Scam Goddess: A Father’s Fake Death for Faraway Love w/ Jay Jurden

Release Date: January 20, 2026
Host: Laci Mosley
Guest: Jay Jurden

Overview

In this hilarious and sharp episode of Scam Goddess, host Laci Mosley teams up with comedian Jay Jurden to dissect the wild true story of Ryan Bourguart—a Wisconsin man who faked his own death in a kayaking accident to escape his family and pursue love with an Eastern European woman he met online. The conversation blends true crime, social commentary, and plenty of irreverent humor, riffing on relationship scams, masculinity, and the ever-resourceful ways people can run away from their problems.

Episode Structure & Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | Guest intro & Jay's scam-adjacent stories | | 14:47 | Main scam story introduction | | 20:01 | The "Lake Escape": Faking the kayak accident | | 31:00 | Jay's and Laci's comedic analysis | | 38:24 | How the scheme unraveled | | 53:31 | Ryan’s rationale, debts, and return | | 56:27 | Reflections, verdict, and final jokes | | 70:06 | Plugs & closing thoughts |

Jay’s Scam Perspective: Comedy as a Scam (00:30–11:00)

• Jay on Comedy Scams: Jay kicks off with a story about nearly being scammed by a hotel, then riffs on how comedians sometimes scam audiences by barely doing headline-length sets:
  • "I'm seeing a lot of people...they got 20 minutes of stuff to say and they're making you pay full price." (03:00, Jay)
  • Both lament a trend of headliners padding shows with too many openers and merch gimmicks (04:16–05:02).
• Parallels with Drug Dealers: Jay and Laci compare “scammy” comics to indifferent drug dealers—selling their wares without caring for the clientele (05:54–06:57).
• Memorable Quote:
  • “You have to care about these people who are paying money to come see you.” (06:48, Jay)
• Gay Club Culture: Jay praises the authentic joy at queer clubs vs. the transactional, “scammed” vibe of modern nightlife (10:43–11:15).

The Historic Hoodwink: Boy, Bye—A Man Fakes His Death (14:47–53:00)

The Setup

• The Crime: Wisconsin cabinetmaker Ryan Bourguart fakes a kayaking death (15:19).
• Motivation: Wants to escape his wife and three kids for an Eastern European woman. Both hosts quickly call out gendered scammy behaviors, with Laci joking:
  • “Men are a scam...once they get you pregnant, they switch up!” (16:20, Laci)

Analyzing Ryan’s Exit

• Jay on Family Annihilators: “He didn’t take the family annihilator route, which we’ve seen time and time again...He had enough common courtesy to fake his own death, not lay a hand on a single one of those people.” (15:19)
• Lavender Relationship Watch:
  • Laci and Jay speculate on the authenticity of the marriage:
    • “He does look like he is scheming in the wedding photo...maybe not a gay scheme, but he’s scheming.” (21:51–22:02, Jay)
• Comedy on Relationships:
  • Laci: “I won’t date a man I don’t think I can beat in a fight.” (19:01)

The Night Kayak Scheme

• How He Did It:
  • Left for “night kayaking” at 10:36pm, texted his wife a vague goodbye.
  • Used a child-size raft and hidden e-bike to escape 70 miles to Madison, then to Canada, and finally to Georgia (the country) to meet his online lover (20:26–33:14).
• Memorable Quote (on planning):
  • “You probably weren’t contributing to the family...and you bought a child raft and didn’t even let your kids play with it.” (32:07, Laci)
• Jay on the Escape:
  • “He planned this out to a T. Oh my god...he was excited because he knew he was gonna dip out on his family.” (33:20)

Scam Unravels: Tech, TikTok, and Vasectomies (38:24–60:00)

