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What happened to Max on ‘Catfish?’

Max was a beloved 'Catfish' icon, so why did he leave the series?

Image via MTV

One of the most exhilarating parts of tuning into MTV’s Catfish was witnessing the ever-popular dynamic between its leading stars Nev Schulman and Max Joseph. And as fantastic and beloved as the duo truly were during their time together on the series, folks continue to wonder exactly what happened to Max.

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For some background, the engaging reality series arrived on MTV back in 2012, with the idea originally sparked by Schulman after he experienced his own “Catfish” encounter a few years prior. In the years that followed, Catfish became a cultural phenomenon and featured an array of unforgettable episodes centering around regular civilians affected by scammers, con artists, and liars all across the internet.

Like all good things, however, the memorable leading pair of Nev and Max came to an end. After several successful seasons of the show, Max parted ways with Catfish in 2018 — a move that undoubtedly disappointed a large portion of viewers who had come to adore Max and Nev’s friendship.

So, why did Max leave Catfish?

Image via MTV

Despite Max’s glaring popularity amongst viewers, he ultimately departed the show in the summer of 2018 to pursue a fresh-faced career in filmmaking. At the time, he explained in an Instagram post that attempting to juggle both aspects of his career was proving to be too difficult, with Max choosing his dream career in the end.

Of course, investing in yourself and your dream career is always the best choice, but it’s not hard to comprehend why Max continues to be missed in the reality series. It still remains to be seen if Max will ever make his long-awaited return to Catfish, especially after teasing a possible return last year. But for now, he’s fully invested in building a successful career in filmmaking.