Survivor star Jaime Dugan breaks silence after FBI hunt, hands phone to son who says 'I am finally safe'

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026.

Jaime Dugan, 41, who appeared on 'Survivor: China' in 2007, has spoken out after an arrest warrant was issued over her refusal to return her 16-year-old son Harper to his father following a weekend visit in August. She insisted she and Harper are neither hiding nor in danger, telling reporters her phone is on and her location is not concealed — yet she refused to say where they are. She then put Harper on the line, and he said: 'I am happy and finally safe.'

Harper's father, fellow 'Survivor' contestant Erik Huffman, 45, was awarded custody during the couple's bitter 2024 divorce and told reporters he fears for his son's safety.

The FBI has an open investigation into the pair's whereabouts, and police have described Harper as 'missing and endangered' despite Dugan's denials.

Dugan insists she is protecting a 'traumatised' son who is afraid to return to his paternal family, and says she will appeal the custody order.