Everyone’s talking about the shocking new Netflix true crime doc Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. Including Real Housewives fans. Because, as it turns out, there is an unexpected connection between the Netflix doc and Bravo’s reality TV franchise. Be forewarned, however. Exploring this Real Housewives connection means MAJOR SPOILERS for Unknown Number’s shocking catfish reveal.
How is Real Housewives connected to Netflix’s Unknown Number?
As it turns out, some Real Housewives fans were already familiar with this story. And that’s because former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Lisa Rinna starred in a Lifetime movie about the cyberbullying scandal.
For most of its runtime, Unknown Number keeps the identity of the cyberbullying catfish a secret. However, the Lifetime retelling doesn’t. The movie is even called Mommy Meanest, a clear Mommie Dearest reference.
Lisa stars as Madelyn, a divorced mother who has a very close bond with her daughter Mia (played by Briana Skye). When Mia starts to become more independent, Madelyn begins sending harassing text messages from an unknown number. Then she acts determined to find the cyberbully as a way to bring her and Mia close together again. Sounds like the kind of part to prepare Lisa for her upcoming role on The Traitors! Lisa’s eldest daughter Delilah Hamlin also starred in the movie as one of Mia’s high school friends.
While the Netflix documentary just came out, the Lifetime movie premiered in 2024. So, Real Housewives fans who watch the Lifetime movies starring their favorite cast members were already spoiled about the reveal.
What is Netflix’s Unknown Number about?
At this time, Unknown Number is the number one movie on Netflix. The documentary tells the story of Michigan teengaer Lauren Licari. In October 2020, when she was 13, Lauren and her boyfriend Owen began to receive harassing text messages from an unknown number. The texts stopped for a bit, but then picked up again in September 2021. Then the increasingly awful texts came in multiple times a day for 15 months.
Lauren’s classmates were the initial suspects. Eventually, the FBI got involved. That’s when they discovered the true culprit, as the doc reveals that Lauren’s mother Kendra was behind the messages. In the documentary, the county sheriff reveals the truth to Lauren while she’s with Kendra. That footage was caught on camera. In Lisa’s Lifetime movie, the daughter character figures out the catfish’s identity and confronts her mom on her own. Ultimately, Kendra plead guilty to stalking a minor and was sent to prison. She was released in August 2024.
The reveal floored Netflix viewers. Even though Real Housewives fans knew about Kendra’s actions watching the doc, the real life story still manages to be shocking. It just seems too unbelievable to be true.
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is available to stream on Netflix.
TELL US – DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE REAL HOUSEWIVES CONNECTION TO NETFLIX’S UNKNOWN NUMBER? DID YOU WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY, THE LIFETIME MOVIE, OR BOTH?
