmed the news of “Catfish” production resuming on his Twitter account, writing, “Appreciate the support from you and so many others. Excited to get back to work!”
Appreciate the support from you and so many others. Excited to get back to work! https://t.co/i8ZTJBI4yF
— Nēv Schulman (@NevSchulman) June 22, 2018
“Catfish,” which was in the middle of its seventh season, follows Schulman and partner Max Joseph as they investigate suspicious online relationships and document their first-time in-person encounters. The show was inspired by Schulman’s own experience being tricked into a relationship by a woman presenting a false identity online.