BOBBYCAST - Nev Schulman on Getting Catfished, Surviving a Broken Neck & His Honest Take on DWTS

Summary

Podcast Summary: BOBBYCAST – Nev Schulman on Getting Catfished, Surviving a Broken Neck & His Honest Take on DWTS

Podcast: The Bobby Bones Show (Bobbycast)
Episode Date: July 14, 2026
Host: Bobby Bones
Guest: Nev Schulman

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Overview

This episode of Bobbycast features Nev Schulman, best known as the host of MTV’s "Catfish" and as a runner-up on "Dancing with the Stars" (DWTS). Bobby and Nev dive deep into topics from Nev's pivot to luxury real estate, his personal experience being catfished (which led to the original documentary and TV show), his harrowing spinal cord injury and inspiring recovery, marathon running and helping others, parenting, and candid thoughts on his time on DWTS. The episode blends humor, insight, and vulnerability, offering both behind-the-scenes stories and practical life lessons.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Life After "Catfish" – Transition to Real Estate

• Nev’s Background in Real Estate
  Family Legacy: Nev shares how his grandfather and father built a successful real estate brokerage in New York, leading to his recent decision to join the family business after the TV show ended.
  Quote: “My brother and I did not go into it as we went into entertainment, but when the show ended, my dad said why don’t you get your license…so that’s what I did.” (08:13)

• The Highs of NYC Real Estate
  Market Insights: Even a one-bedroom in trendy Williamsburg starts at $800k; $3 million can buy a great apartment, but NYC prices are wild everywhere.
  Quote: “I'm helping someone who's looking for a one bedroom in Williamsburg right now, and you're not going to find anything decent for like under 800 grand.” (04:43–05:07)

• Interest in Real Estate TV
  Nev is open to a real estate TV show but is focused on gaining real experience first.
  Quote: “Obviously there’s a ton of successful real estate shows already…maybe I could end up landing on one day.” (08:48)

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2. The Legacy and Impact of "Catfish"

• Documentary Origins
  Nev’s own story of being catfished became the 2010 documentary, inspiring the term “catfishing”—now culturally ubiquitous.
  Quote: “That’s what gave me the sort of street cred initially when the show started—to be like, hey, this happened to me.” (24:11)

• Cultural Phenomenon
  The show's breakout coincided with high-profile public catfishing stories, including Manti Te’o’s, and even got an SNL spoof with Adam Levine playing Nev.
  Quote: “When [Notre Dame’s coach] gave his press conference, he referenced the show…he said, ‘and if you don’t know what that means, I direct you to the MTV show Catfish.’” (02:14 & 29:47)

• Reboot Plans
  Nev and the team have recently regained rights to the Catfish IP and are exploring new and broader ways to reimagine the concept.
  Quote: “Now that we officially have the Catfish IP back from MTV...there's a lot of other exciting stuff that we want to do with it.” (11:21)

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3. The Human Side of Getting Catfished

• Bobby’s Personal Story
  Bobby shares a humorous but vulnerable story of being catfished by a "Guess jeans model" on MySpace. Nev relates, emphasizing the deceptiveness and speed at which expert catfishers can reel people in.
  Quote (Nev): “I got a lot of praise and credit. So it made the experience…positive. Whereas if I’d gone through it by myself, I’m sure I would have felt a lot different.” (13:14)

• Motives Behind Catfishing
  Most monetary scammers would never go on the show; those featured tended to be motivated by loneliness or the urge to explore their identity online.
  Quote: “For every episode of the show, I’m sure there’s hundreds…who just was trying to get money out of them.” (17:10)

• Empathy for Victims and Scammers
  Notable anecdote: A man gave his engagement ring to his scammer after learning he was tricked, out of compassion for the scammer’s situation.
  Quote (Nev): “He…gave the guy that was scamming him a ring to give to his girl…kind of amazing story. Because he felt bad for the guy, you know.” (18:51)

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4. Catfish Success Stories & Behind the Scenes

• Real Connections
  Occasionally, real love came out of the show. There’s one couple who met under false pretenses but stayed together, had a child, and got married.
  Quote: “Our one real true love story…they had a kid, and as far as I know, they’re married and still together, which is great.” (20:30)

• Production Insights
  Catfish was uniquely filmed: No strict schedule, filmed as stories arose.
  Quote: “It inherently was a stop-go style production schedule…there was never a schedule more than maybe a week or two in advance.” (05:58)

• Fraudulent Guests
  The show occasionally uncovered people making up stories to get on TV, but producers noticed and sometimes went with the story anyway.
  Quote: “This girl had made up this whole story…she wanted to just get on the show.” (30:51)

• Origin of the "Catfish" Term
  The famous analogy, as told by Angela’s husband in the original documentary: catfish keep things interesting (see [59:14]).
  Quote: “We thought it was such a beautiful analogy…There are people in life that kind of nip at our fins and keep things interesting.” (59:18)

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5. Parenting, Vulnerability, and Personal Growth

• Parenting as Self-Help
  Nev reflects on how parenting is the most "aggressive" and rewarding form of self-improvement, since children mirror adult behaviors immediately.
  Quote: “It’s the most active and encouraging sort of form of self help…I don’t want to say that, like, it’s tough…but you get exactly what you put into it.” (36:00–38:21)

• Facing Embarrassment & Growth
  Both Bobby and Nev discuss how their past digital footprints (tattoos, dancing on TV, etc.) will one day be things their children see, and how they've come to terms with these.

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6. Running, Guiding, and Surviving Trauma

• Marathons and Guide Running
  Nev has run at least 11 marathons, often as a "guide runner" for athletes with disabilities through the Achilles foundation. This has been among his most meaningful experiences.
  Quote: “Going slower just allows…so much connection with the people clapping and cheering…It was 100x [more rewarding].” (40:09)

• Spinal Injury and Recovery
  In 2024, Nev suffered a near-paralyzing neck injury in a bicycle accident—but remarkably made a full recovery and ran the NYC Marathon just a few months later, motivated by his vision-impaired friend.
  Quote: “The type of neck fracture that I had is nearly always [resulting in] some paralysis…it was just by some…stroke of luck that it didn’t.” (41:47–42:00)
  Quote: “If I can run a marathon blind, you should be able to run one after this accident.” (46:56–48:27)

• Upcoming Challenges
  Nev and his friend Francesco are now training for a Half Ironman—and making a documentary about that journey.

