Betrayal Weekly: "Heather"
Podcast: Betrayal Weekly (iHeartPodcasts & Glass Podcasts)
Host: Andrea Gunning
Guest: Heather Rovette
Date: December 11, 2025
Episode Theme:
A gripping, first-person account of Heather Rovette's relationship with a charming man whose betrayal goes far beyond infidelity. Through heartbreak, financial devastation, and psychological manipulation, Heather unearths the truth about her partner's double life as a serial scammer—and finds strength in sharing her story.
Episode Overview
This episode of Betrayal Weekly follows Heather, a successful Toronto professional, as she recounts her whirlwind romance with "Jace Peretti"—a man whose secrets unravel to reveal a staggering web of lies, theft, and emotional exploitation. Host Andrea Gunning guides listeners through Heather's journey from infatuation, through devastating discoveries, to resilience and self-empowerment.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Heather's Background and Early Success
- Heather describes a joyful childhood with two siblings and loving parents in Toronto.
- “My parents met in high school and were high school sweethearts. And he would look at my mom with such adoration.” (03:17, Heather)
- She carves out a successful real estate career, investing in her home and future.
- Earlier in adulthood, Heather was victim of a financial advisor scam, losing $127,000.
- “Even though he was found guilty and ordered to pay restitution, I never saw a penny.” (05:14, Heather)
The Meet-Cute: Heather Meets Jace
- Jace enters Heather’s life as a “ruggedly cute” handyman fixing her cabinets; they immediately click.
- “I was a little befuddled. I found myself a little tongue-tied and was like, oh, wow, sure, come on in.” (06:22, Heather)
- Jace is attentive, flirty; offers help and leaves his measuring tape, sparking playful text exchanges.
- A flirtatious rapport leads to daily texts and a blossoming romance.
- “He said, just please tell me you know how sexy you are, Heather… Like, it’s your mind. Do you know how freaking sexy that is to me?” (09:54, Heather quoting Jace)
Love Bombing & Integration into Heather’s Life
- Their relationship escalates quickly: motorcycle rides, passionate dates, declarations of love.
- “We had such a good time...I don’t think I slept a whole night for at least three months because I just was so excited having this gorgeous human being lying beside me.” (12:48, Heather)
- Jace meets Heather’s family and friends, fitting seamlessly into her close-knit world.
- Heather never meets Jace’s son—a source of tension, always explained by Jace’s supposed custody battle.
- “Honestly, not meeting his son in the family court was the albatross around our relationship’s neck.” (19:45, Heather)
The Relationship Deteriorates
- The pandemic lockdown intensifies their bond; they move to the countryside and imagine a future.
- But Jace’s financial instability grows; Heather supports him, despite seeing little evidence of his remote “Oracle” job.
- “When push came to shove, he just never seemed to have money.” (24:32, Heather)
- As life returns to normal, Jace grows distant, irritable, and emotionally unavailable.
- “He just stopped coming home...He was claiming he was sleeping in the car or sleeping at the office.” (27:52, Heather)
- Heather feels isolated, betrayed, and begins to question the reality of their relationship.
The Discovery: Layers of Betrayal
- Heather inadvertently logs into Jace’s email and uncovers dating app activity and evidence of infidelities.
- “It’s bumble, match, badoo...he's on every dating app. I'm like, what?” (29:08, Heather)
- Digging deeper, she finds proof Jace sold her mother’s jewelry online—items her mother hadn’t realized were missing piece by piece.
- “It was a Kijiji ad for Tiffany bracelet, Tiffany ring...what the fuck? That’s my mom’s stuff.” (30:00, Heather)
- She discovers Jace’s real identity: Jason Porter, a convicted fraudster nicknamed “The Online Romeo.”
- “At the very end of 2011, there was a warrant out for his arrest...he had been meeting women and stealing from them.” (35:55, Heather)
Confrontation and Aftermath
- Heather confronts Jace, who is eerily calm and unfazed.
- “He’s in the kitchen going to the coffee machine...He literally looks at me and shrugs, and he’s like, so.” (43:42, Heather on Jace)
- Police are frustratingly unhelpful; Jace manipulates the situation further, claiming Heather assaulted him.
- “The police left, and they left us in the house together.” (44:49, Heather)
- Jace erases computer evidence and leaves.
- Heather learns Jace immediately moved in with a new girlfriend, had stolen more of her belongings, and had lied about everything—including the custody battle.
- “There were court documents...his custody arrangement had been decided in February 2019, a year before Heather and Jace moved in together.” (48:22, Andrea Gunning)
Heather’s Fight for Justice
- Heather and her family press charges for theft.
