Thank you, Kamie Crawford!

Laugh all you want, but I loved the show Catfish. The MTV reality show launched in 2012 following the success of host Nev Schulman’s 2010 documentary by the same name, detailing his own experience being catfished by an older woman pretending to be his online romantic interest. The series followed Nev and then co-host Max Joseph as they went from state to state, uncovering the identities of their protagonists’ online romances; sometimes the person was exactly who they said they were. Sometimes they weren’t. But the show made huge strides in not just educating the general public on what to look out for and online safety habits, but was also genuinely humanizing. The people hiding behind photos of celebrities and instagram models were usually grappling with identity, sexuality, body image and other issues we all deal with. Obviously catfishing is wrong, but who doesn’t fantasize about disappearing into the life of someone more beautiful every once in a while. 

Max Joseph would eventually bow out and the show was cohosted by a rotating panel of personalities in 2018, but would ultimately be replaced by former beauty queen and television personality Kamie Crawford. And honestly, Kamie was exactly what the show needed. Her kindness and compassion breathed new life into the show, and her sharp wit and hilarious clap backs made for some of the most memorable moments (I still say “Bock bock bitch” to my friends). 

Then, in October of 2024, after six years as a beloved full time host, Kamie announced she would be leaving the show. Taking to instagram to post, “Thank you for wrapping your arms around me and accepting me with welcoming arms…I’m proud of the work we’ve done and the impact I’ve left and I am forever grateful to Nev, Critical Content and MTV…”  

She discussed her decision on an episode of her podcast, Relationsh*t, airing in October 2024. “Coming into a show that people know and love as much as I do and did at the time when I got the opportunity…and being somebody’s “replacement”…I just wanted to do the best that I could, it was big shoes to fill,” she said of the experience. 

Kamies goes on to call it her “big break” and “the best thing to ever happen to her.” 

She doesn’t divulge what drove her to  make the decision other than it was time to open herself to new opportunities, saying “it was not an easy decision but it was a decision I had to make.” And in a moment of raw emotion, her voice breaks as she repeats herself, “I had to make a decision, I hope you can respect it, I am very very happy with my decision.” 

Then, in September of 2025, Nev and Max posted a collaborative post on Instagram announcing the end of the series, after twelve years and nine seasons on the air. Thanking everyone in the cast and crew, the fans, and congratulating one another, Kamie’s name didn’t come up. It felt intentional. And the commenters noticed it right away. 

Some of the comments left on the post read “[d]isappointed in the lack of mention within the video of Kamie’s contribution. This was recorded, edited and watched back so it’s hard to imagine it wasn’t intentional. She brought empathy, sass, comedy, kindness and relatability the show needed.” Another person said, “I was expecting to see Kamie popping in, but no mention of her is shady af.” Nev, undoubtedly noticing the backlash, pinned a comment after the fact, “And a HUGE thank you to Kamie[,] too of course!” 

And I can’t speak for everyone but I took Kamie’s snub personally. It’s not uncommon to see the contributions of Black women blatantly minimized; Black women have repeatedly been erased from American history, their contributions to medicine, science and civil rights reduced to footnotes or afterthoughts. Even when Black women make major contributions, systemic barriers often minimize their impact; Black female scholarship faces a “citation gap” and lack of mentorship, the “concrete ceiling” keeps Black women from promotion in the workplace, just as two examples. Black women are repeatedly at the forefront of popular culture, and almost never given credit; from the language we use to the beauty trends we purchase and the tik tok dances we scroll through. 

But Nev and Max, and the “Catfish” team felt different. The show always felt like a safe space; the participants were always confronted with their deepest truths about the consequences of their words and actions, and Nev and his cohosts were always armed with socially conscious language, easing them into whatever beginning or end they faced as a result. Adding salt to the wound, as host of the show, Nev was always particular about showing support for a number of causes though his clothing during the course of the show; his shirts would rotate between “Black Lives Matter,” and “Protect Trans Kids” throughout the series, another way of signaling to the audience that this space was safe, to both them and their loved ones. Snubbing Kamie, a Black woman who made such a significant contribution to the show, reminds the viewers that words (printed on a t shirt or otherwise) are empty unless they’re followed with action. 

So since Nev and Max didn’t say it, I will: Thank you, Kamie! Thank you for every moment you showed softness and understanding to every person you crossed paths with. Thank you for every tear shed, every hand held, every flight taken and every hug embraced. You put so much of yourself into that show for six years and every single one of us watching could see that. You brought so much life and energy into the series, and I hope you felt loved and appreciated in the process.

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