When “Reality” Fraud Gets Real: The Story of an Imposter Who Found Her Way “In”

When you build a podcast or YouTube channel based on reality TV, you open yourself up to an exciting set of people. On the one hand, you have “inside sources” who love to leak information about cast members. On another, the cast members enjoy crafting a narrative that they find more favorable than the network’s (which they’d like you to publicize). 

And then you have the hangers-on. 

This is the story of one of the latter whose influence has cast a dark shadow over the relationship Kiki and Kibbitz has with the 90 Day Fiancé “official” community. 

But first, some background

Kiki and Kibbitz first found its way into the public eye in October 2019 as an audio podcast covering Bravo shows. I named the podcast and recruited my first co-host, who is “Twitter famous” and shall not be named (because life’s too short to revisit certain relationship implosions). But thanks to a simple twist of fate, I connected with a fan–Mary Krueger–who eventually became my co-host (and the owner of this blog!). 

Mary and I found our niche doing video cast interviews. Mary’s ability to connect with cast members and convince them to interview is unparalleled. We’ve interviewed many cast members at this point. From Frank Catania from Real Housewives of New Jersey to Kenny and Armando from 90 Day Fiancè: Pillow Talk, we’ve carefully crafted questions, virtually wined and dined, and persuaded our way into the networks’ good graces so they’d allow us to conduct “official” interviews with Discovery Communications/TLC and WeTV’s Matt Sharp entertainment shows (this includes all the 90 Days spinoffs and all the Love/Life/During Lockups spinoffs). 

Our interviews have drawn the most attention of any of the content we’ve created. And not to toot our own horns, but it’s no wonder–we draw out the “realness” behind the reality stars. We develop relationships based on authentic connections. We do not exploit–we befriend.

And then there was Cassi.

The “grooming” of Ms. Mary

Mary Krueger had one Achilles’ heel that I did not have: she was brand new. I started my career as a newspaper reporter and magazine journalist. I’ve learned to sniff out some varieties of bullshit as quickly as I can track the trail of the baby skunk whose path I cross every evening as I walk to and from the beach for my evening “constitutionals.”

Mary had no such background. Once upon a time, Mary wasn’t aware that the reality cast universe included some real scumbags, including those who grace your unsuspecting screens every week. She was open, hopeful, and occasionally näive. 

Not anymore.

When Mary met Cassi

Mary had also been out of the workforce for a long time. She was a stay-at-home mother and wife taking on a new career derived from something she truly enjoyed. She was navigating a new world and a new job. Her old career-dealing with attorneys-was different from this one. She näively thought the people she was dealing with had her best interests at heart.

As I worked away at my day job as a writer in Silicon Valley’s tech community, Mary forged connections. And there was one connection which she brought into our circle that–little did we know–would change our content-creation world in some dramatic (and disgusting) ways. 

One day, Mary told me that she had made the acquaintance of a woman named “Cassi Arnaz,” who claimed to work for Discovery. She said she represented cast members and that many of the cast members from season 5 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days were “hers.” She represented herself as a PR person from the networks. We often worked with Discovery and WeTV (gaining legitimate interviews while PR people sat on the line, unseen, monitoring the questions we asked to be sure they didn’t share an unbecoming narrative or that gave away a storyline). But this lady was different.

Cassi Arnaz claimed to be the secret granddaughter of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball Arnaz (yes, the “I Love Lucy” couple…for those of you who are too young to know who we’re referring to, check out this Wikipedia article). “Desilu” was the name of Desi Arnaz’ and Lucille Ball’s production company.  

Something smells fishy

Cassi Arnaz told Mary that she worked for (or with?) the Discovery Network. She had influence. She could connect us with certain cast members and arrange interviews with them. She supported our content and claimed she’d hook us up with the most sought-after cast members on the network. 

She asked us for lists of questions (which we provided). She “coached” us on questions to ask. She coaxed us into altering our strategies and narratives, convincing us that she’d help us succeed and get the big interviews if only we’d do what she said. 

At first, I was merely annoyed. Who WAS this woman? Why was she always telling Mary what we should do, what interviews to solicit, and what questions to ask? 

And then, the phone call happened 

I was working at my day job when I got an urgent message from Mary to join her on an Instagram audio call. It was with Cassi. If we wanted to interview Mike Berk from Season 5 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days, she said I needed to hear what this lady had to say. 

She had to say that she wanted us to “tweak” a list of questions we’d submitted to speak to another cast member of that season: Caleb Greenwood. Caleb was another “client” of hers.

Something smelled fishy to me. After all, we’d done a ton of network interviews. The network would vet our questions and guide us away from sensitive topics and from questions that might reveal a storyline. We were used to this. And as I mentioned, they’d sit in on our interviews, on mute, with cameras off. Par for the course.

But Cassi wanted to change our questions…and that didn’t feel right.

As a former journalist, there was something I held sacred–independence. I did not welcome the idea of anyone actually editing my questions for an interview. Sure, give me guidelines for the subject matter that the network is not ready to release. But “tweak” my questions? That’s a hard “no.” 

Mary caught me between meetings to get on the phone with Cassi. And I smelled a rat.

The “shadow listener”

At this point, we did not know who we were dealing with-an imposter (in my opinion) who purported to represent people at the Discovery network…but who had no position with them whatsoever. If I am wrong about my assertion, I will retract this comment. But on this phone call, I got a very odd feeling that this woman was not who she seemed. 

Maybe I was particularly curt because I had only moments between this call and my next meeting. But something was off. 