- Jace attempts to manipulate the legal process, resulting in further charges (obstruction of justice, jury tampering).
- “Jace was eventually arrested for obstruction of justice, jury tampering...these actually hold way more weight than the theft in crime.” (53:39, Heather recalls detective's words)
- In January 2025, Jace pleads guilty to theft of property and possession of property obtained by crime.
- “He got two years less one day...it wasn’t just a robbery and theft. It was calculated...He really betrayed our trust.” (54:26, Heather)
- Despite conviction, the system’s ambivalence toward emotional abuse by serial manipulators is highlighted.
- “And after all of this, it’s still not a crime what he did to me...the system [should] recognize the emotional abuse, especially if it’s from a known felon.” (55:35, Heather)
Finding Strength and Building Community
- Heather embarks on trauma therapy and healing (“I had two therapists. I did a lot of EMDR for the trauma.” 54:57, Heather).
- She finds empowerment in telling her story—to a journalist, in a documentary, and now on this podcast.
- “By talking publicly, I felt like it gave me back my story. Like, it gave me control, it gave me confidence, it gave me the power back.” (55:18, Heather)
- Heather connects with Jace’s other victims, forming a community of survivors.
- “All the women I’ve connected with, they’re lovely...every now and then, one of them will call and they’ll be like, I was thinking about you.” (51:19, Heather)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “It’s not like he was cheating on me, because I don’t think you can call it cheating when what you do is prey on women, when you are a hunter on these dating apps trying to find more victims.” (37:01, Heather)
- “I realize if I hold on to feeling embarrassed and ashamed about what he did to me, it just gives him more power and more fuel.” (50:19, Heather)
- “My story is not unique. There is a Jason in every town, city, park, province, country around the world. One in 25 people are a sociopath, psychopath, narcissist, whatever.” (56:03, Heather)
- “When you tell your story, you’re taking ownership of it, and that is so empowering.” (57:05, Heather)
- “Your podcast, I feel, helps heal the internal bruises that we can’t see. Like, you just feel this, like, oh my God. It’s not just me. I’m not so alone. I’m not making up how I’m feeling.” (57:05, Heather)
Important Segment Timestamps
| Time | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:15 | Heather’s stipulation: “It’s not cheating when you prey on women.” | | 05:14 | Describes losing $127,000 to a scammer | | 06:20 | The meet-cute with Jace – handyman arrives, sparks fly | | 09:54 | The flirtatious texting: “Just please tell me you know how sexy you are…” | | 12:48 | The romance intensifies: “I don’t think I slept a whole night…” | | 19:45 | The “albatross”: Jace’s custody battle excuses | | 24:32 | Jace’s financial dependence surfaces | | 27:52 | Jace withdraws: starts spending nights away, stops coming home | | 29:08 | Heather’s accidental discovery: Jace’s inbox full of dating app notifications | | 30:00 | Discovers her mother’s jewelry being sold online | | 35:55 | Heath discovers Jace’s real identity—Jason Porter, convicted con artist | | 43:42 | Confrontation: “He literally looks at me and shrugs, and he’s like, so.” | | 48:22 | The custody battle was a fabrication; discovers court documents | | 54:26 | Sentencing: Judge denounces calculated betrayal | | 55:18 | Healing through sharing: “It gave me control, it gave me confidence…” | | 56:03 | Warning to others: “There is a Jason in every town…” | | 57:05 | Why share her story? The power of solidarity and validation |
Tone and Delivery
The episode is intimate, raw, and emotionally powerful. Heather’s narrative is deeply personal, oscillating between pain, disbelief, heartbreak, and ultimately a sense of resilience and self-possession. Andrea Gunning’s tone is compassionate, curious, and often quietly outraged on Heather’s behalf.
Key Takeaways
- Betrayal can take many forms—including financial, emotional, and psychological.
- Serial romance scammers use manipulation, fabricated hardship, and emotional intimacy to gain trust and ultimately exploit.
- Victims are often gaslit and left with little legal recourse—law enforcement may not always be supportive.
- Community and speaking out are crucial: Heather finds healing in connecting with other victims and reclaiming her narrative.
- Heather urges listeners to trust their intuition and seek answers when something feels wrong.
Closing Reflection
Heather’s journey is both a cautionary tale and a testament to the power of reclaiming one’s story and seeking solidarity. Her story, told in her own words and in her own voice, is a clarion call to recognize red flags, support victims, and hold con artists accountable wherever possible.
Additional Resources
- Heather’s documentary: “Rom Who the F is Jason Porter?” available on Amazon Prime.
- Join the Betrayal community: Beyond Betrayal Substack