I used to think that Catfish-ers didn't want to get caught, so why one would actually request to meet on the show was definitely a new twist for Nev and Max. As it turns out, Jamey and Ari's story on Catfish ran a lot deeper than just two people who met online and fell for each other. Ari told Jamey she'd only meet him if it were on Catfish, because she had a secret she wanted to reveal on the show, which was that she is transgender. It was a very emotional episode, and ended on a weird note in terms of Jamey and Ari's relationship. So are the two friends now?
Once Nev and Max established the fact that Ari was a real person and was the person who appeared in her online dating photos, they scheduled a meeting with her, which is where she revealed she is transgender, which was the secret she referred to. (She wasn't married like Nev and Max originally thought.) Ari's journey to announcing the truth, not only to Jamey but also on TV, was a courageous decision, but had to be overwhelming. At one point, when she and Jamey came face to face to talk about everything, Ari decided she didn't want to talk about it anymore and left the cameras, Nev, Max, and Jamey behind.
So what's the status on these two now?
Jamey and Ari both spoke with Nev and Max at the end of the episode, and it seemed that there wasn't any romantic relationship between the pair at the moment. But that didn't mean their entire relationship had to end, because these two did form a very personal connection over the five months that they'd gotten to know each other.
Ari opened up to MTV News about her decision to discuss being transgender on Catfish , and also revealed that she and Jamey are still friends. "I did the show because I felt like I was hiding a part of myself from Jamey," she said. "I thought [Catfish] would be opportunity for me to show the world, and opened the door for people to understand what transgender really means."
Ari also talked about her current relationship with Jamey. She said that after the two of them finished filming, they were able to talk on the phone and work on their relationship.
We talked about some things, and how no matter what he would still be a friend to me, and that he wasn’t going to freak out over something not controllable. It made me feel very happy. He cared for me and my feelings, and the friendship we had still mattered enough to him to want to save it. His reaction showed me that sometimes you can be scared to tell someone you are transgender, and things still turn out okay.
Her story was certainly a brave and important message for young adults to hear, especially anyone who may be going through similar situations, or for those that may err more on the side of Jamey's role in the episode and just want to learn more about the journeys transgender people go through. I just hope that in addition to helping Ari share her message, this episode of Catfish leads to her and Jamey remaining friends in the future.
Image: MTV
