Girl Who Posted Conversation With Matthew Perry Removed From Dating App ‘Raya’ For Breaking Privacy Guidelines
Raya, the exclusive dating app for VIPs and celebrities, has removed TikTok user Kate Haralson from its platform after she posted a private, consensual conversation between her and actor Matthew Perry.
In May of last year, when Haralson was 19, she matched with the then-50-year-old Matthew Perry on the site and agreed to a FaceTime conversation. One year later, she posted a video of the conversation to TikTok saying she felt uncomfortable about the exchange despite the fact that Matthew Perry did nothing illegal or make inappropriate comments.
“A lot of people were saying I’m a bully and mean for posting this, and it made me feel kind of bad, but at the same time, I feel like a lot of guys in Hollywood are talking to all these young girls and it’s something that I think a lot of people should be aware of,” she told Page Six.
Haralson said she increased the age preference on her profile as a joke and agreed to talk with Matthew Perry because she thought it “would be funny.”
“I was not really thinking anything of it,” she said while admitting that she “never even really watched” the 1990s sit-com “Friends,” which catapulted Perry’s career.
During the FaceTime call, Haralson said that Perry behaved respectfully and never once asked a sexual question. She, however, felt uncomfortable with the fact he did not care about their 31-year age difference.
“I don’t think he minded that,” she said. “It kind of felt weird talking to someone my dad’s age and it just felt not right, especially when he knew how young I was.”
“Am I as old as your dad?” Perry allegedly asked her.
Days after Haralson’s video went viral, Raya removed her from the platform for violating its privacy guidelines.
“Every member is expected to follow our simple rules of respect, trust, and privacy. There are plenty of places across the internet where an expectation of behavioral standards and respect for other users isn’t required,” the “Removal of a Member” section states.
“I should have expected that would happen,” Haralson said to Page Six. “I feel fine about it. I never really used it anymore anyways.”
“My advice is unless you wanna get banned, don’t do what I did,” she told other potential young Raya users. “As far as talking to celebrities, be yourself. They are just normal people with abnormal careers!”
The Matthew Perry Raya controversy happened in the same week that another young Raya user posted a conversation with actor Ben Affleck, revealing him pursuing her after she unmatched him.
“Earlier this week, TikTok user Nivine Jay went viral after sharing a private video that Affleck, 48, allegedly sent her on Instagram to confirm his identity on Raya,” reported Page Six. “In the clip, the ‘Gone Girl’ actor says, ‘Nivine, why did you unmatch me? It’s me.'”
Model Chrissy Teigen ripped both Ben Affleck and Matthew Perry for being “creepy” while denouncing the two women for posting private messages.
“It’s tacky to release private messages. Ya both wrong, congrats,” she tweeted.
