What a journey! The Wednesday, May 10, episode of Catfish was a crazy one, with twist after twist and lie after lie. Hosts Nev Schulman and Max Joseph took viewers on a wild ride through finding the true identity of Colleen’s fiancé, “Tony.” Watch a dramatic moment from the show above, and read on for all the highlights!
Twist No. 1: Colleen Lies About the Length of Her Online Relationship
The episode kicked off with Colleen emailing Nev and Max for help, saying her online fiancé of three years, Tony, might be lying about his identity — especially since he had no social media presence and refused to meet up or video chat with her.
The first shocking twist of the episode came after Nev and Max schlepped up to Spokane, Washington, only to find that Colleen had lied to them. Colleen admitted nervously, “I haven’t been completely honest. We‘ve only been seeing each other for like three months.” Obviously Nev and Max were taken aback. She then admitted that he proposed to her about “a month after” they had begun talking online.
Colleen Opens Up About Past Abuse
Colleen insisted that her love for Tony was the real deal, saying, “I’ve been in a couple of abusive relationships. Tony is the only one I can talk to.” Max then asked, “Let’s imagine he’s 200 pounds heavier than he is. Would that be a dealbreaker?” Colleen insisted that if his personality stayed the same, “I wouldn’t care either way… This guy could be my soulmate.”
Twist No. 2: Tony the Catfish Accuses Colleen of Lying
Arriving at a cafe in Spokane, Nev and Max kicked off the research phase. After coming up short with the image search and phone number search, Nev decided to go ahead and give Tony a call. Shockingly, Tony revealed that he was having “reservations” about his relationship with Colleen. “She told me initially that she was 25 and I found out she was 20,” he said, adding, “She’s irresponsible with her money… I’ve been supporting her.” He said he’d given her “a little over 300, 400 bucks.”
Twist No. 3: Colleen Says Tony Is Lying About Her Lying
Colleen cleared things up with Nev and Max, telling them, “I never told him I was 25. In fact, I’ve been talking to him about my 21st birthday for the past two months.” She added that she hadn’t asked him for money, although he did send $75 of his own accord. Nev said the whole thing made it “hard for us to know who to believe.” Same!
Tony finally admitted that the photos on his online profile were fake but insisted, “I still would like to meet her.” The team decided to fly down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to meet him.
Tony Is Actually Jeremy
The heart-wrenching meeting between Colleen and Jeremy (whose middle name is Tony) was certainly bittersweet. An attractive, fit, young, African-American guy, Jeremy admitted to lying about his race due to insecurity. He explained, “I’m not a stereotypical black guy… I don’t want to be viewed as a stereotype.” Nev then asked, “Non-black women generally assume you’re a certain type of person because of your skin?” Jeremy confirmed, “Yes.”
Jeremy, The Catfish, Proposes During Their Meeting
Before we knew it, Jeremy was on one knee, begging Colleen for forgiveness and asking if she still wanted to marry him. We were shocked with the happy ending of it all when she replied, “Yes.” The celebration was cut short, however, when Jeremy said, “There may be one other thing. My family, they’re not accepting of interracial dating.” He continued, “Before we go to the next stage of our relationship, I want you to meet my family.”
Jeremy’s Sister Confronts Him About His Lies
The meeting with Jeremy’s sister Meka was a tense one. After discovering her younger brother had been posing as a white man online, she was definitely thrown, saying, “Is there something wrong with black people?” Jeremy then said, “I just don’t mesh well with women of the same… race.” Meka was not happy to hear this and said, “I’m not prejudiced.” She then added, “It just hurts to know… you couldn’t sit down and talk to your sister. You talk to me about everything.” In the end, Meka appeared supportive of the new couple and Colleen left with a smile on her face and a general glow.
A Record-Breaking Happy Ending, Only the Second One in Catfish History
A Catfish happy ending? Apparently Max thought it was as bizarre as we did, saying, “Congratulations. You’ve been catfished and you still have a relationship. That’s only happened to one other person. We’re like 95 episodes deep.”
In a later check-in with the couple, we discovered they were now living together in Washington, with Jeremy even interviewing for a local job. Congrats, Colleen and Jeremy!
Tell Us: What do you think of the Catfish happy ending?
