Lauren Meler and Derek Shullenbarger were a real couple: when they finally met on MTV’s Catfish, Derek was the person in his photos. They later got engaged, but the relationship ended in 2014, according to a retrospective reporting MTV’s confirmation. The sources available do not establish whether they are together or in contact today.
Why Lauren and Derek appeared on Catfish
Lauren and Derek had been communicating online for years, beginning when Lauren was a teenager. Before the show’s investigation, they had never met face-to-face or video chatted. Derek said he had delayed meeting her because she was his “dream girl” and he wanted to get his life in order first. When they met on the season 2 episode, Derek proved to be the person shown in his profile photos—the surprise was the long delay and uncertainty, not a fabricated identity. Starcasm reported on the episode and the couple in July 2013.
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Catfish The TV Show: Season 1 | $140.71 | Buy on Amazon |
What happened after the episode?
Lauren moved to Maryland
An August 2013 update reported that Lauren had moved to Maryland to live with Derek. At the time, they were considering whether to settle in Maryland or move to Texas. The Ashley’s Reality Roundup reported the move on August 20, 2013.
Lauren disclosed a miscarriage
In September 2013, Lauren publicly shared that she had experienced a miscarriage. The Ashley’s Reality Roundup quoted her September 29 post: “I was 10 wks pregnant, but we had a miscarriage Tuesday. Now that the secrets out, let’s move on.” The report is dated September 29, 2013.
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Did Lauren and Derek get married?
No. A later retrospective says Derek proposed to Lauren during a reunion special, but that they subsequently ended their engagement. It reports that MTV confirmed their breakup in May 2014, and attributes to host Nev Schulman the description of the split as mutual, with the two remaining friends. These details come from retrospective reporting rather than a primary MTV transcript. The Cinemaholic’s 2020 account describes the proposal and breakup.
Are Lauren and Derek still together?
The sourced timeline establishes that they split in 2014, but it does not establish their present relationship status. A later account noted that their profiles were private; that is not evidence of whether they are together, married, or in contact now. No reliable current update is established by the sources cited here.
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