The only thing weirder than getting catfished might be getting catfished by someone trying to impersonate your friend. That’s exactly what happened to columnist Jamilah Lemieux, who found someone using a photo of her friend, ESPN host Bomani Jones, on Tinder.
“I’ve had a lot of blessings in my life but someone trying to catfish me with pixilated photos of my actual friend is a special one,” Lemieux wrote on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux/status/1126160976888369153
The catfish, who goes by Phil on Tinder, wrote that he is an attorney in his bio.
“Not looking for anything long-term but am willing to make time for some fun if we connect,” Phil wrote. “Swipe right, let’s enjoy a night (you can do what you normally do tomorrow).”
The real Jones is not an attorney but a popular host of the ESPN show High Noon, which airs five days a week. Jones took the whole thing in stride, changing his Twitter profile name to “I am not Phil” in response.
it’ll be really humbling if he isn’t getting any action. https://t.co/9Abyz5wL2q
— bomani (@bomani_jones) May 8, 2019
Jones discussed the catfishing on an episode of High Noon. He said all the photos Phil is using were taken professionally.
“If this ain’t helping you get there buddy, I don’t know what the hell chance I got,” Jones said.
He is also curious about what Phil is really like. “What if Phil’s Caucasian?” Jones asked.
MY NAME IS NOT PHIL AND PHIL IS NOT ME. #highnoon pic.twitter.com/tamNfwMwNe
— bomani (@bomani_jones) May 8, 2019
People just couldn’t get over the fact that Phil is trying to catfish people using a well-known media personality’s photos.
How you gonna try to catfish with a dude who's on ESPN five days a week?! 😂😂😂 https://t.co/kSQj24bhZT
— Moody Moses (@djsteveandre) May 8, 2019
Attempting to catfish using photos from someone on tv… #HustlingBackwards
— Ben Osoba, Ph.D. (@phdirac) May 8, 2019
He’s catfishing with a recognizable person’s pictures, and has the audacity to say he isn’t looking for anything long term. Lol and why go through the trouble?
— TX Leo Dee (@tx_gold) May 8, 2019
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