The Circle Season 1: What Happened to Karyn ‘Mercedeze’ Blanco

Karyn Blanco from The Circle season one has parted with her catfish alter ego and lives her authentic life to the fullest since the reality show. On The Circle, Karyn took on the fake persona of “Mercedeze,” a bisexual 27-year-old from the Bronx. Since her unsuccessful run on the hit Netflix competition series, Karyn has invested in her true self as a musician, proud gay woman, and emerging social media presence.

Karyn “Mercedeze” Blanco was not the surprise winner of The Circle‘s first season. Unfortunately, Karyn’s run on the Netflix social experiment was regrettably brief. Her stint started on the premiere episode. Karyn was voted out only five episodes after her debut. Although Karyn was blocked relatively early on, placing eleventh out of thirteen contestants, she made a lasting impression on fans and fellow The Circle competitors. Karyn seemed to get the boot due to her amateurish catfishing skills. Despite forming some strong alliances as “Mercedeze,” she was blocked by the group. They ultimately decided to block her because they were suspicious; they didn’t think she was who she said she was. Since Karyn’s futile attempt to win The Circle, Chynna Cliette has revealed herself as the real face behind the photos of “Mercedeze.” A 23-year-old teacher in Atlanta, Chynna was impressed by Karyn’s catfishing skills.

Since leaving the series, Karyn Blanco no longer uses the deceptive strategies that The Circle players use to get ahead. The only pseudonym Karyn goes by now is her stage name, “The Silent Celeb”. As “The Silent Celeb”, Karyn has released several singles. She’s been an R&B artist since 2018. Her songs include “Slide”, “Do For Love,” “Touch Me,” and, “Kissing You”. Karyn is involved in film and television projects while working on her blossoming music career. Beyond entertainment, Karyn has explored the field of fashion. Karyn collaborated with several brands, such as Rumors of War, Arm the Animals, and Crown & Glory, to create her own line of streetwear.

On top of working on her artistic endeavors, Karyn has utilized the platform she earned on The Circle to rise as a voice for the LGBTQ+ community. In June 2020, the alum known for appearing on the reality show with witty banter and hashtags appeared as a part of GO Magazine‘s panel on LGBTQ+ representation in film and TV. Karyn has continued to spread her message of self-love and acceptance as a social media influencer. On her Instagram @thesilentceleb, Karyn has accumulated over 165,000 followers. Karyn’s posts range from messages of empowerment to The Circle throwbacks to updates on her singing career. In addition to Instagram, Karyn is also on the rise on TikTok, where she has over 1900 followers and has amassed over 2600 likes.

Karyn’s bold decision to enter The Circle as a catfish did not pay off like the Bronx native hoped it would. As an artist, LGBTQ+ advocate, and increasingly popular social media influencer, Karyn has had much more success with her own identity. Although Karyn did not win The Circle, her career since the competition has been nothing short of an inspiring triumph.

Source: Karyn Mercedeze/Instagram

About The Author

Christopher Davis
(915 Articles Published)

Christopher Davis is a freelance reality TV writer for Screen Rant. Since his graduation from Emerson College with a degree in visual and media arts back in 2019, Christopher has pursued the ever-evolving field of entertainment journalism. In his free time, Christopher loves to write, rewatch old seasons of RHONY, and work on his death drop.

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