Netflix’s Sweet Bobby Documentary Tells the Terrifying True Story of Catfishing

Another day, another true crime documentary. Netflix is bringing to our screens a disturbing true story around catfishing: Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare.

Based on a podcast series created by Tortoise Media and released to huge acclaim in 2021, Sweet Bobby tells the true story of Kirat Assi, whose life is changed forever when she connects with someone who she thinks is a mutual friend on Facebook.

The documentary is executive produced by Rebecca North, who also worked on Netflix true crime doc American Nightmare, and was produced by Raw, the company that brought us The Tinder Swindler.

Here’s everything we know so far about Sweet Bobby.

What is Sweet Bobby about?

Netflix’s plot synopsis reads: “After an online friendship blossoms into true love, Kirat finds herself turning detective to uncover the truth behind her mysterious fiancé, Bobby. Inspired by the hit podcast, Sweet Bobby is the story of a fairytale romance gone horribly wrong.”

We’ll see photos, screenshots, and exclusive interviews with Assi herself as part of the six-part documentary.

Is Sweet Bobby based on a true story?

It is. Kirat first connected with “Bobby” on Facebook, thinking they had mutual friends through London’s Sikh community. Over nine years, a friendship formed and deepened, eventually evolving into a romantic relationship.

But this relationship turned sinister, with Bobby’s controlling behavior resulting in Kirat taking time off from work due to stress. While she believed he was living in Australia, Kirat later discovered that while the profile was based on a real man, it was not him talking to her.