'Survivor' Star, 41, 'Wanted by FBI' After Vanishing With Son, 16 — Ex-Husband Was Granted Sole Custody Following Nasty Divorce
Jamie Dugan is accused of not returning her son Harper to his dad after a weekend visit in August.
Oct. 5 2026, Published 2:18 p.m. ET
A former Survivor star is allegedly on the run and wanted by the FBI after vanishing with the 16-year-old son she shares with the man she met, fell in love with, and married after their romance ignited on the hit CBS reality show, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Former Survivor: China contestant Jaime Dugan, 41, allegedly disappeared with her 16-year-old son, Harper Huffman, after failing to return the teen to his father, Erik Huffman, 45, following an August 30 weekend visit, prompting a judge to order her arrest.
Jaime Dugan Failed to Return Son Harper After a Weekend Visit
Harper Huffman has been missing since August 30, when his mom failed to return him to his dad after a weekend visit.
Huffman was granted sole custody of Harper earlier this year following a bitter divorce from Dugan. The couple married in 2009, two years after starring on Survivor.
Dugan has been on the run with Harper for more than a month, and Huffman has issued a desperate plea for his son to return to the stable home life the pair were building.
"Harper's safety and wellbeing is my top priority right now, and getting him back safely is extremely important," he told the Daily Mail, adding that the father and son "have such a good relationship."
"I had set up a good routine for him at my home, with school, and therapists, and tutors, and church youth groups. He was really coming into his own and had a very stable life with me. I hate that he's been ripped away," Huffman lamented to the outlet.
FBI Has Opened an Investigation Into Harper Huffman's Whereabouts
Jaime Dugan works as a travel influencer and frequently takes Harper on her various trips.
The hunt for the missing mother and son has now escalated to the federal level, with the FBI reportedly opening an investigation into their whereabouts.
In a blistering September 21 order, Spartanburg County Family Court Judge M. Todd Thigpen held Dugan in direct contempt for allegedly refusing to return Harper to his father and then failing to appear at subsequent court hearings.
The judge declared the teen "missing and endangered," ordered Dugan’s "immediate arrest," and authorized law enforcement across South Carolina to take the former reality star into custody.
Jaime Dugan and Erik Huffman Fell in Love After 'Survivor: China'
Jaime Dugan and Erik Huffman, seen in their 'Survivor: China' profile pics, met and fell for each other while the show.
Dugan was a senior at the University of South Carolina in Columbia when she competed on Survivor China, while Huffman was working as a model and musician when he was cast after graduating from Furman University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in 2003.
The two fell for each other after meeting on the show and learning they grew up only 25 miles apart in South Carolina.
Huffman proposed to Dugan in 2008, a year after their season of Survivor aired. The duo wed in front of 150 family and friends at a Charleston resort on April 4, 2009, and she gave birth to Harper the following year.
Dugan currently works as an online travel influencer under the handle "Charleston Blonde," while Huffman is a physician.
Erik Huffman 'Fears' for His 'Son's Safety'
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Jamie Dugan failed to return son Harper to his dad after a weekend visit in late August.
After their divorce trial, Huffman received primary custody of Harper while Dugan had their son every other weekend.
"I do fear for his safety. Throughout my separation and divorce, I've desired for Harper to have a relationship with his mother," Huffman revealed to the Daily Mail about his ex. "I truly am concerned about her mental stability and his safety."
Huffman revealed how much work he's already carried out on his own while searching in vain for his son.
"I feel like I've been working night and day on this. I've made it my own investigation to try to get answers, driving across South Carolina, speaking to various law enforcement," he shared. "It's been a logistical nightmare. It's been stressful, and it's been tough. I'm very worried about my son."
