A US sociologist's new book has revealed how a doctor in New Jersey was once a con artist and a catfisher who duped several women on the internet. Dr. Emily Marantz, 39, who works at the Jersey City Medical Center, was exposed in sociologist Anna Akbari's recent non-fiction book, 'There is No Ethan.' The book, part memoir, details how Ms Akbari and two other women, all victims of Marantz's online deception, joined forces to unmask the catfisher who manipulated their emotions over several years.
''There are 10 victims that we know of and this went on for the better part of a decade,'' Ms Akbari told The New York Post.
Notably, Dr Emily Marantz, a 39-year-old gynaecologist in New Jersey, is a trusted medical professional with 11 years of experience, practicing under her married name. However, to the victims of her online deception, she is known as Emily Slutsky, her maiden name. In 2010, Marantz created a fake profile on OKCupid, posing as 'Ethan,' a charming and attractive Jewish economic analyst with a good education and luxurious lifestyle.
Over time, she manipulated multiple women into falling in love with her fictional persona, exchanging romantic messages and making promises of a future together. Surprisingly, her motive wasn't money. What drove her to engage in this behaviour remains unknown, but her victims eventually discovered her ruse when 'Ethan' consistently avoided video calls and cancelled dates at the last minute. Three of these women, including Anna Akbari, another woman known as 'British Anna,' and architect Gina Dallago, banded together to expose her deceitful actions, as chronicled in the book 'There is No Ethan'.
The book reveals how Marantz convinced Ms Akbari that 'Ethan' was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, requiring urgent surgery. Ms Akbari described this episode as one of the most egregious forms of emotional abuse she has ever experienced. She also noted how Marantz demonstrated an uncanny ability to say exactly what she wanted to hear. However, this charm was punctuated by manufactured drama, leading to intense arguments. Afterwards, 'Ethan' would punish her with sudden, unexplained silences or by reactivating 'his' dating profile.
Marantz's interactions with Ms Dallago followed a familiar pattern. She lavished Dallago with flattery, expressing a deep desire to know her better, only to later inject tension by mentioning her Catholic upbringing and claiming his mother would disapprove of their relationship. Marantz also repeatedly planned trips with Dallago, only to cancel them at the last minute without explanation.
Despite the significant emotional distress and manipulation she inflicted on her victims, Marantz managed to evade accountability for her actions. Since her behaviour didn't explicitly violate any laws, she avoided facing legal repercussions.
''Would someone who hasn't suffered any consequences for their chronic bad behavior, would they stop? It's an interesting question,'' Ms Akbari said.
Meanwhile, the hospital where Marantz is currently working has expressed full confidence in her "ability to continue providing the highest quality of care to her patients.'' ''The events from more than a decade ago have been reviewed and addressed to the satisfaction of the medical centre,'' a hospital spokesperson told The Post.
