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Are Shawn & Kendra Licari From ‘Unknown Number’ Doc Still Married After Cyberbullying Scandal?
Warning: The following post contains discussions of cyberbullying.
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is the documentary at the top of the Netflix charts. The Skye Borgman-directed doc examines the shocking cyberbullying scandal that rocked the small town of Beal City, Michigan.
In 2020, teenagers Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny began receiving text messages from an unknown number. Lauryn and Owen were in a relationship at the time, and the texter sent disparaging messages to the teens, hoping to break them up. They eventually split, but the texts didn’t stop. The texter was relentless, often sending cruel remarks about Lauren’s appearance and shocking sexual messages.
After an intense investigation and plenty of finger-pointing, it was discovered that Kendra Licari, Lauryn’s mother, was the one behind the cyberbullying. Lauryn’s father, Shawn Licari, was completely stunned by what his wife had done to their daughter. After the scandal and Kendra’s prison sentence, is she still married to Shawn? Let’s break down where their relationship stands today.
Are Kendra and Shawn Licari still married?
No, Kendra and Shawn are no longer together. Following the cyberbullying scandal, Shawn divorced Kendra, per The Cut.
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Prior to the discovery of Kendra being the texter, her marriage to Shawn was beginning to fall apart. Kendra was in charge of the family’s finances and stopped paying their bills. They were evicted from one of their homes and also lost what they had placed in storage units because of failure to make payments.
The former couple had met while studying at Central Michigan University. Shawn was from Beal City and attended the same high school Lauryn went to.
How did Shawn Licari react to Kendra’s cyberbullying?
When police arrived at the Licari home to confront Kendra, Shawn wasn’t there. He raced back and was taken aback to learn that his wife had been behind the cyberbullying. “Shawn looked like a broken person,” Sheriff Mike Main said in the documentary. Shawn was furious to learn that Kendra had been lying to him for over six months about being employed.
“If I blow a gasket when they leave, I’ll probably go to jail. So tell me now,” he told Kendra in front of police. Couple her lies about having a job and the cyberbullying reveal, Shawn said “this is it” regarding their relationship. “I can’t do this anymore,” he said.
In his sit-down interview, Shawn said, “I just can’t believe she’d do something like that to her daughter.” According to Shawn, Kendra’s actions “stabbed” him in the heart.
Kendra was arrested and pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor. She was sentenced to 19 months in prison and was released in August 2024.
Does Shawn Licari have full custody of Lauryn?
Following Kendra’s arrest, Shawn was granted full custody of Lauryn. At the time, she was still in high school. As of August 2025, Lauryn has graduated.
In the documentary, Lauryn said that she and her father had gotten “so much closer” since they found out the truth. “We just bond so well together,” she added.
Lauryn revealed that she’s not allowed to see her mother now that she’s out of prison. The documentary does not discuss what rules Kendra has to abide by post-prison. As of Kendra’s interview for the documentary, she hadn’t seen Lauryn in a year and a half.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, Streaming Now, Netflix
