As Catfish: The TV Show turns 14, remembering the stars who sadly passed away after filming

Catfish: The TV Show was full of vulnerable stories of love and tragedy, and that unfortunately continued after the show with several cast deaths. 

It’s been 14 years since Catfish: The TV Show changed the face of reality TV. Following Nev Schulman’s own experience with a catfish – someone who pretends to be someone else online for romantic purposes – he released an award-winning documentary from his perspective. It earned him worldwide notoriety and a greenlight from MTV for a series about the wider catfishing phenomenon. Alongside filmmaker Max Joseph, Nev produced nine seasons of Catfish: The TV Show, and it got so big that even celebrity guests were introduced. It left behind a complicated and highly debated legacy, but it was undoubtedly a zeitgeist moment in history. 

Michael Fortunato was the first Catfish star to pass away 

Credit: MTV

During Season 2, Episode 10, Nev and Max investigated the relationship of Michael Fortunato and Ashley Sawyer after the latter contacted them. She admitted to heavily editing her pictures, but it soon emerged that Michael was using the images of someone else entirely. 

Once they were finally able to meet in person, which came after a seven-year online relationship, the realisation set in. Though instantly awkward, the couple were more comfortable with each other by the end of the episode.  

In October 2023, less than a month after his episode had aired, Michael died from a pulmonary embolism.  Tragically, Ashley and Michael had started an actual relationship. 

“He would give anybody the last shirt he had — anything. He would put his life on hold just to make sure other people moved forward. He always put people first,” she said after his death. “Me and him were very much in love. We were definitely moving forward. If more people were like Mike, everybody would be a little happier in the world.”

Season two’s Ashley Sawyer died three years later 

Credit: MTV

During the episode, Ashley Sawyer contacted Nev and Max for assistance with her seven-year relationship with Michael ‘Mike’ Fortunato. They’d never met in person and were both lying about their appearance, but Mike had been a source of comfort for Ashley after the death of her father. 

Though their first in-person meeting was full of heartbreak as both of them realised the other had been lying, they were on somewhat good terms by the end of the episode. They eventually struck up a real-life relationship, but it sadly ended when he passed away. 

The tragedy did not stop there. Three years later, in 2016, Ashley Sawyer was found dead in her apartment from an apparent overdose. 

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Robert Brian Clark’s Catfish episode was difficult to watch

Credit: MTV

Jesse Bettinger contacted the Catfish producers after a three-year Facebook romance with a former US Marine called Brian. She tried to meet him on a number of occasions, but he stood her up, which is why she contacted Max and Nev. 

As the show investigated the relationship, they stumbled upon the reason Brian had stood Jesse up. After some time at a shooting range, Brian experienced a PTSD flashback to his time in Musa Qala, Afghanistan. Due to the erratic behaviour brought on by the episode, and the fact that he had a firearm with him, 911 calls from civilians resulted in his arrest. 

But there was light at the end of the tunnel. Their first in-person meeting went brilliantly, and Jesse later met his family. Though they spent considerable time together, they eventually broke up when it became apparent that Jesse couldn’t move across the country. 

Around three years after appearing on Catfish: The TV show, Robert Brian Clark died after a motorcycle accident in Bessemer, Alabama. 

“I’ll never forget our good times. Your struggle is finally over,” Jesse wrote in a tribute on Facebook. 

Robert Beckham died in 2024 

Credit: Instagram

In season six, Robert Beckham reached out to the show for help with his relationship with Ashleigh. He was paralysed in his teens, but had found solace in his relationship. Robert and Ashleigh were set up to meet in person, but it quickly became apparent that Ashleigh had been using other people’s pictures. Robert was immediately put off and wanted nothing to do with her. 

After the show, Robert moved into a care facility in Maryland that could better meet his needs. He passed away in 2024, with his sister describing him as “one of the best humans I’ve ever known.”

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Featured image credit: MTV