Warning: The next publish comprises discussions of cyberbullying and suicide.
Unknown Quantity: The Excessive College Catfish has shortly grow to be one in all Netflix’s most-talked-about documentaries. In October 2020, Michigan youngsters Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny discovered themselves the targets of a vicious cyberbully whose aim was to interrupt up the younger couple.
For almost two years, Lauryn and Owen acquired numerous textual content messages from this unknown quantity. The texter even informed Lauryn to kill herself and despatched many messages that have been of a sexual nature to the minors. The FBI finally found that Kendra Licari, Lauryn’s mom, was behind the textual content messages.
After watching the surprising documentary, you’re most likely questioning what occurred to Kendra Licari. She shares her aspect of the story in Unknown Quantity: The Excessive College Catfish, nevertheless it’s been a while because the documentary was filmed. Scroll all the way down to get the most recent updates about Kendra, her relationship along with her daughter, and extra.
The place is Kendra Licari as we speak?
Kendra is now out of jail after serving time for what she did to Lauryn and Owen (extra on that beneath). She was launched on August 8, 2024. In January 2025, The Lower revealed a characteristic concerning the case. On the time, Kendra was dwelling with household close to Detroit, Michigan. It’s unclear if she is employed.
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Her participation within the Netflix documentary was a last-minute determination on her finish. “It was a protracted course of with Kendra,” director Skye Borgman informed Tudum. Kendra in the end agreed to discuss questions surrounding the case. “That was interesting to her, [to] sit down and inform her story from her perspective and that Lauryn [could] see her try this. She needed to do it, I feel, for her daughter,” the director famous.
Why did Kendra Licari cyberbully her personal daughter?
Within the documentary, Kendra maintained that she didn’t ship the unique pre-Halloween 2020 texts to Lauryn and Owen. (Regulation enforcement believes she is behind the entire messages.)
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“I actually needed to resolve who it was, proper? And that’s after I began sending the textual content messages to Lauryn and Owen,” Kendra stated. She claimed that her hope was that these new texts would in the end result in the one that originated the texts. As soon as she began texting Lauryn and Owen, she couldn’t cease. “It was a spiral, form of a snowball impact,” she stated. “I don’t assume I knew find out how to cease. I used to be someone completely different place in these moments. I used to be in an terrible place mentally.”
Lots of the textual content messages Kendra despatched mocked Lauryn’s look, however Kendra stated “the messages weren’t actually focused at her insecurities.” Kendra was requested if she had been afraid that her daughter would damage herself since she despatched messages telling Lauryn inform kill herself. Kendra responded, “So, I can say I used to be not fearful of her hurting herself. I do know Lauryn and I do know the conversations that her and I had.”
Kendra admitted that she’s “very upset” over what she had performed. She blamed a few of her selections on “earlier trauma” that had began to resurface when Lauryn turned an adolescent.
“After I was 17, I used to be raped, and as my daughter was hitting these teenage years, I obtained scared, very scared,” Kendra stated. “I didn’t need her to undergo the method that I did. I feel that basically led to me [to] not know find out how to deal with issues.” She added, “I used to be reliving what I had been by, but in addition on the similar time, wanting to guard her. I needed to attempt to management the end result of her journey.”
How lengthy was Kendra Licari in jail?
Kendra was arrested and pleaded responsible to 2 counts of stalking a minor. She was sentenced to 19 months in jail.
What’s Kendra & Lauryn Licari’s relationship like as we speak?
When Kendra was in jail, she was in communication with Lauryn. Throughout that point interval, Lauryn was open to having a relationship along with her mom.
Netflix
The tip of the documentary contains a newer interview with Lauryn, which was accomplished after Kendra was launched from jail, and he or she was hesitant about trusting her mom shifting ahead. “I’m not allowed to see my mother now that she’s out of jail,” Lauryn stated. “I wish to see my mother when the time is true. I feel it might simply be a reduction to see her however, like, additionally onerous.”
She continued, “I feel I wish to belief her now, however I don’t assume I can. Now that she’s out, I simply need her to get the assistance that she wants so then after we see one another it doesn’t return to the outdated methods and the way it was earlier than.” Regardless of every part that’s occurred, Kendra believes that she and Lauryn “can have a wholesome relationship” sooner or later.
On the time Kendra accomplished her interview, she hadn’t seen Lauryn in a couple of 12 months and a half. Lauryn’s dad, Shawn, had full custody of their daughter till she turned 18.
In case you or somebody you understand wants assist with psychological well being, contact the Disaster Textual content Line by texting HOME to 741741, contact the Nationwide Alliance on Psychological Sickness at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). In case you or a cherished one are in rapid hazard, name 911.
In case you or anybody you understand is having suicidal ideas, please contact the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988. In case you or a cherished one are in rapid hazard, name 911.
Unknown Quantity: The Excessive College Catfish, Streaming Now, Netflix