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7. Dancing with the Stars – The Honest Take

• DWTS Experience
  Nev finished second on his season (Jenna Johnson was his pro partner). He reflects on not winning, and why he’s actually glad about it.
  Quote: “I love that I didn’t win…because people come up to me now all the time and say, ‘you should have won.’ It’s so much more fun to have people be like, ‘you got robbed.’” (52:53 & 54:41)

• Finale Reflections
  Both he and Bobby discuss the unique challenges of competing during Covid and the adrenaline difference without a live audience.
  Quote: “It was the most skilled finale…because it was Covid. There’s no…adrenaline because there were no people.” (54:49)

• Future TV Appearances
  Nev teases his involvement in a new DWTS spin-off looking for a new pro, expressing his ongoing love for dance.
  Quote: “I was invited as one of very few alumni to participate in an episode of that show.” (55:33)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• The Catfish Effect in American Culture:
  “When the head coach at Notre Dame gave his press conference, he referenced the show… ‘Manti Te’o was catfished.’” (02:14)

• On Embracing Catfishing Victims:
  “You don’t have to be dumb or naïve for this to happen to you…and that’s what helped people come on the show…” (24:11)

• On Persevering Through Injury:
  “The type of neck fracture that I had is nearly always…resulting in some paralysis…by some stroke of luck…it didn’t.” (42:00)

• On Defining Parenthood:
  “It’s the most active and encouraging sort of form of self help…I should act better. So it’s just a really aggressive form of, like, self improvement.” (36:00–38:21)

• On Happiness With Not Winning DWTS:
  “It makes no difference…there was nothing to gain from winning other than, I guess, being invited on the tour…It’s so much more fun to have people be like, you got robbed.” (53:00–54:49)

• The Real ‘Catfish’ Story:
  “There are people in life that kind of nip at our fins and keep things interesting…for without him even knowing how insanely accurate he was being…” (59:18)

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Notable Segments & Timestamps

• [04:03] – Nev on entering real estate and the NYC market.
• [13:01] – Bobby recounts his own catfishing story.
• [16:53] – Discussion on motives behind catfishing.
• [20:30] – Catfish’s rare true love story outcome.
• [24:11] – Nev talks about his own embarrassment and pride after being catfished.
• [29:03] – The impact of the documentary and rise of the term 'catfish'.
• [36:00] – On parenting and personal growth.
• [40:09] – The fulfillment of running as a guide.
• [41:47] – Recounting Nev’s neck injury.
• [48:27] – The marathon comeback story.
• [52:03] – Dancing with the Stars reflections and the creative process.

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Tone and Final Thoughts

• Authenticity: The conversation is open, honest, and often self-deprecating, with humor balancing vulnerability.
• Inspiration: Whether discussing surviving major injury, facing digital embarrassment, or running to help others, the message is one of resilience and compassion.
• Curiosity: Both host and guest remain curious and supportive, poking fun at themselves and each other while offering advice and encouragement.

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Conclusion

This episode is a must-listen for "Catfish" fans, reality TV junkies, and anyone interested in life pivots or overcoming personal setbacks. Nev Schulman’s openness about his professional and personal challenges, his path to healing, and what might be next for the Catfish franchise makes for a compelling, insightful, and relatable conversation.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Nev Schulman]

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[Reese Witherspoon]

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[Nev Schulman]

Bonjour.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Bonjour.

[Reese Witherspoon]

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[Tony Ayo]

Phew.

[Reese Witherspoon]

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[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

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[Bethenny Frankel]

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[Nev Schulman]

Cause our show had come out just a few weeks earlier. So that when the head coach at Notre Dame gave his press conference, he referenced the show. He was like, mandateo was catfished. And then he said, and if you don't know what that means, I direct you to the MTV show Catfish. It was like,

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

hey, everybody, Bobby here. We're going to talk to Nev Shulman, best known as the host of Catfish. The show that ran forever on mtv, became a cultural Phenomenon, but actually started from a documentary that I watched back in the day and was blown away by. And so we even talk about where that phrase comes from to be catfished. I was catfished a couple times in my life. We talk about that. So we talked to Nev about that show. Also. He works in luxury real estate now. So I'm like, how much can I get for $3 million? We do stuff like that. He's a marathon runner with, I believe, 11 marathons. But he also helps people as he runs, which is a crazy story. And he had this really bad accident in 2024 with his spinal cord that left him nearly paralyzed. So he made an incredible return. We talk about all of this. I didn't know what I was getting with Ol Neve Shulman because I never met him before. I just know that I'd been catfished. I like the documentary Catfish and the show Catfish Ran Forever. But I think you're going to like this. Here he is. Oh, he also finished second on Dancing with the Stars. So we talked about that. I finished first, but yeah. Hey, potato, potato. Here he is. Nev Shulman. Nev, good to see you, man.

[Nev Schulman]

All right, I appreciate you being here.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I feel like we got a lot of stuff to talk about. I would like to go first, though, because I enjoy when someone transitions a career in a big way. And so I believe that is what you've done now. What you're. You're doing real estate. Yeah, like high end luxury real estate. Is it called real estate if it's high end luxury?

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Okay.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

It's like real estate's what I buy, like, to live in a normal house. But, like, you're doing, like, the real, like, the nice.

[Nev Schulman]

Well, I mean, you know, in New York City, it's hard to find a home that doesn't qualify as sort of high end because the prices here are just, you know, astronomical.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

What does, like, a normal apartment cost?

[Nev Schulman]

Well, normal. Like, what can I get for $3 million? Oh, a lot.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Well, I mean, I just threw a number at you. I don't know.

[Nev Schulman]

Next to. Compared to Nashville, it's still very. You know, it'd be ridiculous. But I mean, depending on what neighborhood you want to be in, $3 million would get you a beautiful apartment.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Oh, what? I just do a number out. I really.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, yeah. No, no, no. I mean, like, it's just where it's crazy is like the entry level. Like, I'm helping someone who's looking for a one bedroom in Williamsburg right now, and you're not Going to find anything decent for like under 800 grand for a 6 to 700 square foot one bedroom, which is wild.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's wild.

[Nev Schulman]

That's crazy.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's wild. So what do you do? I don't know enough when you're going to say parts of the city. I' going to know them. So I'm going to.

[Nev Schulman]

Sure.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I'm ill educated on even what you say. Williamsburg.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, Williamsburg is Brooklyn. You know, I mean there's really no neighborhood that isn't desirable. But Tribeca and West Village, those are typically the higher priced neighborhoods. Upper east side, obviously. I think it's one of, if not the most expensive zip code in America. It's. Yeah, it's. I mean, New York City real estate has and always will be a great investment.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Did you enjoy stopping the constant filmmaking? That's how I know you first was from the documentary back in the day.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And I feel like even the Catfish show was filmmaking even though it was on film.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, for sure, yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Did you enjoy the break from that, the stop from that?

[Nev Schulman]

Well, what I loved about making Catfish was that it inherently was a stop go style production schedule. Unlike a lot of shows where, you know, you block out six or eight or 10, 12 weeks and you shoot everything. Our show, we went to film as the stories came in. So there was never a schedule more than maybe a week or two in advance.

[Reese Witherspoon]

Wow.

