Part 3
But Tyreme wasn’t looking for clues. He was looking for love. And that’s the thing about loneliness and grief. They make us vulnerable. Tyreme had lost two people he loved. He was raising two kids. He wanted a partner. Letrease preyed on that, even if unintentionally. The show doesn’t excuse her, but it does explain.
Social media made it easy. Facebook was the hunting ground. Creating a fake profile takes minutes. Stealing photos is as simple as a screenshot. And in 2017, when this episode first aired, these issues were already rampant. Today, with Instagram, TikTok, and AI-generated images, it’s even harder to tell what’s real.
Catfish is still on the air. As of 2024, season 9 has aired, and Nev Schulman continues to host. The show has become a cultural touchstone for online dating cautionary tales. But the more things change, the more they stay the same.
What Happens Next
You’re probably wondering: Did Tyreme and Letrease stay in touch? We don’t know from the transcript. But based on the show’s history, some couples stay together, most don’t. The betrayal here is too deep. Was Letrease ever charged? Catfishing is not illegal in most places, but it can be considered fraud if money is involved. Here, no money was exchanged, so no legal consequences.
What can we learn? Be skeptical. Video chat early. Verify identities. But also: the heart wants what it wants. The episode ends with Tyreme saying, 'I don't know what to say right now.' That’s the perfect note to end on: uncertainty. The show often does 'Where Are They Now?' segments, but in this case, we don’t have that info. So we won’t invent it.
So if you’re talking to someone online who won’t video chat, maybe it’s time to ask yourself: are you in love with a person, or a profile?
Next time, we’re diving into another Catfish episode that broke our hearts — and this time, the catfish was actually a catfish. Literally. Stay tuned.
