Bay Area radio legend denies diverting GoFundMe donations to pay daughter's legal bills
'Laura has not received, requested, or accessed any of the GoFundMe contributions, and none of them have been — or will be — used for her legal matters,' the former KGO on-air host wrote in a Facebook post shared on Sunday, June 29.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched by friends and family on New Year's Eve to help Owens overcome financial challenges from his ongoing struggle with Parkinson's disease and other 'health battles.'
As of Tuesday, July 1, Owens has raised more than $129,000 of his $140,000 goal.
Though he is listed as the beneficiary, many have grown skeptical after Laura was indicted in an unrelated high-profile paternity case in May.
'(S)ome individuals have made defamatory claims suggesting the fund was created to support my daughter, Laura, and her legal expenses,' Owens wrote over the weekend. 'Those claims are completely false and deeply hurtful.'
Laura faces seven felony charges, including fraud and perjury, tied to a 2023 lawsuit during which she claimed she had become pregnant with twins after meeting Clayton Echard from Season 26 of 'The Bachelor.' The reality TV star denied the allegations, stating that their sexual interactions didn't involve intercourse.
Though Laura later said she had a miscarriage, officials eventually learned that she had fabricated evidence, including altering an ultrasound image.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
'Let me make it clear that I stand with Laura 100% and am disheartened by the online efforts to discredit us both,' Owens wrote.
The former radio host was a fixture on Bay Area airwaves for five decades, and retired in 2021 just before KGO discontinued its longtime news-talk format. He has since been open about his financial and physical hardships online.
Owens reupped his fundraising efforts last month by resharing the link to his GoFundMe campaign, noting that it 'remains a crucial source of support.'
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