[Nev Schulman]

And oftentimes I get called and say, hey, we just got a story cleared. The people can meet up with us in three days, be ready. Like, you know, it was, it was sometimes very last minute, but then I would get a week or two off waiting for the next story. So it was a, it was the perfect balance of, you know, working and having little breaks where I could do other things, other jobs, obviously spend a lot of time with my family. So I missed that because, you know, now I've. I don't have that sort of regular irregular filming schedule and you know, I need to be busy. I hate kind of idle time.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

It's wild that you didn't have. Because any shows I've done, it's like 12 episodes, 16 episode. And you do it and you get it done as fast as possible and you try to save the most money as possible.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, no, we filmed just year round. There was never an off or blacked out, you know, period of time throughout the year. It was just, you're on call and

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

you've just decided, at least for now, you're gonna sell real estate or you're gonna go back.

[Nev Schulman]

So my family's been in real estate for a long time. My grandfather, after he got out of the military and spent a few years working for his dad in a dress shop, my great grandfather started a women's boutique that sold a lot of dresses, amongst other things. He knew that's not what he wanted to do, so my grandfather took a chance, raised some money, bought some land, I think up in Westchester, subdivided it, and started sort of doing real estate development. Ended up becoming very successful. My father then went into real estate, worked with his dad, and then eventually became a broker here in the city and has been for 50 years. And so there's always. And then I have two aunts that are both brokers. So there's been this sort of family tradition now of a family business, of real estate. My brother and I did not go into it as we went into entertainment, but when the show ended, my dad said, why don't you get your license, come work with me, see if you like it. I think you'd be great at it. You know the city so well. You've got so many contacts, clients, give it a try. So that's what I did.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

So obviously the question then is, are you going to start shooting that?

[Nev Schulman]

So, yeah. So right away, when I announced that I was doing real estate, a bunch of people came. Production company said, hey, we'd love to develop a real estate show with you. To which I said, I'm definitely interested in that. I want to get my feet sort of ground a little bit, make some deals. Let's see how it goes. But I'm certainly interested in that. And obviously there's a ton of successful real estate shows already out there that maybe I could end up landing on one day. But right now I'm just focused on building some clientele, making some deals, getting started, learning as much as I can from my dad and seeing how it goes.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

How does one get you? Can we call and be like, yeah, Nev, please?

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, no, you can just email me. I mean, I'm very. Yeah, I mean, you know, obviously I appreciate people have respected my business email for real estate as a place for, you know, actual business. But, yeah, you know, I'm available, I'm reachable.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Dang. That's pretty cool. Just hit you up. I just think that would be pretty cool if they were a fan of the many things that you've done. Yeah, like, I feel like that would be. If I were looking for someone and I would move into the city, I would try to find Neve from Catfish or Dancing with the Stars or Whatever the case is.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, no, yeah. If you're coming to New York City and you're looking to buy an apartment, I can do rentals too, but

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

the

[Nev Schulman]

rental market's just very devastatingly difficult to navigate. Not, not that I can't, but I'm not. I don't specialize in rentals, which I think you almost have to because they move so quick and the prices are so high right now that, like, that you have to be full on focused on that and that, you know, that's not my specialty.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

What's like the high end that you've sold?

[Nev Schulman]

We just closed on a, you know, five and a half million dollar apartment on the Upper east side.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's pretty legit, huh? When you finally close and sign, how long, Because I've bought houses to where, you know, the check goes over, you got to send that stuff wire. How long till your cut gets wired to you?

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, geez, I don't know. I don't even know yet because it hasn't happen. Oh, man, I'm still waiting for my first payout.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's a good one. Yeah, that's a good one. So, okay, I want to talk about that. Secondly, the show was on for 10 years. Whenever it was over, was that a bit of a. You had to decide what you wanted to do. Was there any thought of doing a different show?

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, I mean, it. It. Yeah, I think it aired in 20, started in 2012, and I think was actually still on in 2024.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

So. 12 years.

[Nev Schulman]

So it was 12 years. And when it, you know, for all of their shortcomings, I love mtv, but they're part of such a big, enormous company. And, you know, the Overlords. And then there was the whole Skydance thing. And so it took a long time for them to finally officially say, okay, we're not going to keep ordering show. So there was a lot of waiting, which was weird and awkward, during which time I got my license because I wasn't sure what was going to happen for real estate. And I started talking to and thinking about and developing other shows because I'd love to stay in television. I love making content and being part of a team and a production. So now that we officially have the Catfish IP back from mtv, we're very actively talking to a bunch of people who really want to kind of reboot the Catfish franchise, but in a much broader, more interesting way than just one sort of traditional television show. Because I think there's a lot of opportunities that we've been wanting to do for a Long time. But MTV wanted to just sort of keep it very pure, which was fine. That was their choice. But there's a lot of other exciting stuff that we want to do with it.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

When you guys put out the documentary changed my world. My mind was blown. Couldn't believe it. Also really believed it. Also got catfished a couple times after. Just didn't have a name for it.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Right.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I think it's just very common for that to happen to dudes. And mine was. Can I give you my story real quick?

[Nev Schulman]

Please.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

It's a little embarrassing to relive this.

[Nev Schulman]

I mean, if I start crying. Mine was embarrassing.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Bear with me. Yeah, but I feel like you had control of yours. Like, you were proud. Proud's not the word, but because you could showcase it.

[Nev Schulman]

Yes. I got a lot of praise and credit. So it made the experience sort of overwhelmingly positive. Whereas if I'd gone through it by myself, I'm sure I would have felt a lot different. So what happened to you?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

So this Guess jeans model hits me up.

[Nev Schulman]

Okay.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Which is probably how a lot of those stories start.

[Nev Schulman]

Where.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And I was in my 20s and look, I get it. I'm no male model. And she hits me up. And this is MySpace, right?

[Nev Schulman]

Same.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And she's like, hey. And I was doing radio.

[Nev Schulman]

Guess Jean's model.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's from la.

[Nev Schulman]

I can already picture it. I'm in. I'm there. She would have had me, too. Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And she was like, I listened to your show when I'm in town. I wasn't syndicated yet, so it was only in Austin, Texas. It's like, I'm flying in. I'd love to meet you. And I'm single.

[Home Depot Advertiser]

Sure.

[Nev Schulman]

What do you got to lose?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And lonely.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Perfect mix.

[Reese Witherspoon]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And so we're talking back and forth, sending a lot of messages, and I remember saying to her, hey, we should get on. On webcam, since the time it was external. I remember she was like, no problem. Because I told my friends I got a guest jeans model. Guys proud of it.

[Mandi Woodruff Santos]

Yeah.

[Tony Ayo]

Oh, yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Look at her. And they were like, dude. I was like, no, trust me. I think she knows I'm a big deal. I wasn't a big deal.

[Nev Schulman]

She was a fan.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah. Massive. And so we got on webcam. And I'm on webcam, and for some reason, her camera's broken. Like, I could still hear her, but her camera was broken and.

[Nev Schulman]

Which at the time, I believe was believable because it was clunky. There were software issues, like usb. I remember sometimes they didn't Work.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And so she's like, I'm coming to town, like, in three days. I'll meet you at the mall. And I was like, great, let's meet at the food court. I went and I sat at the food court for, like, 90 minutes. She never showed up. So I message her, get back to my computer. Because there was no MySpace on the phone.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, yeah, that's right. There was no app for that.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

So I had to go back home. And, oh, my flight was delayed, so it was one excuse after another. So I'm now talking about it on my show.

