Person who catfished woman for 10 years in new Netflix documentary had bizarre explanation for their actions

A new Netflix documentary has shed light on a shocking case of catfishing, and the person behind it has a bizarre explanation.

If you're unfamiliar with the term 'catfishing', it means when somebody pretends to be someone they're not online.

The TV show Catfish by MTV really shed light on it and some of the episodes were wild.

Well, if that's up your street then there's a new Netflix series that is probably worth a watch, and it's called Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare.

For what it's worth, the following will be packed full of spoilers so consider yourself warned!

The series tells the astonishing story of Kirat Assi, a radio host who believed she had found love with a man she met on Facebook, Bobby Jandu.

While Bobby was a real person, Kirat’s interactions with him turned out to be based on a fake Facebook profile.

In a shocking twist, it is revealed that the mastermind behind the fake account was none other than Kirat’s own cousin, Simran Bhogal.

Credit: Netflix

The deception unraveled when Kirat hired a private investigator to locate Bobby’s address. When she confronted the real Bobby, who had no idea who she was, she became increasingly distraught.

Seeking clarity, Kirat called Simran for help, passing the phone to Bobby, who was so alarmed by the situation that he considered calling the police to protect his family.

Catfishing involves pretending to be someone else. Credit: Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty

The looming threat of police intervention forced Simran to confess after maintaining the ruse for nine years, from 2009 to 2018.

If you're anything like me, the first thing you're going to wonder is why would anybody do this to their own cousin?

Sweet Bobby does not fully explain why Simran went to such extraordinary lengths to deceive her cousin.

Simran declined to participate in the documentary, with her representatives telling Sky News that “this matter involves events that began when she was a schoolgirl” and calling it a “private matter.”

Simran also strongly objected to what she described as “numerous unfounded and damaging accusations.”

However, the Sweet Bobby podcast, produced by Tortoise Media, offers some additional insight. During one episode, Kirat recounts receiving an emotional letter from Simran as part of a civil case.

"It was an emotional letter and it was all like she would change everything if she could and it was all very gushing and 'I’m sorry for all the hurt and pain I’ve caused', and all what you’d expect someone to say,” she recounted.

"It was the same as what she said when she confessed that she was in a dark place.

“She honestly believed we were both in a dark place and living in this alternative reality or this fantasy world that she created was bringing us both some kind of happiness or joy."

Since the release of the documentary, Kirat has spoken about her feelings towards her cousin. Although the catfishing ordeal took a heavy toll, she claims she no longer holds resentment toward Simran.

“At the moment of her confession, I was screaming, ‘Why?’” Kirat told Sky News. “But I've long ago let go of that… There’s just no reason to have done what she did.”

Now, Kirat says her focus has shifted. “I just need to know how she did it.”

You can check out the documentary on Netflix!

Featured image credit: Netflix