Back in may, Catfish host Nev Schulman was accused of sexual misconduct.
The woman who brought forward her #MeToo story had appeared on the show, and says that she worried that he might do the same with other women.
Now, she has revealed that she filed her report about the alleged incident with the police.
Ayissha Morgan tells The Blast that she officially filed two police reports related to her allegations of sexual misconduct that she leveled towards Nev Schulman.
She says that both reports were filed on May 25.
The reports, filed with the Houston Police Department, were made “for what happened during my participation on the show.”
She accuses a production assistant of having plied her with alcohol in order to take advantage of her.
She also accuses Schulman, the host of Catfish, of having sexually harassed her.
(Though sexual harassment is never okay, it is important to note that Ayissha is openly gay, which adds another upsetting layer to the alleged harassment)
Speaking to The Blast, Ayissha explains what that process of speaking to the police was like.
“I have provided them with my statement and detailed accounts of what I went through.”
She has a general message for readers who are curious about her life — from her appearance on Catfish a few years ago and from her new accusations.
“I ask that you please respect my privacy moving forward.”
Of course.
She does not want to answer any more particular questions, in case it interfere with the police as they look into the matter.
“And allow those who are handling the investigation do so without interference.”
Of course. Investigators prefer to be the only ones asking questions.
When Ayissha published her accusations, she did so with a great deal of thought, and included a note, writing:
“I don’t want attention or money.”
So many accuse the accusers of hoping to somehow turn their accusations into fame and fortune, even though most of what accusers face is ridicule.
“Help me spread awareness.”
She admits that she feels tormented by the idea that Schulman may have harassed other women while she has remained silent.
“This is a serious topic that I would never lie about.”
Allegations of sexual misconduct is about as serious as it gets.
“That would be disgusting for me to lie about something as serious as this. Please understand.”
Schulman is said to have repeatedly verbally harassed Ayissha while the two were not on camera.
At one point, he allegedly told her:
“I have a big d–k. I would tear your a– up.”
There are situations in which that is an okay thing to say to a person. When you are a TV host and your guest is very much not interested is not one of those times.
Nev Schulman has denied the allegations.
MTV is making sure that Catfish does not have any further incidents by suspending production on the current season.
It is always smart to play it safe for many reasons, in terms of ethics, public image, and even potential liability issues.
Unfortunately, sexual misconduct is both extremely difficult to prove or disprove.
Ayissha Morgan may need to find a corroborating witness — perhaps she already has one — or at least an outcry witness in order for police to be able to build a case from her report.
