Entertainment

Sweet Bobby: The Shocking True Story of a Catfishing Nightmare

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1d ago

Nov 11, 2024 / 4344 Views

Evan Walker

Netflix’s Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare is one of the most shocking catfishing cases in the History of the internet. The documentary thriller is based on real events, the ordeal that Kirat Assi, a woman whose supposed online soulmate duped her for the better part of a decade, went through. From what began as a innocuous Facebook connection escalated into the most complex web of manipulation, betrayal and emotional control one can imagine, raising uncomfortable questions about online trust and the devastating impact of this uniquely online phenomenon of catfishing. Here is all you need to know Netflix’s catfishing documentary Sweet Bobby, its release date, true story, review, IMDb rating and more.

Sweet Bobby: The chilling true story of love and lies unveiled in Netflix’s catfishing documentary

Like many other similar true crime documentaries on Netflix, Sweet Bobby probes deep into the psychological impact of deception, shining a spotlight on how vulnerable we are in the digital age. Catfishing is a deceptive online activity where a person creates a false identity to manipulate or deceive others.

A web of deceit: The nightmare begins

As per the podcast of the same name, which is the movie’s source material, it was in 2010 that a radio host Kirat Assi who was based in London received a friend request on Facebook from a man named “Bobby Jandu”. I used quotes because the person, in fact, was not called that as we will learn later. Anyway, Bobby claimed to be a distant acquaintance from the wider Sikh community in the city. He appeared to be harmless at first — he said was married and had a child on the way. But over time, his communications gradually became more intimate. When his marriage allegedly began to crumble, Bobby started confiding in Kirat, and their friendship evolved into something deeper.

For years, Kirat and Bobby exchanged texts and calls, planning to meet multiple times, but Bobby always found reasons to cancel. The first of the alarming twists came when Kirat was told in 2013 through a Facebook message from somebody else that Bobby was shot and was in a coma. Then two months later, she was told he was dead. Cracking under the pressure, she joined a Facebook group filled with Bobby’s supposed friends — only to later discover they were all fake profiles controlled by her catfisher. Yes, every 39 of them.

In a bizarre turn worthy of spy thriller Hollywood movies, Bobby “reappeared” months later, explaining that he had faked his death and been placed in a witness protection programme. The manipulation didn’t end there — over the following years, Bobby fabricated numerous Health scares, including a brain tumour, stroke, and heart attack. Kirat was also manipulated with threats of suicide whenever she pressed him about meeting in person. The emotional control escalated to the point where Kirat had to take a leave of absence from work due to stress.

Netflix's Catfishing Documentary sweet bobby my catfish nightmare — Kirat Assi as she appears in the Netflix documentary. (Image: Courtesy of Netflix)

The darkest twist: A familiar face behind the lies

After years and years of deception, Kirat started having doubts. She has also noticed inconsistencies in Bobby’s stories. With the help of a private investigator, she went and met the real Bobby Jandu. She was shocked to discover that the real Bobby — whose identity had been stolen by the catfisher — had no idea who she was. Eventually, a horrifying truth came to light: the person behind the fake Bobby profile was Simran Bhogal, Kirat’s own cousin.

Simran had orchestrated the horrific catfishing for so long, creating profiles, manufacturing crises and emergencies, and manipulating Kirat’s emotions to keep her at her mercy. When Kirat and the real Bobby reported the case to the police in 2018, they were met with a frustrating reality — catfishing isn’t recognised as a criminal offence under UK law, leaving them without any legal recourse.

In 2020, Kirat pursued a civil case against Simran, which was settled out of court. However, the emotional damage caused by Simran’s years-long deceit remains a lingering scar for Kirat.

What was Sweet Bobby‘s release date?

Sweet Bobby‘s release date was 16 October.

Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare review

Netflix’s catfishing documentary Sweet Bobby has received mixed reviews thus far. The Guardian’s review read, “Though thankfully not stretched into multiple episodes, Sweet Bobby, at 82 minutes, is the rare case of a true-crime documentary that could be longer. The big reveal (no spoiler on the perPetrator) is swift, and the resolution is barely teased out. (The film ends with a note that a civil case Kirat brought against the catfisher was settled out of court in 2022.)”