Credit: NetflixStranger Things is one of the defining original series of the streaming age, a massive success that helped Netflix become a dominant pop culture platform across the world. However, for at least one fan, Stranger Things ended up in a divorce and a scam that cost thousands.
In a recent episode of the YouTube series Catfished, a Kentucky woman identified only as McKayla says that she is out thousands of dollars because she believed she was in an online relationship with one of the stars of Stranger Things and even ended up in a divorce from her husband.
According to McKayle, she was in a dysfunctional marriage (which she calls “toxic”) when she joined an online forum for artists, posting, “I’m incredibly excited to connect with fellow filmmakers who share the same passion for the art of filmmaking… I’m currently seeking creative collaboration opportunities, and I believe that together, we can create something truly remarkable.”
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At some point, she was contacted by another user with the handle “DK MH,” who claimed to be Dacre Montgomery, who plays the fan-favorite character Billy Hargrove. Hargrove was introduced in the second season of the show as a secondary antagonist but immediately became a breakout for his good looks, 1980s fashion, and “bad boy” vibe.
McKayla says she was not initially convinced that DK MH was the Stranger Things star, saying, “Me and him just really hit it off, but of course, I’m suspicious from the get-go until he starts doing things that make me believe that he is who he is.”
Apparently, she bonded with the supposed Stranger Things star over mutually shared romantic issues. The real Dacre Montgomery is in a relationship with Australian model Liv Pollock, but McKayla says, “That’s one thing we actually bonded over, and basically through the relationship, he was venting to me after a few months about his partner saying she’s very controlling of him, he doesn’t get to do the things he wants to do, she’s always there, (she’s) always got to supervise.”
Eventually, McKayla says she was convinced to send the catfish Stranger Things star approximately $10,000 in gift cards (a common fraud scheme to avoid triggering financial warnings) and to divorce her husband.
Sadly, the fraud known as catfishing (wherein a scammer impersonates a celebrity or otherwise attractive person) is very common, and McKayla is just one of thousands who have fallen for similar schemes.
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Dacre Montgomery has not publically commented on the situation, but it is certainly not the Stranger Things star’s fault someone assumed his identity for nefarious purposes. The final season of Stranger Things is expected to land on Netflix sometime in the next year and will feature returning stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, and Maya Hawke.
Would you fall for a Stranger Things catfish? Share your thoughts in the comments below.