Last month, MTV halted production on its popular docuseries Catfish following allegations of sexual harassment that were made towards the series' co-host Nev Schulman. Following a month-long probe into the allegations made by show participant Ayissha Morgan, MTV has announced that production will resume on the series' with Schulman. Morgan was in a 2015 episode of the series. In YouTube videos posted in May, Morgan alleged that Schulman, who she referred to as "Jack," had sexually harassed her during production of the episode she appeared in.
In the wake of Ayissha Morgan's YouTube videos, Nev Schulman denied the allegations. In a statement released to US Weekly, MTV affirmed that a third-party investigator had found the claims were "not credible" and "without merit." In light of the investigator's findings, MTV gave the green-light for Catfish to continue filming its latest season with Schulman back to co-host.
The MTV series has been a fixture of the network since premiering in 2012. In 2017, the network even announced plans for a spinoff series, entitled Catfish: Internet Trolls. That move further solidified MTV's dedication to the brand, which is edging towards franchise status. With MTV's investigation clearing Nev Schulman to return to the series, time will tell how the situation impacts the series long-term.
Nev Schulman was not the only member of the Catfish crew that had been accused of misconduct. Ayissha Morgan also alleged that a female production assistant on Catfish had taken advantage of her while she was intoxicated. Given MTV's statement saying they had investigated the claims made in the videos, it leads one to think those findings also pertain to the woman referred to by Morgan as "Carol." The production assistant was never publicly identified as Schulman was. MTV's statement does not make mention of, or identify anyone specifically, including Schulman.
Despite never receiving a formal complaint, MTV took the allegations seriously and investigated them, rather than making a unilateral decision to cut ties to with Nev Schulman. For those unfamiliar with Catfish's premise, here is a refresher. The series helps people who have carried on an online relationship with someone they have never met in the flesh, verify whether the person at the center of their interest is who they say they are. If they are not, they have been "catfished."
The series is an extrapolation of the documentary film Catfish, which chronicled Nev Schulman's investigation into his own online relationship. It has since coined the term "catfished" to describe when a person has not authentically portrayed themselves when developing an online relationship.
There is no word on when Catfish seventh season will premiere on MTV. For new upcoming and returning television shows, you can consider watching over the next few months, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres.
