What Happened To TikTok Star Jake Fuller After Catfish?
The MTV reality series "Catfish" gives individuals a unique opportunity to explore their online connections. Each episode centers on two individuals who have only communicated through social media, dating apps, text messages, or phone calls. Of course, that mystery leaves plenty of exciting possibilities for the imagination. However, things take a quick turn once these online lovers meet in person. Sometimes, the romance pans out successfully. Remember "Catfish" stars Colleen and Tony, who continued a relationship after the show? Yet other pairs, such as Matt and Kim, never took off romantically. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of scenarios where an individual is "catfished," as the person they talked to on the internet turned out to be someone completely different.
In the series, there are often red flags about identity, which the hosts delve into more deeply. A 2020 episode of "Catfish" focused on TikTok star Jake Fuller. While the influencer wanted to believe he had found "the one," things quickly went awry. Let's take a look at Fuller's life during and after his appearance on "Catfish."
How Jake Fuller got catfished
So, what happened to Jake Fuller on "Catfish?" Well, according to Bustle, Fuller met a young woman named Taylor Holland on Instagram. But after some time exchanging messages, he felt something was off. Apparently, Holland didn't show herself on camera during FaceTime calls and ghosted him several times. She also wasted no time sending him money, which Fuller began to take advantage of.
In the episode, the hosts of "Catfish" discovered that Holland had been lying about her identity, as the photos on Instagram were not really her. The hosts finally arranged a meeting between Fuller and "Holland." "Holland" revealed herself to be a young woman named Amanda, who started catfishing due to insecurities such as being bullied at school. Paying social media influencers allowed her to talk to "cool" people. Although Amanda sent Fuller money, she felt used, as he continued to request more. As a result, she threatened to ruin his reputation. Once they met in person, the two eventually owned up to their mistakes and apologized.
Fans can watch the drama play out in clips from the reality show. In an early excerpt from the "Catfish" episode, Fuller talked about his online relationship with Holland on a FaceTime call with the hosts. He revealed what he liked about her, saying, "She doesn't try to use me for my quote-unquote 'clout,' I guess, which I get a lot of." Well, that sentiment quickly took a turn!
Inside Jake Fuller's life after 'Catfish'
Jake Fuller says he's changed quite a bit since appearing on "Catfish." Following the release of his episode, Fuller wrote on Instagram Story (per Distractify), "Oh my God, that was literally a year ago. I'm a completely different person now. Who let me say any of that?" But some things haven't changed. When he was on "Catfish," Fuller had a big presence on TikTok. He is still on TikTok, where he posted comedic lip-syncing videos for his over 1 million followers. However, he isn't too active on the app, as he hasn't posted since 2021.
As of 2020, he was attending University of Tennessee, per Bustle. When he's not studying, he appears to be relaxing on vacation, which he posts photos of on Instagram. In one 2022 post, he shared pictures of himself riding on a horse in water. He wrote, "Closest I'll ever get to being a cowboy." In another 2022 post, he shared a series of photos in Middle Caicos. He wrote, "I threw all my problems in the ocean, watch them come back."