[Nev Schulman]

You hadn't exchanged, like, phone numbers?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

No, not yet. And so I'm talking about it on my show, and nobody believes me that she's real. And I just am in disbelief that they don't believe that this guest jeans model from Los Angeles is real. Flying in to talk to me. And so they're like, get her on the. On the air. And so we got her.

[Bethenny Frankel]

She.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

She came in with us.

[Podcast Announcer]

Whoa.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

She come in and she was hilarious. Sounded every bit the dream. Guest Jean model. And so she came on and they were like, she's either drunk or like, something's off. And my feelings were starting to get hurt that they thought I couldn't get her. Like, I started to take it personally. And so then I didn't hear from her again for a while. And then a news story hit, like, three months later, and somebody emailed it into me. There was this dude who was calling and connecting with men around Austin, saying he was that guest jeans model from a hotel room, small guy, so he could do his voice like a female. And he had gotten tons of money out of all these men. And it was like a.

[Nev Schulman]

So you were one of the many victims, but he didn't ask you for money?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Never got there. Might have given him some.

[Nev Schulman]

Sure.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

But it was a dude. It was a dude, and it made the news. And he was arrested because he had tricked a bunch of dudes into money. Did you find in all of the years of the show that most of the catfishing was people being selfish, doing it for their own entertainment or loneliness or trying to get money out of people?

[Nev Schulman]

I mean, look, obviously, in the sort of almost 300 episodes that we did, it was a pretty interesting mix of motives, I would say. If I had to guess,

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

most of

[Nev Schulman]

the people who were catfishing for money would not have agreed to come on the show because they were, you know, sort of scamming people. Yeah, for the most part, the people who would agree to come on the show are the ones who did genuinely create the profile to communicate, make friends, explore some part of their personality or sexuality or identity, and then kind of accidentally stumbled into the relationship, had real feelings, and didn't know kind of how to handle it. But again, that's, you know, through the microscope of the show, that's mostly what we saw. Yeah. I think for every episode of the show, I'm sure there's hundreds of people who got catfished by someone who just was trying to get money out of them. We did have a couple episodes like that. We even, shockingly, got, like, a Nigerian prince scammer to agree to. I don't think he FaceTimed with us, but he got on the phone, or maybe he FaceTimed. Yeah, he did FaceTime and admit that, like, he, you know, took the money from this poor guy who was so sweet because he, you know, he lives in. He's poor. He lives somewhere in Africa, and he's got a girlfriend that he wants to propose to, and he was trying to save some enough money for a ring. And so the guy, the sweet guy who got catfished, said, hey, I had a ring that I had bought for you that I'll send that you can use to. I mean, like, kind of amazing story. Because he felt bad for the guy, you know.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Wow.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

He still had the empathy, sympathy.

[Nev Schulman]

Totally.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

To give the guy that was scamming him a ring to give to his girl.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah.

[Reese Witherspoon]

Wow.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

If that were today, they'd have created, like, a GoFundMe for that dude and he'd have made, like, a million bucks. Yeah, maybe for the nice guy.

[Nev Schulman]

There probably was GoFundMe then, but.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah. Wow, that's wild.

[Nev Schulman]

Well, what's the crazy thing is that guy had to remain anonymous. Ish. Because it is illegal in that country. They have. It's a huge issue for a lot of those countries, and they're trying to crack down on it. So it was kind of a big risk for him to even come on the show and admit it.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

How did you get some of the folks to even come on? Was there a lot of coaxing with some of them?

[Nev Schulman]

I mean, look, that wasn't my job, really. I obviously did interact with them, and at any point, they could have decided to change their mind and not meet up with us. But I think what made the show unique and successful for as long as it was is that we were really a platform. A safe, empathetic, objective platform for people to hash it out, come clean, reveal themselves, tell their secrets, admit to their wrongdoings, and not get Excoriated and made fun of, but sort of be heard and listened to. And I think for that reason, people felt comfortable and sort of drawn to the show.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Was there ever an instance where the catfish and the person they were tricking ever actually did fall in love after?

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, we had a few minor successes where they kind of agreed to go on some dates. But our one real true love story was we had an episode where a girl was talking to this guy. They had been speaking for a while. They were really into each other. And then we went to meet him, and it turned out he had presented himself as a white guy and he was actually black. And, you know, just a sort of very nice looking, average, sort of nerdy black guy who I don't think had really lied about that much other than his appearance. And the girl didn't really care. I guess she was still attracted to him. And they had a kid, and as far as I know, they're married and still together, which is great.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And that's probably because he didn't lie about everything.

[Nev Schulman]

Right?

[Home Depot Advertiser]

Right.

[Nev Schulman]

I mean, I'm sure he left out things about his life because it didn't fit with the sort of version he had presented. But that was actually. There was a whole conversation that didn't make the episode that I was kind of bummed about because he, the black guy, he did not identify with or associate with his sort of black culture. He felt almost like he was sort of born into the wrong body, which was a really interesting conversation with his family. Like, I think his mom and his sister, who were kind of, I think, a little hurt that they felt like, what's wrong with black culture? What's wrong with our family? Like, why don't you feel like this is the right place for you? And it was very interesting dynamic to kind of, you know, sort out. But needless to say, that worked out.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Wow.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

When you started doing the documentary, the original Catfish, at what point in the story did you think we have to document this?

[Nev Schulman]

I mean, it was always my really, my brother and his friend Henry's thing. I was living this funny interaction with this family in Michigan. They were sending me these paintings. I was on the phone with the sister who was flirting with me. And so I was getting friend requests from all their cousins and babysitter and neighbor. It was just like this little soap opera that I sort of had a front row seat to. And once in a while I would turn to my brother and I'd say, hey, you wouldn't believe this crazy email, or look at this package. I Just got. Or whatever it was. And so he had the intuition just to sort of start recording those moments. And they were just a few little moments here and there over the course of about eight months. And then there was a moment when we were in Colorado filming a dance festival that I discovered a lie they told me. And that's when my brother and Henry were like, oh, this could just. This just got really interesting. Let's. Let's focus on this and sort of see where it takes us. And so for the next four days, they filmed us going to Michigan, meeting the family, revealing and sort of peeling back the layers of the truth. And then subsequently, they edited it, you know, and there was a lot of digging that went on after because all of the emails and texts that I had never really thought would amount to anything were now, like, the sort of script for this incredible story that they had to go back and figure out how to tell. So they really did all. Did all that and figured it out, and I was just sort of there kind of for the ride.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Was your pride hurt at all?

