- In “Candy Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare,” Kirat Assi describes being deceived for nearly a decade.
- The catfisher created a number of pretend Fb accounts to maintain up the deceit.
- Here is why Assi believes she was focused.
Warning: Spoilers forward for Netflix’s “Candy Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare” and Tortoise’s podcast “Candy Bobby.”
Kirat Assi, a lady catfished by a relative for eight years, is telling her story once more in Netflix’s new documentary “Candy Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare.”
However the movie nonetheless leaves viewers questioning why Simran Bhogal, the relative, started the deception within the first place.
Fictional and non-fictional scammer tales have been booming on Netflix — examples embody 2022’s “Inventing Anna” collection and “The Tinder Swindler” documentary.
Uncooked, the manufacturing “The Tinder Swindler” and 2024’s “American Nightmare,” condensed Assi’s yearslong catfishing into one movie.
In “Candy Bobby,” Assi describes how Bhogal created Fb accounts to faux to be a real-life particular person, Bobby Jandhu, and his relations to hold on a web-based relationship along with her — the phenomenon often known as catfishing.
The messages began in 2010 and lasted till Assi tried to trace down Jandhu and located the true particular person.
Although Bhogal claimed to be abroad, she and Assi lived comparatively shut to one another in London.
Courtesy of Netflix
The actual Jandhu had no thought who Assi was when she confronted her. After this, Assi stated, Bhogal admitted to the deception.
Assi sued Bhogal within the English court docket system. In 2021, they reached a settlement consisting of a payout to Assi and an apology letter she may present to a restricted variety of individuals.
Jandhu, who additionally seems within the documentary, stated Bhogal messaged him to apologize when caught.
Although Assi steered that Bhogal did it for “leisure,” Bhogal by no means offers her facet of the story within the documentary.
Textual content on the finish of the documentary stated that Bhogal declined to be interviewed and as an alternative gave a press release.
“This matter entails occasions that started when she was a schoolgirl. She considers it a non-public matter and strongly objects to what she describes as ‘quite a few unfounded’ and damaging accusations,” it stated of her response.
Nevertheless, previously, Assi did give some hints about Bhogal’s motivations throughout a 2021 podcast collection, Tortoise Media’s “Candy Bobby.”
Kirat Assi steered that Simran Bhogal was in a “darkish place” when she started the catfishing
Courtesy of Netflix
Within the podcast, Assi described a draft apology letter Bhogal gave her after Assi took authorized motion in opposition to her in 2020.
Assi did not learn the letter on the podcast, citing the authorized settlement, however she describes it as probably the most emotional letter she bought from her cousin.
“It was all like she would change all the things if she may, and it was all very gushing, and I am sorry for all of the damage, the ache I induced,” Assi stated.
The podcast host, Alexi Mostrous, stated Bhogal wrote within the letter that she was battling private points and thought she and Assi “simply clicked” once they met.
Assi stated: “There was a phrase that she used that bothered me. She actually believed that we have been each in a darkish place and residing in this type of various actuality, or this fantasy world that she’d created was bringing us each some form of happiness and pleasure.
“And the truth that she’s solely simply realized that it wasn’t any form of fantasy for me and it wasn’t bringing me any form of happiness that actually stands out for me.”
Assi additionally stated that within the letter, Bhogal stated she tried to finish the connection, being nasty to Assi to push her away.
“However then Bobby would at all times have a coronary heart assault or a stroke, after which I would have to come back again in, so I do not perceive,” Assi added.
She stated she did not imagine the apology was real as a result of it was solely given after the court docket proceedings started.
“She may have despatched that to me ages in the past. She may have stopped it being filed to court docket. Why did she solely acknowledge all of this now? Did she not acknowledge it when she confessed?” Assi stated.
Like within the documentary, Bhogal refused to be interviewed, and her legal professionals gave the same assertion to the podcast, so “Candy Bobby” followers will possible by no means hear Bhogal’s clarification firsthand.
