{"id":423645,"date":"2026-08-04T15:52:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/423645\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T15:52:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:52:08","slug":"california-radio-icon-ronn-owens-behind-alleged-cancer-fundraiser-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/423645\/","title":{"rendered":"California radio icon Ronn Owens behind alleged cancer fundraiser scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Bay Area power couple<\/a> has been dragged into fresh drama after their daughter allegedly tricked a reality television star into thinking she was pregnant.<\/p>\n

Legendary KGO AM radio host Ronn Owens and his wife, former journalist Elizabeth Ann Naylor, allegedly misled GoFundMe donors<\/a> who believed they were sending money to cover his health issues.<\/p>\n

Instead of spending the $135,000 on Owens\u2019 medical bills for four bouts of cancer and \u201csome serious heart issues,\u201d the family is accused of paying off personal expenses.<\/p>\n

Ronn Owens and his family are pictured. The California radio legend is embroiled in a fresh scandal after his daughter allegedly tricked a TV star into thinking he got her pregnant. Facebook\/@ronnowens<\/p>\n

The family is facing a fresh scandal after their daughter allegedly tricked a TV star into thinking he got her pregnant. Facebook\/@lauramichelleowens<\/p>\n

Federal officials from the U.S. Trustee\u2019s Office have reviewed 18 months of the Bay Area couple\u2019s bank records and discovered the couple spent just $17,209 on health care. Facebook\/@ronnowens<\/p>\n

Among those were their mortgage and their daughter Laura\u2019s legal expenses for allegedly lying to \u201cThe Bachelor\u201d star Clayton Echard about being pregnant to force him into a relationship with her.<\/p>\n

Laura was indicted in May 2025 on seven felony counts of perjury, fraud, forgery, and evidence tampering related to a pregnancy lawsuit she filed against him.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s currently set to go to trial later this year after requesting a continuance from the scheduled trial date of July 29<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Federal officials from the U.S. Trustee\u2019s Office have reviewed 18 months<\/a> of the Bay Area couple\u2019s bank records and discovered the couple spent just $17,209 on health care and pharmacy costs in that period while pouring money into their mortgage and limited liability companies they controlled.<\/p>\n

They spent more than six figures on their home and controlled businesses.<\/p>\n

The federal filing also noted the couple splurged on food delivery, credit card payments, restaurants, their daughter\u2019s legal expenses, subscriptions, travel expenses and retail purchases. Laura is also fully financially dependent on them and lives with her parents.<\/p>\n

Ronn Owens and his daughter Laura Owens are pictured. The California radio legend is embroiled in a fresh scandal after his daughter allegedly tricked a TV star into thinking he got her pregnant. Facebook\/@ronnowens<\/p>\n

Clayton Echard of ABC\u2019s \u201cThe Bachelor\u201d on Monday, November 22, 2021. ABC via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Justice Department did not conclude that the couple broke the law, but the spending presented \u201ca serious question whether donors received what they were promised.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple never promised to pay only medical bills in the GoFundMe, but much of its content focused on his health challenges.<\/p>\n

Red flags first went up for the couple\u2019s spending after they filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy several months after raising the GoFundMe money.<\/p>\n

The bankruptcy revealed $2.3 million in liabilities and owed over $511,000\u00a0in debts to more than 40 banks, credit card companies, and other creditors.<\/p>\n

But nearly half a million of the debt came after the couple raised the money from the GoFundMe.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s bankruptcy request was denied this year, and they again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, this time trying to get bankruptcy protection for their Scottsdale home.<\/p>\n

As part of the federal investigation into them, they have since dropped their Chapter 11 case with a two-year prohibition on filing another bankruptcy petition after disputing assertions in the federal filing.<\/p>\n

Naylor says the GoFundMe was meant to help the family\u2019s financial difficulties rather than medical bills alone. But federal officials suggest that\u2019s an unreasonable assumption.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s reasonable to assume that donors would know or expect that GoFundMe money is being used to pay Macy\u2019s credit card bills,\u201d attorney with the U.S. Trustee\u2019s Office Jennifer A. Giaimo said.<\/p>\n

A trustee asked the court for the two-year prohibition on the couple filing for bankruptcy because they filed the case in bad faith, they said.<\/p>\n

Many inconsistencies were found across the couple\u2019s bankruptcy filings, the filing said. The couple said that had to do with Owens\u2019 health issues and problems with prior counsel.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross three sets of schedules \u2026 the Debtors have sworn to statements that cannot all be true,\u201d the trustee wrote.<\/p>\n

Creditors and lenders would be allowed to go ahead with foreclosures, lawsuits, and other collections if the couple cannot file for bankruptcy.<\/p>\n

A Chapter 7 liquidation was considered, but the trustee found no meaningful pool of assets that a trustee could sell to repay unsecured creditors.<\/p>\n

A hearing on the trustee\u2019s request is scheduled for Thursday this week.<\/p>\n

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