[Nev Schulman]

There were definitely moments that I was embarrassed and, you know, felt dumb because after I found out the truth, then, you know, you go back and you look at all these interactions and all the things they told me, and it seems so obvious, like, how could I have believed this? You know, and in that, in those first moments, you don't really. You forget that there was this very slow, calculated sort of drip of information. And so one drop at a time, it doesn't seem like that crazy. But then obviously, you know, when you see a bucket overflowing and you're like, oh, my God, how could I have been so foolish? But no, I mean, I think that, you know, even though a lot of people who have seen the show in more recent years don't even know that I was catfish, that's what gave me the sort of street cred initially when the show started to be like, hey, this happened to me. I know how you feel. You don't have to be super like, you don't have to feel dumb. You don't have to feel naive for this to. You don't. Yeah. Or you don't have to be dumb for this to happen to you. And I think that's what helped people kind of come on the show and not feel like they were going to be made fun of. Let's take a quick pause for a

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

message from our sponsor.

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[Reese Witherspoon]

Reese Witherspoon here, checking into my favorite favorite hotel in Paris.

[Nev Schulman]

Bonjour.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Bonjour.

[Reese Witherspoon]

I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card so I earn rewards wherever I book. Travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel and one point on other purchases.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Phew.

[Reese Witherspoon]

That was a lot. I need to lie down. Is the room ready?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Visit Wells Fargo.com autographjourney Terms apply.

[Mandi Woodruff Santos]

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[Tony Ayo]

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[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And we're back on the Bobby cast. Did you feel the moment in culture when that documentary, like, reached a full resonation with folks?

[Nev Schulman]

I mean, yeah, I mean, Sundance was. Was amazing, but that's a very small.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah, like, I don't see Sundance right.

[Nev Schulman]

I'd never been before or after, so. And I didn't even realize it was sort of a big deal in the film world. I think, you know, the doc was successful, obviously, in terms of documentaries, indie documentaries. But it really wasn't until the first season of the show when it premiered. It was on at 11, so it was kind of this little late night, unknown show. But the first few episodes did really well. And then the Manti Teo story happened, which was insane.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Insane. And the timing was insane.

[Nev Schulman]

It was insane.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, because our. Because our show had come out just a few weeks earlier, so that when the head coach at Notre Dame gave his press conference, he referenced the show. He was like, mandateo was catfished. And then he said, and if you don't know what that means, I direct you to the MTV show Catfish. It was like the biggest news story in the country. And he was just like. It was like our show at the center of the headline. But I. So that was crazy. And then a few weeks later, SNL spoofed the show and Adam Levine played me. And that was like, oh, that had

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

to be so wild.

[Nev Schulman]

That was wild.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah.

[Reese Witherspoon]

Wow.

[Nev Schulman]

So those, like, three weeks where all that was happening was just, you know, an experience I'll never have again? I mean, like, you.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah, that's a lot at once. That's, like the oddly perfect timing for all that to happen.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, it was a perfect storm.

[Tony Ayo]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I have a friend who went on Jerry Springer and he lied about the circumstances he went under. Right. He was just doing it and they believed him. Did you ever find anybody was lying to you?

[Nev Schulman]

We had a couple. Yeah, we. That I know of. We. We had two episodes that we discovered while we were filming that that they were lying. One was a story of these two girls who had been in love, but lived on opposite coasts and knew that they were real, but couldn't afford to make the trip. So they had said, hey, we've been talking for years, but I think I'm getting catfished. So that we would fly one to the other. And we discovered it and realized, this is actually kind of, like, charming. Let's just do it and go with it. So that was cute. And then the other was sort of the opposite. We found out that this girl had, for whatever reason, wanted to just get on the show, I guess. So she had made up this whole story that she had been getting catfished, and she convinced these people to sort of be the bad guys. But then when we went to confront them or, you know, meet them for the first time, she, like, really laid into them, and they started to, like, regret. Like, they don't. They're like, wait, I didn't come on TV to let you make me look like a total jerk. And so they. They, like, act. Started acting weird, and I could just tell something was off. And eventually they admitted they were like, yeah, you know, she reached out to us to see if we get on the show, but we didn't think she was gonna, like, make us look so terrible.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's funny. Yeah. What did. When you met your wife. I'm assuming this is after.

[Nev Schulman]

Yes.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

You had art.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's an interesting conversation with somebody you're going on a date with, right? Yeah.

[Nev Schulman]

Well, so she had seen the documentary, and I later learned that after she had watched the doc, she was with a friend. They had. I think, actually the friend had said, like, oh, he's so cute.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Like, let's.

[Nev Schulman]

Let's find him on. Cause, you know, at the end of the documentary, it says, like, I'm still on Facebook. So they had found me and I guess sent me a message that I never saw, you know. But then years later, I ended up going to her office. She worked at an ad agency, and I had friends who worked there. And so we had. I had been there, she had seen me there. I didn't know her at the time. And then when we. I found her on Instagram, kind of strangely, through her then boyfriend who was a photographer. And I started following her. Then I saw. She followed me. And so I DMed and asked her out. And then she said, oh, pick me up at my job. And I immediately was like, oh, my God, that's the Aditya I've been to. So I asked my friend, hey, what do you know about this girl Laura? And he's like, oh, she's a hard worker. So I was like, all right, great. So I picked her up that night.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Real person.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah. Yeah, right. I confirmed that she was real. Exactly.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

How old's your oldest child?

[Nev Schulman]

My daughter's nine.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Does she ask questions about it yet?

[Nev Schulman]

Not really. You know, it's funny I should show her the doc because she's now the age. I think she's the age now that Abby, the girl who I was initially talking to, was when I started talking to her. So I think it'd be really fun for her to see it. That's a great idea. I'm going to watch it with her.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Oh, your idea? I just asked.

[Nev Schulman]

Well, yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah, I have. We just had a baby. First baby. She's 10 weeks old. And now I'm thinking, like, when do I, like, show her stuff?

[Nev Schulman]

Right? Like your stuff? No, just stuff.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Like, I wrote a kid's book, and I think she's still too young to even hear the kids book. But now my mind is like, at what point do I start introducing these things that I have to beat her to them before they get to her?

[Nev Schulman]

Sure. But, yeah, I mean, you don't have to worry about anything getting to her.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

No, nothing bad.

[Nev Schulman]

Right.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I've said and done a bunch of stupid stuff, but nothing like illegal or jit.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, I see.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

But it's like, you know, eventually I'm gonna have to go like, oh, that's true. Here's me saying this. Here's me dancing on tv. That type stuff.

[Nev Schulman]

Well, the biggest concern I had was when my daughter was born, I still had a terrible tramp stamp tattoo that I had gotten when I was 17. Just awful. Like a tribal.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Just on your back?

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, on my lower back. And the second she was born, I was like, I cannot have my child know me with this tattoo. So I had it removed. And maybe she'll eventually one day see a photo of it. Or actually, if I show her the documentary, she'll see it for that second. But that was the best decision I ever made for a lot of reasons. But, yeah, I know what you mean. It's funny. Yeah. I hadn't really thought about that other than the tattoo, but I'm, for the most part, pretty proud. The funny thing about the kids is they're with me all the time. People come up to me all the time and say, hey and want to take pictures. And so whenever someone comes over and, like, is unsure or a little nervous, now my kids are just like, yeah, yeah, he's catfish. Like, like, they just, like, help them that's funny, you know, because they could just tell when someone wants to come talk to me or doesn't know what to say.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah, that is pretty great, being a dad. Pretty cool.

