Despite the return of one very dramatic couple, the 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days Season 6 premiere also introduced a bunch of new people.

One of the cast members to make his debut was Tyray, a 33-year-old Californian. He was excited to tell fans about his lady love, Carmella.

Of course, the lovable “teddy bear” had never actually met Carmella. Or even video chatted with her.

This was not a case of camera shyness, producers revealed to him. Carmella, as he knows her, does not exist. So … who has spent these past couple of years messaging him on Snapchat?

Tyray is 33 years old. He lives in Modesto, California.

Though he previously lived on his own and had a job, he moved back in with his mother after she suffered a health crisis.

Viewers immediately observed that Tyray is lovable and a little goofy. You immediately want this guy to find happiness.

We saw Tyray playing a ukulele and improvising lyrics at a public park. He did this while keeping a respectful distance from others.

He admitted to feeling lonely at times.

And he also opened up about how being a virgin made him feel self-conscious. Truly, there is never a need for shame over one’s sexual history.

As for Tyray’s living situation, his mother had a brain tumor. Surgeons were able to remove it, but she then suffered a stroke.

Whitney became disabled, needing to rebuild her strength and motor skills.

Tyray quit his job and moved in with her, helping his mom — literally, he hopes — to get back on her feet.

Tyray was tremendously excited to tell the cameras about his girlfriend.

Carmella, he explained, is a total knockout from Barbados. He compared her to Meghan Thee Stallion “from behind,” a reference to her splendid booty.

The two have been talking for years — primarily, he explained, over Snapchat. An odd medium for communication these days.

Tyray was not shy about admitting that some of their conversations were quite amorous. In addition to gushing over each other in chat, he really enjoyed her pics.

Of course, that was all that he was getting.

As eager as he felt to meet her in person, Tyray had never actually video chatted with Carmella.

As he explained to the cameras, he did suggest a video call with her one time.

But she did not like the idea.

So, he dropped it. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for him. He just wanted to keep talking — and one day, meet her.

Then, production revealed that there was a twist.

And they took the unusual move of telling Tyray instead of waiting for him to uncover the truth on his own. Also, instead of dragging things out for viewers as long as possible.

On the season premiere, after he had introduced himself, production asked Tyray if they could talk to him outside — out of earshot of his mother.

Surprisingly, producers first emphasized that Tyray can stop filming after he hears their news.

They also told him that they were willing to scrap the footage that they had already recorded if he liked.

This prepared him for how serious the information that they were about to convey would be. It also showed a clear departure from a few controversies — where past cast members described inordinate pressure to keep filming no matter what.

Producers told Tyray that they had reached out to Carmella. Eventually, they shared, they heard back from her.

And Carmella, as he knows her, does not exist.

Someone else has been sending him photos of this same woman, pretending to be this fictitious woman. And there’s more.

The person catfishing him isn’t a woman looking to upgrade her looks to flirt online. Instead, the catfisher is a man.

It is unclear what his goal may have been, but Tyray is understandably heartbroken by the news.

We suspect that production knew about this earlier than they admitted. But there would never have been a “good time” for Tyray’s heart to shatter.

Tyray Loves “Thick” Girlfriend Carmella, But a Man is Catfishing Him was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.