He Was In Love With His Car on TV — What Happened Next Took a Dark Turn

If you watched My Strange Addiction, this is one you probably didn’t forget. Nathaniel, featured years ago on the show, didn’t just admire his car, he said he was in a romantic relationship with it. The red Chevy Monte Carlo, which he called “Chase,” became the center of one of the series’ most talked-about episodes. At the time, viewers couldn’t decide whether it was real or just a play for attention. For years afterward, one question kept coming up: what happened to him?

An Emotional Follow-Up Segment

TLC eventually provided an update. Nathaniel, now 39, returned in a follow-up segment that took a noticeably different tone. Sitting on camera and visibly emotional, he explained that “Chase is no longer a part of my life.” That moment alone shifted the story from something bizarre to something more unexpected.

A Serious Accident Ended the Monte Carlo’s Life

According to the update, the Monte Carlo was involved in a serious accident after being taken in for routine service. Details about the incident were not fully explained, but it was enough to end the car’s life entirely. The relationship that had defined Nathaniel’s appearance on the show was suddenly over. What had once been played for shock value now had a more serious ending.

The aftermath raised new questions. For someone who claimed such a deep connection to the car, some expected an attempt to repair or restore it. Instead, Nathaniel chose to keep the memory in a different way. He had a blanket made featuring photos of the Monte Carlo, preserving it as a reminder rather than rebuilding it.

A New Car, a Similar Pattern

The story did not end there. According to the follow-up, Nathaniel has since formed a similar connection with another vehicle, described as a black sedan. Very little detail was shared about the new car, which only added to the curiosity surrounding the update. The pattern, however, appears to have continued.

Why the Story Still Won’t Fade

Stories like this tend to fade, but this one hasn’t. Part of that comes from how unusual it was, even by the show’s standards. Another part comes from how the ending changed the way people viewed the original episode. What started as something many dismissed as a stunt now feels more complicated.

Years later, people are still asking the same question. Was it real, or was it something else entirely? Whatever the answer, the story has taken on a life of its own, and it’s not going away anytime soon.

About the Author

Shawn Henry

Administrator

Shawn Henry has spent years writing about cars, and it shows—not in a resume kind of way, but in how he talks about them. He's the type who'll notice the weird trim option nobody remembers and actually know why it mattered. At Backfire News, he covers pretty much the whole spectrum: off-road trucks and trail builds, performance cars, racing, and the collector market. He's comfortable getting into the technical weeds, but he never forgets that most people read about cars because cars are fun, not because they want a spec sheet. His beat runs from classic and collector vehicles to overlanding culture, modified performance builds, new automotive tech, and the industry news that actually affects what ends up in your driveway. Mostly, though, Shawn thinks the best car stories are about people—the builds they pour money into, the road trips, the communities that form around a shared obsession. That's the stuff he likes writing about, and it's what you'll find in his work here.

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