[Nev Schulman]

It's great. It's.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

What's the best part about it?

[Nev Schulman]

I mean, it's the toughest. Okay, that's not really the right way to say that. It's the most active and encouraging sort of form of self help that I think you can get.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

What do you mean, self help?

[Nev Schulman]

So I have many things about myself that I'd like to improve. But, you know, when you're either single or in a relationship, there's a. You know, you get a lot of space to kind of be yourself. Be who? You know, there's. There's. There's wiggle room. You can. You can avoid things. You can kind of ignore stuff. But when you have kids, you know, at a. After a certain age, they just reflect everything. Nothing gets by them. So every moment of irritability or short temper or eye rolls or, you know, picking your nose, like, they're constantly observing you and reacting to that totally unfiltered. So you are constantly given feedback, and a lot of it is negative. I mean, you know, just. Just by the nature of the fact that, like, you're doing something that your kid is. Is reflecting on you and you're like, oh, my God, I don't want to do that. I don't want to say that, like, I should act better. So it's just a really aggressive form of, like, self improvement.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I've never heard it said like that. That makes a lot of sense, though.

[Nev Schulman]

And it's tough, you know, because there's just. There's some things about myself that, like, I don't want to work on every day, all the time. When I. From when I. The second I wake up at 6am to have to, like, be nice and accommodating and understanding and patient. But, like, you have to, because if you're not, your kids are gonna feel it. They're gonna get upset, they're gonna get impatient. They're gonna then act that way towards you, which is gonna, like, It's. Yeah, it's exhaust. It's hard. But if you can, you can create a positive motion or a forward positive energy, it then comes back. Like, it's, it's, you know, you get exactly what you put into it.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Before we started the podcast, you didn't want to hit your microphone, and you did this, like, pick yourself up from the chair. Pretty athletic maneuver.

[Nev Schulman]

Sure.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And I thought I Was like, wow, pretty strong guy. But you've done 11 marathons?

[Nev Schulman]

I think so, yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Am I sure if I'm short?

[Nev Schulman]

No, no, no. I think that. I think that's right.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's what I read. I don't count. I know you're a runner.

[Nev Schulman]

I don't keep my medal. I'm not, like, sentimental about it.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Oh, I would be if I had one. I'd hang it on my rearview mirror. It would never leave. Yeah. I'd get a replica on my wife's rear view mirror. It'd be everywhere. You've done 11, and I read you were a guide runner.

[Nev Schulman]

That's.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah. Now, what's a guide runner?

[Nev Schulman]

So there are a lot of people, athletes with disabilities, and there are a number of organizations, but the one that I'm most involved with is called Achilles, and they provide guides for any athlete with any kind of disability to swim, cycle, or run. So as a runner, a few years ago, I volunteered to be a guide for the marathon. So they pair you with an athlete who needs a guide. And it could be a wheelchair, it could be an amputee, it could be someone with vision impairment. And you just are there with them either to guide them, quite literally, or to just support them or the marathon's very busy. It's hard to get to the water station just to help them. I've run with autistic runners. Everyone's different. But now, since I started doing that, there have been very few races, if any, that I have participated in. Not as a guide, because I just found that it was exponentially more rewarding.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Is it so emotional when you finish? For you and them?

[Nev Schulman]

Yes, for sure. I've run a number of marathons quickly, and it's been great. But then last year in November, I ran the New York City Marathon with a veteran who lost both legs. And that took like six and a half hours. And was, you would say, oh, it must have been like a 2x sort of experience. But it was 100x. Because going slower just allows for so much absorption of the energy of the crowd. Because when you're running, you know, you're running, you don't really have time to engage. But when you stop because he needs to stop, or you're walking because he needs to walk, like everybody just. You make so much connection with the people clapping and cheering. And every runner who passes you, because a lot of them do, are, like, patting you on the back and, like, giving you thumbs up. And it's amazing.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Did you run before your accident?

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, I started running in 2015. And I just immediately loved it. And so I've run the marathon, or a marathon pretty much every year since. Or in some cases, maybe more than one. And then a few years ago or four years ago, I started guiding. And then two years ago, I had my bicycle accident.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That was only two years ago.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, not even two years this August.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Wait, so you did the whole move here after the accident? Because if I'm remembering correctly, they thought you were gonna be or you were paralyzed for a bit.

[Nev Schulman]

I hadn't. No, I wasn't. I wasn't.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

But didn't they think they were.

[Nev Schulman]

The type of neck fracture that I had is nearly always results in some paralysis.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's what I remember reading.

[Nev Schulman]

Right. So it was just by some, you know, stroke of luck that it didn't. I mean, I have some nerve damage, but, you know, I was able to make a full recovery.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Were you on a bicycle?

[Nev Schulman]

I was on a bicycle, yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Here in town?

[Nev Schulman]

No, out in Long Island.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Okay, so what were you doing?

[Nev Schulman]

Nothing that interesting. I was just actually on my way to pick up my son from summer camp, and I don't remember exactly. I remember I was looking around, I had to merge because there's no bike lanes out there, which is something that I'm sort of trying to help improve. And I merged into. From the shoulder into the lane of traffic. And after, you know, I'd looked over my left shoulder, and somehow when I looked back in front of me, traffic had come to a stop in front of me in a spot that rarely. That happens. And so I just rear ended right into the back of this, like, work truck. And yeah, the bobby cast will be right back.

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[Reese Witherspoon]

Reese Witherspoon here, checking into my favorite hotel in Paris.

[Nev Schulman]

Bonjour.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Bonjour.

[Reese Witherspoon]

I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo autograph journey card. So I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel, and one point on other purchases. Phew, that was a lot. I need to lie down.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Is the room ready, visit Wells Fargo.com terms apply.

[Jacob Goldstein]

This is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? You probably think of Walmart as the store that carries just about everything under the sun and maybe not as the place to discover small brands. Well, two things can be true at the same time, because Walmart is home to thousands of small brands founded by people who had an idea, took a chance, and built something of their own. Behind everyone is a real story and a lot of hard work. So why not take a little time to recognize all the people building small brands across the country and support everything they're creating? Walmart is proud to give those brands a place on its shelves and online. It's never been easier to find and support small brands. So take a look at Walmart. You might come across something new, something unexpected, or a brand whose story speaks to you. You never know what you're missing until you look. Discover thousands of small [e-mail] this is

[Tony Ayo]

Tony Ayo from the Real Report with Tony Ayo and Uncle Murder. You ever notice how everything keeps going up? Rent's going up, streaming services are going up. Even your favorite burrito spot suddenly thinks salsa should cost extra. But with Boost Mobile, you and your phone bill don't have to play the will this go up soon?

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[Tony Ayo]

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[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

This is the Bobbycast. What do you remember next?

