‘Catfish’ Victim Tired of ‘Crazy, Never-Ending Masochism’ With Friend of 9 Years

After nearly a decade being strung along by his “friend” Leah, Mathan was ready to know the truth about the woman he loved.

In Wednesday’s season premiere of the MTV series, Nev Schulman and guest investigator Kamie Crawford met with the 22-year-old Los Angeles resident when he revealed he needed to know the truth about his online friend of nine years.

“I started talking to Leah back when I was 13,” Mathan explained of his situation. “The problem is, Leah has always been kind of mysterious, like she’s never telling me the whole story.”

In addition to classic hallmarks like refusing to meet in person or video chat, Mathan revealed his heart was regularly broken by her as she would ghost him for “months on end,” refusing to explain where she had gone upon return.

When asked why he continued with this “crazy, never-ending masochism,” Mathan answered simply, “Because I love her. …I felt like I connected with her more than I have been able to with the other girls I’ve talked to or dated.”

“This girl is not treating you consistently well,” Schulman insisted, but Mathan held fast. “I still really want to see her really bad. I can’t stop thinking of her and forget her.”

After Schulman’s investigation determined that Leah had been the subject of a widespread search after running away with her newborn baby, Mathan was shaken, but agreed to travel to Seattle, Washington to see if they could meet her in person.

As the investigation continued, the sleuths dug up more information about Leah’s problems with the law, including that she had been in and out of drug treatment, accounting for the times she would disappear.

Despite the help of Leah’s sister, the mysterious friend refused to meet up with Mathan or the Catfish crew, which her sister claimed was due to a possessive boyfriend who had recently been released from jail.

Getting an apology from her sister, Mathan was heartbroken that Leah wouldn’t even meet him, sending her a message telling her he was “completely done for good,” and asking her to never contact him again.

“I think you’re doing the right thing, Mathan,” Crawford reassured him, with Schulman agreeing, “It’s always tough to let go.”

Two months later, Mathan told the crew he hadn’t talked to Leah since his goodbye message and had been chatting with a “serious” new girl.

“I needed that closure and that finish,” he told them.

Catfish: The TV Show airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

Photo credit: MTV