A woman who has been branded ‘America’s biggest catfish’ after deceiving multiple women on dating apps is now working as a gynecologist in New Jersey. Dr. Emily Marantz, 39, from Livingston, is employed at Jersey City Medical Center under RWJBarnabas Health, where she practices despite a scandalous past revealed in a new book.
Marantz’s double life was brought to light in There is No Ethan, a book by sociologist Anna Akbari. According to Akbari, Marantz posed as a charming six-foot-tall man named Ethan Shuman on dating apps like OKCupid for over a decade, luring in unsuspecting women under the guise of being a Jewish economic analyst. The book exposes Marantz’s intricate web of lies, revealing how she used this false persona to emotionally manipulate and deceive at least ten women, including Akbari herself.
Akbari, a former NYU professor, detailed her traumatic experience, explaining how Marantz, under the alias “Ethan,” fabricated stories, including a cancer diagnosis, to draw her in emotionally. “Emily chose to have Ethan fake having cancer, to be diagnosed with cancer while we were talking, already knowing I lost someone close to me a month prior,” Akbari recounted. The relationship soon unraveled when Marantz repeatedly ghosted Akbari, canceled dates, and avoided video calls, raising suspicions.
Akbari wasn’t alone in her experience. Other women, including Gina Dallago and a woman referred to as ‘British Anna,’ also fell victim to Marantz’s online catfishing. Each woman reported similar patterns of behavior—promised meetings that never materialized, emotional manipulation, and bizarre excuses about canceled dates.
Despite the emotional toll, Marantz has never faced legal consequences for her actions, as catfishing, while deceitful, does not technically violate any laws. However, Akbari remains determined to hold Marantz accountable in other ways. “It’s not my call to say what is a violation of medical ethics or the Hippocratic oath, but it’s shocking to me if this doesn’t qualify,” she said.
Jersey City Medical Center, where Marantz currently works, released a statement saying they have “full confidence in Dr. Marantz’s ability to continue providing the highest quality of care to her patients” and that the events from over a decade ago have been “reviewed and addressed to the satisfaction of the medical center.”
Akbari, who hopes her story will start a conversation about online behavior and accountability, believes the situation raises broader ethical questions. “This brings up so many questions, like should we be held accountable for our digital behavior in the same way we are for our physical behavior?” she asked.
As the conversation around Marantz’s past continues, Akbari hopes her experience will help others avoid similar emotional manipulation.