[Nev Schulman]

Next I remember like, this, the guy, like, laying on the ground and like the. The EMTs like scissors, like cutting my shirt open. So I don't know, it must have been five or 10 minutes. I don't know how quickly the ambulance got there. But it was weird because I immediately said, and I think this is like the dad instinct. I immediately thought Like, I'm. My kid is waiting. Call my wife, please, so that she knows. And I started to give my wife's phone number, and the EMT was like, you already told us. So I had somehow, in my unconscious state already, I guess, told them once.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I don't know, unconsciously, you were a good dad, making sure your kid wasn't left at school all day. Wow. So, I don't know, two years ago. I mean, are you good now?

[Nev Schulman]

Well, the crazy thing is, so. So that was August of 2024. And then. And I remember I was. I had. I had run as a guide with my. With my now friend who's blind, I think, twice. And we were supposed to run it together that November. And I. You know, I spoke to him a few days later, and I said, like, francesco, you know, I just broke my neck. You better find another guide. And he said, we. He said, like, look, there's time. Let's see how you're feeling. Like, I'm not gonna let you off the hook that easily. Cause, you know, if I can run a marathon blind, you should be able to run one, you know, after this accident. So it seemed ridiculous, but it put the thought in my head that, like, well, maybe. I know it's only. It's August, September, October, November. Like, I think it was 10 or something weeks. I was like, maybe it was 12 weeks. I was like, do you think because I was in good shape, I was training aggressively for. So I was like, well, maybe once I get this neck brace off in six weeks, I can do it. And so six weeks later, the doctor cleared me, saying, just like, your neck is healed, so go for a run and see how it feels. So I went for, like, a mile, jog, and it felt okay. So the next run I did a little bit longer, and I was like, I think I can do this. And so I ended up running the marathon with him that November. Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Do you think him saying that really led to you pushing yourself and getting healthier faster?

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, for sure. I mean, because if I hadn't had the marathon to train to get back in shape for and a bib to run it, like, who knows how long I would have waited to sort of start running again? So it was 100% motivating factor. And now that friend Francesco and I are actually training to do Half Ironman in September, so I'm training for that now. We're making a really cool documentary about that.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

How do you. I've done a couple triathlons, like, Olympic triathlons. How do you swim not the same. I'm not comparing, I'm just saying I understand like the process of it. How do you swim?

[Nev Schulman]

Swimming is just. You're tethered, you have a strap that connects you by your thigh and you just, he just feels the distance and kind of stays.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

You don't hit each other. Have you trained?

[Nev Schulman]

No, because you're, you're, you know, the rope is long enough that as long as you're not doing any kind of crazy, you know, kicking or whatever. We've done one swim, but it was cold. It's finally warmed up. Cause it's hard to train in a pool when you're like, there's not a lot of lanes that can accommodate that. So now that the weather's warmed up, we're gonna do some open water swims.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

What about the, the cycling part?

[Nev Schulman]

That's a tandem bike, so. Got it right. So I just go in front and he sits behind.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's easier than buying a rope between two bikes.

[Nev Schulman]

And the running is also pretty easy. We've done that a bunch. So really the, the trickiest part is the swim.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

So a half iron man is, it's

[Nev Schulman]

a, it's a 2200 meter swim. So like 1.2 miles.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah.

[Nev Schulman]

Mile and a quarter something. And then a 50 mile bike to 54 or 55 mile ride and then a half marathon. Yeah. I mean I've never, I've only done one sprint triathlon before I even started running. And the swim took me that like. I'm embarrassed. I think this one took me like 30 or 40 minutes.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

The training is difficult because you've got swimming. You gotta train with a different. You have to train a day where you swim and then get on a bike.

[Nev Schulman]

I know I still haven't done like a, like a swim to a cycle.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

The only real panic attack I've ever had is the first time that I did a triathlon and we're in open water and I like an idiot because I didn't know how to train. I swam in a pool looking at the black line the whole time. Now I'm in open water and they're saying, go. There's no black line.

[Nev Schulman]

Well, you know what they do have now? They have these A R or a. Yeah. AR goggles. So there's a little screen inside.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

It like holds like a fake line.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Yeah.

[Nev Schulman]

So you, you, you set it to where you want to go and then the second you start swimming, it shows you like a degree, like crazy wild. And then it shows you your, your heart rate and it shows you like, your distance. It's amazing.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I had people swimming over the top of me because I was so freaked out.

[Nev Schulman]

You were going like, well, at first

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I was like, oh, my God, I can't. I don't know where to go.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

So then I started trying to my head up, which is not good.

[Nev Schulman]

Terrible.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And then people were switching, kicking me, swimming over the top of me. And then I started swimming to the side, and the.

[Nev Schulman]

The boat adds a lot of distance.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And the boat came out to me, and they were like, are you okay? And I was like, I don't know. I had to regather my. It's the only real life panic attack. And I finished. But that was a moment for me where I was like, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do this.

[Reese Witherspoon]

Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And I feel like I can do anything. And that was one of those moments where I was. I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do this. I should have just trained and not open water. I don't. In open water, it's tough. Yeah. I also didn't know. Let's talk about Dancing with the Stars first.

[Nev Schulman]

Okay.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Great.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

You're really good.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, thank you.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

You know you're really good too, though, right?

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, I mean, yes. I. I think I have a pretty high level of sort of danceability.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Who's your partner?

[Nev Schulman]

Jenna.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Okay, great.

[Nev Schulman]

You did it too.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Yeah.

[Nev Schulman]

You're great. You're very good, too.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I won, but I wasn't good.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, but you won.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah, but I wasn't good. There's a difference.

[Nev Schulman]

I know, but how could you have won if. If you're not good?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Man of the people. You were good. I was not good.

[Nev Schulman]

I gotta go back and watch it.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I encourage you not to, actually.

[Nev Schulman]

Okay. Who was your partner?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Sharna.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, right. Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

She was off probably by the time you. She did one season after we won.

[Nev Schulman]

Okay.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

But Jenna was. Is so, so cool.

[Nev Schulman]

She's amazing.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah. I thought. I thought. I don't know. If I were you, I'd have been really disappointed.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh. Actually, quite the opposite. I love that I didn't win.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Why?

[Nev Schulman]

Because.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Who won, by the way?

[Nev Schulman]

I'm just blanking. Do you remember her?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Do you remember her?

[Nev Schulman]

Caitlin Bristow. Sorry, I just had a. I just had a brain fart.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I live in Nashville. Oh, my God.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, my God.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Seven houses down.

[Nev Schulman]

Not anymore.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

No. New York now.

[Nev Schulman]

That's right.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yes.

[Nev Schulman]

Anyway, Caitlin won.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Trained dancer.

[Nev Schulman]

Yes. Yeah. So she. I think she had a little bit of an advantage that. In that Regard.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Yeah.

