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'Catfish' Suspended After Former Guest Accuses Nev Schulman Of Sexual Misconduct
In a pair of YouTube videos, a former guest on the show said that MTV's "Catfish" host Nev Schulman sexually harassed her. He says her allegations are untrue.
MTV halted production on the popular reality program "Catfish" this week after a former guest accused the show's host, Nev Schulman, of sexual misconduct.
He denies the allegations.
An MTV spokesperson said there is an investigation into the incident, and that the show is on hiatus indefinitely.
“We take these allegations very seriously,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re working with Critical Content, our third party production company, to conduct a thorough investigation, and we’ve put a pause on shooting until the investigation is completed.”
In a pair of YouTube videos posted on May 12 and 15, Ayissha Morgan, who appeared on the show in 2015, claimed that Schulman and another crew member sexually harassed her throughout the production. Morgan, who is a lesbian, said that Schulman questioned her sexuality while propositioning her. Morgan also said he later invited her to have sex in a hotel room.
Morgan also said that a production assistant that she calls "Carol" in the video plied her with alcohol before taking advantage of her.
Schulman said that Morgan is not telling the truth.
“The behavior described in this video did not happen and I'm fortunate that there are a number of former colleagues who were present during this time period who are willing to speak up with the truth,” Schulman said in a statement sent by his publicist to The Daily Beast. “I have always been transparent about my life and would always take responsibility for my actions—but these claims are false.”
Schulman faced widespread criticism in 2014 after an anonymous former Sarah Lawrence classmate told Vulture that he had punched her repeatedly in 2006. In his book, "In Real Life: Love, Lies & Identity in the Digital Age," Schulman said he acted in self-defense.
Schulman first rose to fame as the subject of the succesful 2010 documentary "Catfish," which depicted his ongoing romance with a young woman who turned out to be a fictional persona.
The "Catfish" television show, which is inspired by the experiences in his documentary, has been on the air for seven seasons.
So far, Morgan has not given further public comment about what she said in the videos.
[Photo: Nev Schulman by Daniel Zuchnik / Getty Images]
