Woman exposed as ‘country’s biggest catfish’ is now working as gynecologist in New Jersey

A woman known as “America’s Biggest Catfish” for her constant lies on dating apps now works as a gynecologist in New Jersey.

Dr. Emily Marantz, 39, of Livingston, works at Jersey City Medical Center, owned by RWJBarnabas Health.

Marantz is not only a doctor, but is also seen as a recurring ‘catfisher’, as revealed in the new book ‘There is No Ethan’ by sociologist Anna Akbari.

Akbari is one of several women who say they were personally victimized by Marantz, whom they knew as a handsome, 6-foot-1 man from the Upper West Side named Ethan Shuman.

“There are 10 victims that we know of and this has been going on for the better part of a decade,” Akbari, a former NYU professor, told the New York Post.

Although the medical professional she worked with for 11 years used her married name at work, Akbari called Marantz by her maiden name, Emily Slutsky, in her nonfiction, part-memoir.

In 2010, Marantz created a dating profile on the website OKCupid, where she convinced women she was a Jewish economic analyst who had studied at Columbia and MIT

She also told her lovers that she drove a BMW and had a dog named Harvey.

After ignoring Akbari several times, the doctor soon tracked down two other women who had had similar experiences with Marantz.

Akbari, Gina Dallago and another woman named “British Anna” all became suspicious of the catfish turned doctor after she started missing video calls and canceling appointments at the last minute.

When Akbari first connected with Ethan, she believes the two quickly became closer after he told the author he had esophageal cancer.

Marantz told Akbari, who lost her grandfather to lung cancer, that her fake image needed immediate surgery because of Ethan’s condition.

“Emily chose to have Ethan fake cancer so that he would be diagnosed with cancer while we were talking, when I already knew I had lost someone dear to me a month earlier,” Akbari told the outlet.

At that moment, Akbari felt so connected to Ethan, something she believes Marantz was planning to do.

“Of course she knew I wouldn’t abandon someone who told me that, because by then there was already a close and strong bond,” she said.

In the book, which was released in June 2024, Akbari described conversations she had with Marantz, highlighting moments when the catfish fought with her and then ignored her.

Akbari said the gynecologist would also sometimes delete Ethan’s dating profile.

The New York Times-published author recalls feeling like she had “stepped into an emotional blender” after meeting Ethan.

‘The emotional abuse, that was a character choice she made.

“Why? I don’t know. But she started making us doubt ourselves,” Akbari said.

Akbari previously told DailyMail.com that Ethan would suddenly have to travel for work, or the bad weather would make it impossible for him to travel from New Jersey to Manhattan to visit her.

“If you have an attractive, talkative, articulate man, and you’re a highly educated woman living in New York, you think, ‘Okay, this seems promising,’” Akbari said.

Dallago said her interactions with Marantz were as odd as the doctor complimenting her and then saying Ethan’s mother would never approve of her because of his Catholic upbringing.

According to the book, Ethan also planned trips with Dallago, but canceled them shortly beforehand, without giving a reason.

After more than ten years, Marantz has still not faced any punishment for her actions, as she has not formally broken any laws. However, Akbari wants to do everything in her power to ensure that the doctor is held accountable for her past actions, which she committed against her and many others.

She asked, “Would someone who doesn’t suffer consequences for their chronic bad behavior stop?” That’s an interesting question.

“It is not for me to determine what constitutes a breach of medical ethics or the Hippocratic Oath, but I find it shocking that this is not one of them.

‘This raises so many questions. For example, should we be held accountable for our digital behavior in the same way as we are for our physical behavior?

‘In a culture where it seems like everyone gets canceled so easily, this is a remarkable case.

Akbari added: “It raises so many other questions, like who is allowed to engage in this kind of behavior and why, and are we OK with that?”

Marantz was featured in a promotional video for the hospital a year ago, in which she talked about her experiences, not only as an employee but also as a patient, when she was pregnant with her son.

“It’s about finding someone who understands where you’re coming from, who can listen to everything you bring up, and who knows how to make you the best, most comfortable patient you can be,” Marantz says in the clip.

Marantz could not immediately be reached for comment. DailyMail.com reached out to Jersey City Medical Center for comment.

The hospital told The Post it has “full confidence in Dr. Marantz’s ability to continue to provide the highest quality of care to her patients.”

“The events of more than ten years ago have been assessed and addressed to the satisfaction of the medical center,” the spokesperson said.

Despite all the hardships Akbari has endured, she hopes her journey will help others with similar experiences “triumph.”

“I think it’s valuable to show how someone can be in that situation and still find a way to overcome.

“I sincerely hope it will spark some important conversations,” she told DailyMail.com.