[Nev Schulman]

Also, I don't want to say that it's. I don't know, I just think, like, being the girl, I think there's a slight advantage as a non professional because the male does so much guiding in dancing. So obviously Jenna was guiding me essentially too. But, like, I think, you know, as an untrained ballroom dancer, I think being the one that's led is inherently a little bit easier. But I'm not trying to not give Caitlin her flowers. She's fantastic. The reason I'm happy she won is because it makes no difference in terms of, like, my future. You know, like, there was nothing to gain from winning other than, I guess, being invited on the tour, which I was too busy and had my kids. You were okay. Not right. And I'm not like that upset about that. And what I love is that people come up to me now all the time and say, like, you should have won. Yeah. It's so much more fun to have people be like, you got robbed.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

You know, I thought both of you.

[Nev Schulman]

Because no one would come up to being like, congrats on winning the mirror ball.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I think they would because I get it a lot.

[Nev Schulman]

I mean, I. But I get all the same congratulations and appreciation, but I also get, like, the fun bonus of, like, you got robbed.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

It was the most skilled finale. There were only a couple that I've seen that were so skilled at the end, whenever it was you really, you and Kaitlyn both. And I really like Caitlin, and she talked about it like she was a dancer her whole life and then she didn't get to dance and. But I thought. And that was a weird season because it was Covid.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, so weird.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Like, there's no, for me, part of the. The adrenaline because there were people.

[Nev Schulman]

And it was just because I've gone to filmings since then and I've been in the ballroom with the audience and the. And watching the dances with the supporting ensemble. I'm just like, wow. It's a whole different thing. But I have some. Some cool sort of. I don't know if it's like, embargoed, but, like, you know how they're doing the new show, Dancing with Stars, looking

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

for the new pro. Yeah.

[Nev Schulman]

So I was invited as an alumni. I was invited as one of very few alumni to participate in an episode of that show.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

That's awesome because you're good. You know who didn't get invited as an alumni winner? I would have made them worse.

[Nev Schulman]

Anyway, so I love dancing. I love that show. I'm so excited for this. New series. And every time I've now been a part of that, I'm like, God, I wish I had pursued dancing because I danced a little bit in middle school, very amateur style. And I kind of just. I wish I had gotten more into it.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

It's such a great experience, that show.

[Nev Schulman]

Oh, my God.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

And again, I have no background at all and I barely have a background now after doing the show. But it's the people. Like 90% of them are awesome. Like, awesome, awesome.

[Nev Schulman]

We should start a post show live, like reaction chat for this coming season for watching them. Yeah, we should get as many former competitors, contestants together and do like some sort of live, like, stream for people to watch and talk. Like we can, you know, I think

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

they'd like watching you talk about it.

[Nev Schulman]

What do you mean? Why would you already have an audience of people that like watching you talk?

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yes. Not talk about dance. Oh, well, just a different hit.

[Reese Witherspoon]

The.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

If you remember, hit YouTube later and you'll be like, oh, like, yeah.

[Nev Schulman]

Anyway, if anybody ever wants to do any kind of dance content or anything with me, I'm ready to go. Hit me up.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Does your neck. That was before the accident, right?

[Nev Schulman]

My neck was at. Yeah, yeah. Dancing with Stars would.

[Tony Ayo]

Before.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I just. I'm still amazed by the move that you did two years after a neck surgery where you pulled yourself up out of the chair just. And I hit the microphone. But you're healthy.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, no, my neck healed and it also kind of forced me to rehabilitate, not just my neck, but like kind of start. Start from scratch and like get back in shape in a much healthier way. But. Yeah.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Do you have one of those cool realtor websites?

[Nev Schulman]

No, I guess I should.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

I. I don't know. Sometimes it's like, hey, you should check out this real estate person. They're like, I'm Dominique and these are my.

[Nev Schulman]

And it's like, yeah, no, I don't have that. I've made some fun videos to sort of, you know, let people know I'm working in real estate now again, I'm. I'm coming into it very humbly. I think a lot of real estate brokers are really selling themselves and

[Bethenny Frankel]

for

[Nev Schulman]

better or worse, really kind of want to be the star of their business. I just want to learn. I just want to know what I'm

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

doing

[Nev Schulman]

and get good at it and see if I can actually help people and enjoy it. So maybe again, it's only been six months that I've been doing this, so I'm not ready to kind of get out There and put my face on. You know, I'm not, like, doing the bus stop posters yet, but maybe soon.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Maybe let's just do one. Just do one.

[Nev Schulman]

Take a picture of it. Yeah, it's true. AI can do it.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Now, final thing is, are you saying that there will be another incarnation of catfish in some way?

[Nev Schulman]

I certainly hope so. I mean, we have a lot of ideas for how to kind of take the brand, the catfish idea of deception and, you know, relationships and make hopefully a bunch of different types of shows.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

My final, final question, how did the term catfish ever even come to be.

[Nev Schulman]

Yeah, so in the doc, if you remember, and I don't want to spoil too much, but the husband of the woman we met, he told us this great story about fishermen who, you know, kind of back in the early days of fishing, when. When they would travel from, I guess, Alaska to China catching cod along the way, they had these big ships with these vats in the hull, and they would store all the fish alive in these vats because it, you know, there was a weeks and weeks journey, and so they. They didn't have ice they could use for that long, so they would just keep them alive. And over time, in these small vats, the fish would stop swimming, their muscle would deteriorate, and by the time they got where they were going, I guess they were less delicious, they were smaller, whatever. So someone had the idea of putting some catfish in with the cod to chase them and keep them moving, and he equated his wife to those catfish. There are people in life that kind of nip at our fins and keep things interesting. And we thought it was such a beautiful analogy. For without him even knowing how insanely accurate he was being, it was never meant in our minds to kind of indicates what I think it's become, which is like a sort of bottom feeder, like trickster. It was just this sort of beautiful concept of, wow. There are people who think outside the box and kind of push the boundaries and, yeah, maybe they break rules, but they're also what makes life such a thrill and sort of so exciting. And that's why we called it that.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Did you ever talk to. Do you ever talk to people that were on the movie?

[Nev Schulman]

I haven't and now in a long time. But you're good. No, I actually. I think about them all the time and would love to be in touch. I'm very reachable. And I think it was made clear at one point as the success of the show and everything was growing, that, like, they wanted to not be a part of that anymore because I'd actually invited Angela, the woman, to be a part of the show when we initially started it, and she said, no, thanks, but I would love to hear how she's doing. And I'd really love to know how Abby, the girl who at the time was part of the whole thing, is doing now because she's probably 20 something. It's crazy.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Yeah, Nev, I really appreciate the time. This has been awesome. Thanks so much. And if we're buying a place up here, I'm gonna hit you up.

[Nev Schulman]

Please do. If anyone's looking for a place, if

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

anyone,

[Nev Schulman]

I can help you find your next home.

[Bobby (Host of Bobbycast)]

Thanks for listening to a Bobbycast production.

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[Reese Witherspoon]

Reese Witherspoon here, checking into my favorite hotel in Paris.

[Nev Schulman]

Bonjour.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Bonjour.

[Reese Witherspoon]

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