A Bay Area power couple has been dragged into fresh drama after their daughter allegedly tricked a reality television star into thinking she was pregnant.
Legendary KGO AM radio host Ronn Owens and his wife, former journalist Elizabeth Ann Naylor, allegedly misled GoFundMe donors who believed they were sending money to cover his health issues.
Instead of spending the $135,000 on Owens’ medical bills for four bouts of cancer and “some serious heart issues,” the family is accused of paying off personal expenses.
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
The family is facing a fresh scandal after their daughter allegedly tricked a TV star into thinking he got her pregnant. Facebook/@lauramichelleowens
Federal officials from the U.S. Trustee’s Office have reviewed 18 months of the Bay Area couple’s bank records and discovered the couple spent just $17,209 on health care. Facebook/@ronnowens
Among those were their mortgage and their daughter Laura’s legal expenses for allegedly lying to “The Bachelor” star Clayton Echard about being pregnant to force him into a relationship with her.
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.
She’s currently set to go to trial later this year after requesting a continuance from the scheduled trial date of July 29.
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Federal officials from the U.S. Trustee’s Office have reviewed 18 months of the Bay Area couple’s 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.
They spent more than six figures on their home and controlled businesses.
The federal filing also noted the couple splurged on food delivery, credit card payments, restaurants, their daughter’s legal expenses, subscriptions, travel expenses and retail purchases. Laura is also fully financially dependent on them and lives with her parents.
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
Clayton Echard of ABC’s “The Bachelor” on Monday, November 22, 2021. ABC via Getty Images
The Justice Department did not conclude that the couple broke the law, but the spending presented “a serious question whether donors received what they were promised.”
The couple never promised to pay only medical bills in the GoFundMe, but much of its content focused on his health challenges.
Red flags first went up for the couple’s spending after they filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy several months after raising the GoFundMe money.
The bankruptcy revealed $2.3 million in liabilities and owed over $511,000 in debts to more than 40 banks, credit card companies, and other creditors.
But nearly half a million of the debt came after the couple raised the money from the GoFundMe.
The couple’s 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.
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.
Naylor says the GoFundMe was meant to help the family’s financial difficulties rather than medical bills alone. But federal officials suggest that’s an unreasonable assumption.
“I don’t think it’s reasonable to assume that donors would know or expect that GoFundMe money is being used to pay Macy’s credit card bills,” attorney with the U.S. Trustee’s Office Jennifer A. Giaimo said.
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.
Many inconsistencies were found across the couple’s bankruptcy filings, the filing said. The couple said that had to do with Owens’ health issues and problems with prior counsel.
“Across three sets of schedules … the Debtors have sworn to statements that cannot all be true,” the trustee wrote.
Creditors and lenders would be allowed to go ahead with foreclosures, lawsuits, and other collections if the couple cannot file for bankruptcy.
A Chapter 7 liquidation was considered, but the trustee found no meaningful pool of assets that a trustee could sell to repay unsecured creditors.
A hearing on the trustee’s request is scheduled for Thursday this week.
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