I told Cassi that we were independent content creators and did not and would not accept anyone from the network “tweaking” our questions. They could set guideposts. They could tell us what to cut out. But edit our questions? No, thanks. We politely decline. 

Later, I interacted with “Mike Berk” from 90 Day Fiancé, the Other Way. I put quotation marks around his name because we are now almost certain that it was not Mike Berk with whom I spoke. It was Cassi, disguised as Mike Berk logged into his social media account on Instagram. (After reading this, Cassi may dispute this fact. But we have it on very good authority. If I am incorrect, I will, again, retract my assertion.)

Even later, we found out that a phone conversation we had with Cassi was being audited by Mike Berk, who had been accused of racism and a lot of other social affronts. She had him listening on the other line. Conversations that were not about him whatsoever. He told us this himself, so I’m pretty certain that this is an indisputable fact.

Brianna goes ham

I decided to look into this lady. I just felt in my bones as though we were being conned. She kept promising us interviews with Caleb Greenwood and Mike Berk that never materialized. Mike Berk later told us (as himself) he always told Cassi he had no intention of interviewing with us because we were so vocal about his racist posts. (Fair! LOL)

I had no idea how deep this con had penetrated. And #fun fact–it persists to this day.  

Investigative reporting

One thing that Mary and I have in common is that we love to research. I started by looking up her production company, “Another Desilu.” It did not exist. No website…not even a domain name that someone owned. Not a thing.

I looked her up online. Here’s what I did find: a story from a small paper in Connecticut about a woman who “claimed” to be the secret, adopted granddaughter of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. (Read the article here.)

The publication had contacted the Arnaz family. The family denied that she was a relation. The paper then attempted to get a DNA sample. At first, the family accepted, then later rescinded their offer. Turns out she was born “Cassandria Carlson” and changed her last name to “Arnaz” of her own volition. 

Here’s another article that presents the mystery but no evidence.

The bottom line was that there was no proof of Cassi’s claims–only her own reported circumstantial “coincidences” and a whole lot of questions. Was she the granddaughter of this famous Hollywood couple or just a fraud? With no hard evidence, who knows?! 

But there were a few things she was NOT: an employee of Discovery Communications, a legitimate entertainment agent, or a manager. Nor did she own a legitimate company with the name “Desilu” in it (I checked a whoooolllle lot of state business records to be sure).

My search turned up the fact that she was not, as she claimed, a lawyer. Instead, she graduated with a BA from the University of Las Vegas. Hm. (By the way, it wasn’t hard to find this…she was on LinkedIn, although she has now made her profile private.) 

I also found a profile for “Another Desilu” on LinkedIn. Here’s what it said: 

Does that sound like a legit agent/manager to you? 

At this point, I became furious. I sent her the following Instagram message: 

What happened next was a whole lot of scrambling. A flurry of Instagram voice messages (which we have on .mp3). A whole lot of backpedaling. None of it made sense. She claimed to be recording these messages in an airplane bathroom. Her “partner,” she said, was “performing tonight.” She did not disclose who her partner was or what type of performance it would be.

“Everything I do for these people is out of the kindness of my heart and in my spare time,” she said. (Read: they do not pay her.) “Most of them I help because of my anti-bullying and advocacy credentials. I help them set up their interviews. TLC/Warner Brothers only allows one interview per person, per season.” (Untrue. Why would they do that? Interviews attract viewers to their shows.)

She tried to make us and her cast-member “clients” feel sorry for her by saying she had COVID and had lost oxygen to her brain. I figured that was her excuse for not fulfilling any of her promises to us. She even told one of them she had a cancer scare. (If she did-I am sorry for her and hope she is well-truly.)

She claimed to be friends with Venus Jones, who she said worked for Discovery/Warner Bros., and who was her connection. We have been unable to verify Venus’ connections to the networks.

She had even conned someone into being her “assistant.” We are good friends with her and she shared this information with us, so I contend that this is hard a fact-not an allegation. Cassi had her purchase a cell phone from her own money for “work purposes.” Cassi never reimbursed her for the phone or paid her for any services. 

Why should you care?

I’m bending your ear with this tale because this imposter is still running around conning folks in the 90 Day world with her fake background. According to our research (again-if I’m off here, I’ll retract this assertion), she takes over cast members’ social media accounts and pretends to be them, issuing answers herself and further obscuring her relationship with the corporations behind the shows.

Cassi has had cast members listening on the line more than once as she spoke with us. And we believe that she has even successfully used her con to block us from obtaining permission to interview several cast members.

After confronting and blocking Cassi, the network connections we once worked so flawlessly were suddenly turning down interviews. Coincidence? We don’t think so.

The bottom line

The entertainment world–especially reality TV–is filled with wannabes and frauds. If you, like us, have attempted to make a living by reporting on these trash fires, you will undoubtedly come across them. 

Some of these imposters will cause great harm. Others will present mere hurdles in the road, as this particular lady has for us. 

Cassi, if you’re reading this, the jig is up, babe. We know what you’re up to. And now, so will the network folks and reality cast members you deal with, too. 

While we’ve not published the voicemails Cassi left us via Instagram, we’ll happily share them with any legitimate network representative who’d like more proof that this imposter is not who she says she is. 

But as my grandmother used to say, “Don’t take any wooden nickels.” Check your facts. Check the bios of anyone you deal with who doesn’t have an email address that lines up with the credentials they purport to have. And stay the hell away from anyone calling herself “Cassi Arnaz.”