MTV's New Show 'Ghosted' Sounds A Lot Like Stalking

Many Twitter users pointed out that the show's boundary-ignoring premise seems like a recipe for disaster.
|

People are taking issue with MTV’s upcoming reality show “Ghosted,” which promises to track down people who cut off all communication in a relationship with no explanation.

The series, which is set to air Sept. 10, features two hosts “helping distraught individuals track down and confront former lovers, family members or friends, all in an effort to get to the bottom of why these people suddenly disappeared,” E! News first reported on Wednesday.

The trailer, which you can watch below, is reminiscent of MTV’s series “Catfish,” where two hosts help a person track down someone they met on the internet and had a romantic relationship with, but whom they never met in person.

“Have you ever been ghosted? Totally left in the dark by someone you care about? No texts. No DMs. Nothing,” co-host Travis Mills says in the trailer. “Every ghost has a story and it’s our job to get them to tell it.”

Open Image Modal
Travis Mills and Rachel Lindsay are the co-hosts of MTV's upcoming series "Ghosted."
YouTube

The problem with “Ghosted,” though, is that people who ghost often have legitimate reasons for doing so ― such as ending a toxic or abusive relationship. Sometimes, if you’re afraid the other person will respond to rejection with violence, ghosting can seem like the safest option.

Twitter users were quick to point out this problem after the trailer was released this week.

One Twitter user likened the show to “sanctioned stalking.” Another wrote: “Trying to ‘track down’ the person that ghosted you, is stalking. A show about obsessed stalkers.”

Getting ghosted is never easy. But that doesn’t mean tracking down the other person with a camera crew is going to make things better. 

“Could you imagine someone leaving behind a toxic relationship/friendship, healing, and then an MTV camera crew shows up in your face with that person,” one Twitter user wrote. “That would be super traumatizing for a lot of people.”

It’s not clear what measures MTV is taking, if any, to make sure its show doesn’t empower abusers. MTV didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.

Scroll below to read more reactions to “Ghosted”:

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost