Erik Huffman is pleading for the safe return of his 16-year-old son after the boy’s mother, former “Survivor” contestant Jaime Dugan, vanished with him following a court-ordered visit.
Huffman, 45, said he does “fear” for Harper Huffman’s “safety” as the FBI pursues an open investigation into the pair’s whereabouts. The South Carolina father described how Harper had been thriving in his care before Dugan, 41, failed to return the teen after a weekend visit on Aug. 30.
“Harper’s safety and wellbeing is my top priority right now, and getting him back safely is extremely important,” Huffman said.
The father and son had built what Huffman called “such a good relationship” since he was awarded custody in the couple’s contentious 2024 divorce.
“He was really coming into his own and had a very stable life with me. I hate that he’s been ripped away,” Huffman said.
Their shared history stretches back to 2007, when Huffman and Dugan — who grew up just 25 miles apart in South Carolina — first met as competitors on “Survivor: China,” the reality franchise’s 15th season. The pair became the show’s on-screen sweethearts, married in a $80,000 dream wedding sponsored by the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2009, and welcomed Harper the following year. After the show, Huffman worked as a physician assistant while Dugan cultivated more than 70,000 social media followers under the handle “Charleston Blonde.”
Their split turned bitter. Following an eight-day divorce trial, Huffman received custody with Dugan granted every-other-weekend visits. Dugan had leveled serious allegations during the custody fight, accusing Huffman of physical abuse and Harper’s paternal grandmother of sexual abuse, which she reported to multiple law enforcement agencies and the Department of Social Services. Spartanburg County Family Court Judge M. Todd Thigpen deemed those allegations unfounded, according to a Sept. 21 contempt order, and noted Dugan refused to cooperate when investigators sought to interview Harper.
Huffman has denied the abuse claims, calling them “egregious and hurtful.”
The contempt order, reveals how Dugan’s legal troubles escalated rapidly. At an emergency hearing on Sept. 15, she joined remotely without judicial permission and refused the judge’s order to disclose her and Harper’s location. When neither appeared for a mandated in-person hearing on Sept. 18, the court found her absence willful, held her in direct contempt, suspended her visitation, granted Huffman sole custody, and authorized her immediate arrest and jailing at the Spartanburg County Detention Center. The judge also ordered her to surrender Harper’s passport.
“I truly am concerned about her mental stability, and his safety. I feel like I’ve been working night and day on this,” Huffman said.
The father’s search has been relentless. “I’ve made it my own investigation to try to get answers, driving across South Carolina, speaking to various law enforcement. It’s been a logistical nightmare. It’s been stressful and it’s been tough. I’m very worried about my son,” he said.
Despite the acrimony, Huffman maintained he wanted Harper to maintain maternal ties. “Throughout my separation and divorce, I’ve desired for Harper to have a relationship with his mother,” he said.
Dugan’s legal complications extend beyond the custody case. She faced a 2025 cyberstalking charge in Moore County, North Carolina, accused of repeatedly sending unwanted messages to one of Huffman’s friends; that charge was later dropped. Weeks after the divorce finalized, she filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection in South Carolina federal court, listing debts exceeding $509,000.
Jonathan Lewis, Dugan’s divorce attorney, offered a measured statement to the outlet. “She is considered innocent if or until she is proven guilty of a criminal offense, or liable of a civil offense, following proper proceedings in a court of law,” Lewis said.
The attorney added: “I join in praying for Harper’s safe return and that this matter will quickly and decisively resolve itself in the best interests of Harper.”
Judge Thigpen’s order classified Harper as “missing and endangered” and cleared police statewide to take Dugan into custody.
Huffman continues his urgent appeal for information that could lead to his son’s recovery.