The producer and executive producer of Catfish Nev Schulman is being investigated for sexual misconduct. The Daily Beast reports that MTV has temporarily suspended production on the show. "We are working with Critical Content, our external production company, to carry out a thorough investigation," a spokesperson told the publication.
The show, named for the documentary of the same name, is dedicated to exposing the real people behind the false dating profiles. Schulman, along with co-host Max Joseph, helps hopeful romantics learn the truth behind their crushes on the Internet. Schulman has denied any wrongdoing. "I've always been transparent about my life and I always take responsibility for my actions, but these claims are false," said Schulman The Daily Beast .
Schulman's past transparency includes a story about the time he hit a woman in the face. In his book, In Real Life: Love, Lies and Identity in the Digital Age Schulman writes that it was by "self-defense", and also because he had not realized that this "short, robust individual and haircut "was a woman. The woman he attacked has a very different account of the events of that night. Although the assault took place in 2006, Schulman described it as an extravagant anecdote in 2014, enough time for MTV to reconsider its hosting decisions in the meantime.