What Happened To Derek And Lauren After Catfish
While a number of "Catfish" relationships have ended in tears for all the world to see, every now and then, the show brings real couples together — and Derek Shullenbarger and Lauren Meler were one of the first. Having said that, their experience on the show took place nearly a decade ago. So, we can't help but wonder: what happened to this couple, after the show?
To recap, when Shullenbarger and Meler met in person for the first time, they'd been texting back and forth for a whopping eight years (via IMDb). As noted in an episode recap by Vulture, the long-term situationship raised suspicions for former "Catfish" host, Max Joseph. However, it turned out that Shullenbarger had just genuinely been scared to meet Meler. Moreover, he'd resolved to see her in person only when he knew he could commit, because he felt she could be "the one, "according to Starcasm.
Ultimately, once the online pen pals finally met up, they began an IRL relationship ... but dating in the real world was just part of what made this particular couple so memorable. What firmly cemented their icon status on the show was Shullenbarger's proposal to Meler. Reflecting back on that in an MTV Catfish YouTube video, longtime "Catfish" host, Nev Schulman reminisced, "This was the first live proposal on the show." History made, for sure, but our question remains — what ever happened to these two, after the show wrapped?
They broke off their engagement a few months later
Unfortunately for the "Catfish" alums, Lauren Meler and Derek Shullenbarger's relationship was far from smooth sailing once they became a real-life couple. For starters, In September 2013, Meler took to Twitter to share some devastating news. "I was 10 wks pregnant, but we had a miscarriage Tuesday," she wrote. As noted by MTV, the couple went on to address the miscarriage on live TV the next month. It was in that same episode that Shullenbarger proposed, undoubtedly bringing them some joy in an otherwise heartbreaking time. However, their happiness as a couple was short-lived, and soon enough, they called time on their romance.
Us Weekly was the first to break the news of their split, though the outlet didn't go into too many details. The former couple also remained tight-lipped, and neither addressed the break up. However, sadly for fans who hoped the lack of commentary might be indicative of a mistake, just under two weeks later, MTV confirmed that they had indeed gone their separate ways.
If there's one consolation for those hoping this pair would go the distance, it seems this break up was relatively drama-free. Again, in-depth details are scarce, but per MTV, Nev Schulman referred to the ending of their relationship as "amicable." Small wins, we guess?
... But at least one of them has found love again
Lauren Meler and Derek Shullenbarger might not have worked out romantically, but at least one of them has gone on to find a new love.
While Derek's Instagram is set to private and his Twitter presence is nonexistent, a quick look through Facebook reveals that he's moved on from his former relationship. In fact, he's married. Back in 2020, their wedding videographer wished him and his bride, Pearl LeRose Shullenbarger, a "Happy 1st wedding anniversary."
As for Meler, it seems she prefers to keep her life more private, these days. After a hiatus from the platform between 2013 and 2017, she rejoined Twitter — only to declare, days after her return, "I don't really think I like twitter." She's not been active since. Like her ex-fiancé, her Instagram account is also private. And, while her professional page — which revealed that she was studying to become an esthetician — is public, she hasn't posted since 2019. So, perhaps Meler has gone on to find love again, and we just don't know about it. Either way, while it's sad this "Catfish" couple couldn't work out, we're happy to have been part of their love story while it lasted, and we're wishing both of them the best.