A former reality television contestant could be arrested after reportedly disappearing with her 16-year-old son, the Daily Mail can reveal.
A judge has ordered the arrest of Jaime Dugan, 41, a contestant on Survivor: China, after she allegedly failed to return her son, Harper, to his father following a weekend visit on August 30.
Harper’s father is Dugan’s former Survivor co-star, Erik Huffman, 45, who was awarded custody after the couple’s bitter divorce earlier this year.
The Daily Mail has confirmed that the FBI has opened an investigation into the whereabouts of both mother and son.
Huffman told the Daily Mail: ‘Harper’s safety and wellbeing are my top priorities right now, and getting him back safely is extremely important.’
‘We have such a good relationship. I had established a good routine for him at my home, with school, therapists, 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.’
The case has prompted growing concern in Cayce, South Carolina, and across social media, where supporters have created a Facebook page called Hope for Harper.
In an order issued September 21 and obtained by the Daily Mail, Spartanburg County Family Court Judge M. Todd Thigpen found Dugan in direct contempt for failing to return Harper to his father and failing to appear at subsequent hearings.
The judge classified Harper as ‘missing and endangered.’
Harper Huffman is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair
Erik Huffman says he has spent weeks searching for his son
Huffman and Harper’s mother, Jaime Dugan, met while filming Survivor and married two years after the show aired
The judge ordered Dugan’s ‘immediate arrest’ and authorized law enforcement officers throughout South Carolina to take her into custody.
Huffman said: ‘I do fear for his safety. Throughout my separation and divorce, I wanted Harper to have a relationship with his mother.
‘I am truly concerned about her mental stability and his safety. I feel like I’ve been working night and day on this. I’ve launched my own investigation to try to get answers, driving across South Carolina and speaking with various law enforcement agencies.
‘It’s been a logistical nightmare. It’s been stressful and tough. I’m very worried about my son.’
Dugan and Huffman met as contestants on Survivor: China, which aired in 2007. They began dating after the show, married in 2009 and welcomed Harper the following year.
Huffman later became a doctor’s assistant, while Dugan is an online influencer with more than 70,000 Instagram followers.
Their breakup in 2024 devolved into a bitter public dispute involving allegations of physical and sexual abuse, none of which were proven.
Under the custody arrangements set out in their eight-day divorce trial, Huffman was given custody of Harper and Dugan had him every other weekend.
She was due to return him to his father on August 30. The judge found she ‘failed and/or refused’ to do so.
Dugan joined an emergency hearing about the matter on September 15 remotely, although the judge said she had not been given permission to appear virtually.
While a South Carolina Department of Social Services caseworker was giving evidence, the judge ordered Dugan to reveal where she and Harper were.
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She refused, according to the order.
The judge adjourned the hearing until September 18 and ordered her to appear in person with Harper.
Neither turned up. The court found her absence was willful.
The order also sets out the historic allegations which were at the heart of the couple’s original custody fight.
The FBI has an open investigation into the whereabouts of Dugan and her son
Huffman is now a doctor’s assistant, while Dugan made her living as a social media influencer
Dugan had reported allegations of physical abuse by Huffman and sexual abuse by Harper’s paternal grandmother, to several law enforcement agencies and to the Department of Social Services.
Authorities asked to interview Harper about the allegations but say Dugan refused to cooperate or make him available, according to the order.
The judge found the allegations to be unfounded, saying the court did not share her concerns, and ruled that her allegations did not permit her to disregard its custody orders.
Even if Dugan believed Harper was at risk, the judge said, she had legal avenues to raise her concerns rather than hiding where he was.
Huffman denied all the allegations, describing them tonight as ‘egregious and hurtful’.
After failing to show on September 18, the judge found Dugan in contempt. Her visitation was suspended, Huffman was given sole custody and Dugan was ordered to surrender Harper’s passport.
The court directed that she be held at the Spartanburg County Detention Center once arrested.
The Daily Mail has confirmed that the FBI has an active investigation into the pair’s whereabouts.
Dugan did not return a request for comment.
Attorney Jonathan Lewis, who represented Dugan during her divorce hearings, said: ‘Ms Dugan 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,’ says
‘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.’
Dugan appeared at an emergency hearing last month but refused to reveal where Harper was
Dugan’s troubles go beyond the custody fight.
In 2025 she was charged with cyberstalking in Moore County, North Carolina, over a series of unwanted messages to a friend of Huffman’s. The case was later dropped.
On July 30, weeks after the divorce ruling, she filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in federal court in South Carolina, listing more than $509,000 in debts.
Most of her assets were a $408,000 share in the South Carolina home she jointly owns with Huffman. The filing said it would be sold after a final divorce order, but the sale is now in limbo.
The family court has held back some financial issues while the bankruptcy case goes ahead.