MTV has temporarily halted production of “Catfish: The TV Show” as it investigates allegations of sexual misconduct involving the program’s host and executive producer, Nev Schulman, The Daily Beast can reveal.
“We take these allegations very seriously,” an MTV 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.”
The show, now in its seventh season, began airing in 2012. In it, Schulman investigates online relationships, attempting to verify whether people are who they say they are on the internet.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a video posted May 12 on YouTube, Ayissha Morgan, who appeared on the show in 2015, alleges that she was sexually harassed by Schulman throughout the production.
A lesbian, Morgan claims Schulman—whom she refers to in the video by the pseudonym “Jack”—pushed her to “reevaluate” her sexuality and have sex with him. In another video, posted May 14, Morgan alleges that a female production assistant, “Carol,” got her drunk and took advantage of her. The next day, she claims, Schulman invited her into his hotel room, where he allegedly propositioned her.
In a statement sent by his publicist, Schulman denied the charges.
“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. “I have always been transparent about my life and would always take responsibility for my actions—but these claims are false.”
Schulman, 33, is married to Laura Perlongo, with whom he has a 17-month-old child. The couple co-host a web series, “We Need to Talk,” for ATTN:.
In a statement, ATTN: said it “does not condone harassment of any kind, and we plan to pause working with Nev until this investigation comes to a conclusion.”