• How He Got Caught:
  • Found by digital breadcrumbs and a viral TikTok; the scheme’s details were uncovered via laptop searches tracking messages with his mistress “Katya.”
• Makings of the Scam:
  • He:
    • Applied for a replacement passport
    • Took out life insurance
    • Reversed his vasectomy (46:11)
    • Laci: “Bro, you don’t take care of the kids you got. Why you trying to get Katya pregnant?” (46:11)
• Police Persuasion: Instead of extradition, police “pleaded” with Ryan to come home:
  • “Bring your dog ass back here...And put your vas deferens away.” (48:41–48:49, Jay & Laci)
• Jay On Masculinity:
  • “Masculinity is a prison. You’d rather fake your own death than have a heart-to-heart with your wife?” (66:47)

Aftermath & Reflections (53:31–69:42)

• Ryan’s Rationalization:
  • He cited $75,000 in credit card debt and $130,000 in business debt; said kids didn’t want him around.
  • Laci: “The bar is in hell...but at least he didn’t kill the family.” (54:11)
• Emily’s Response:
  • Emily filed for divorce two days after Ryan’s return. Laci and Jay speculate she may have quietly enjoyed her “widow” period.
• Jay’s Critique:
  • “You did all this...just to return to the country and be a loser. I’m disappointed in you.” (66:04)
  • “How the hell can you bike for 70 miles but you can’t just say, ‘Hey, let’s take a break for a little bit’?” (66:33)
• On Toxic Masculinity:
  • Laci: “It’s a prison that men made for themselves.” (66:58)

Notable Quotes

• On scammed comedy audiences:
  • “You can’t treat comedy fans the same way you treat people buying crack.” (05:16, Jay)
• On men & scams:
  • “A man is a scam. Not a plan, but a scam.” (25:20, Laci)
• On the elaborateness of Ryan’s plan:
  • “All that work, bro, you faked your own drowning, child raft, tiny oars, 70 miles on an ebike—just to get caught.” (66:04, Laci)
• On toxic masculinity and fleeing families:
  • “Get your ass back over here and hate your family in person like we do.” (69:13, Laci)
• On Emily’s resilience:
  • “Emily looks like she’s delightful. Your goofy ass...is lucky to be with Emily.” (64:38, Jay)

Key Takeaways

• The scam itself: Ryan Bourguart’s plot was part Walter Mitty, part midlife crisis—faking a watery demise to pursue online love. His “success” lasted mere months before technology and police persistence lured him back with guilt rather than handcuffs.
• Comedy and Social Satire:
  • Laci and Jay eviscerate not only Ryan’s plan but broader themes: men’s aversion to vulnerability, societal double-standards, and how some scams are just plain... pathetic.
• Final Verdict:
  • “This ain’t even a good scam.” (65:18, Laci)
  • “You gave up the scam. You ain’t even get the Uzbeki lady...Now you in jail for 89 days...what did you accomplish?” (65:39, Jay)
• Moral Lesson: Sometimes it’s best not to run from your problems—or at least, if you do, don’t post about it on TikTok.

Plugs & Closing (70:06–end)

• Jay Jurden:
  • On all socials @jayjurden, new stand-up hour on tour, special “Yes Ma’am” streaming now.
  • Jokes about doing a show in Uzbekistan: “I am going to Uzbekistan to do a show.” (70:44)
• Laci Mosley:
  • Scam Goddess TV show now on Freeform & Hulu
  • Book, live events, and follows all promoted
  • “Do something nice for a Black woman—write a nice review on Apple Podcasts.” (71:18)
• Final Joke:
  • “If you love me, fake your own death.” (37:05, Laci)
  • “Congregation, sometimes the rational solution is to fake your own death.” (71:50, Laci)
  • “Have some night yak.” (72:04, Jay)

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)

Laci and Jay gleefully pick apart the story of a man who faked his death to chase an overseas affair, only to be brought back by digital evidence, pleading police, and a family that seemed almost relieved he was gone. With razor-sharp jokes and no patience for scammers (or weak headliners), the duo mixes true crime with personal anecdotes on masculinity, money woes, and why sometimes, it's better to just talk to your spouse than plan an international disappearance.

For more laughs, photos, and scam content, follow @scamgoddesspod and @divalacey. Watch Jay Jurden’s "Yes Ma’am" on Hulu. As always, stay schemin’!