Vault: We're About To Expose A Dead Beat Mom

Summary

The Bert Show – "Vault: We're About To Expose A Dead Beat Mom"

Date: January 14, 2026
Podcast: The Bert Show
Host: Bert and Cast (Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, et al.)

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Overview

This episode breaks from The Bert Show’s usual "Deadbeat Dad Patrol" segment to focus on a rare and controversial case: a “Deadbeat Mom.” The team investigates the story of Brian, a divorced father caring for his two young daughters, whose ex-wife has shirked her court-ordered child support payments. The episode dives into the emotional toll, the history behind the family’s split, and confronts the mother about her financial and parental responsibilities, all live on air. The tone is a mix of serious advocacy for children and frustrated humor characteristic of The Bert Show.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to Deadbeat Dad Patrol

• [01:04–02:02] The show typically exposes fathers dodging child support, but this episode targets a mother.
  • Quote: “There is no worse insult to call somebody than a deadbeat dad...” (Jen, 01:20)
  • Process: The show carefully vets stories before action to ensure fairness and legitimacy.

2. Brian’s Story: The Deadbeat Mom Case

• [02:02–06:43]
  • Brian divorced his wife four years prior; their two daughters now live with him full-time.
  • The ex-wife, Beth (not her real name), was initially career-driven and paid minimal support, which then stopped.
  • Brian works limited shifts to prioritize fatherhood, resulting in financial strain.
  • The court ordered Beth to pay $1,100/month, but she has missed four months, accruing $4,400 in arrears.
  • Brian promised his daughters (and their friends) a summer vacation, contingent on child support funds. Without the money, he feels he will let them down.
    • Quote:
      "I had to pay for that with my money. And when she told me she'd give me the $2,000, I promised the girls a vacation... I can't afford to take her to court again..." (Brian, 05:20)
  • Emotional Impact: Brian fears further legal action might risk losing his kids and can't afford court fees.

3. Deadbeat Mom Confrontation: Send Phil!

• [06:43–09:45]
  • Phil, the show’s “enforcer,” goes to Beth’s house, describes the comfortable setting—a sign of her financial stability versus Brian’s struggles.
    • Humor interjects, e.g. “Tailgating for Deadbeat Dads,” bringing levity to tense moments.
    • The team jokes about Phil’s trepidation and makes light of the “sting” set-up.
  • Phil cannot reach Beth; the house appears empty.

4. The Office Insider: “Bea”

• [10:41–12:01]
  • A disguised coworker, “Bea,” calls in, revealing Beth is actually in Miami with a new boyfriend and openly brags at work about dodging child support to “make her ex go broke.”
    • Quote:
      "I'm just really sick and tired of her being at the office bragging about how she's not paying child support... She wants her ex husband to go broke so that he'll just hand the kids over to her." (Bea, 11:07)
  • The team is shocked at the deliberate sabotage.

5. Calling Out Beth, Live on Air

• [12:02–17:19]
  • The show calls Beth in Miami; she’s defensive, unapologetic, and dismissive of the on-air shaming.
  • Beth claims she is now interested in reclaiming custody, citing her improved mental health after years of depression and therapy.
  • She justifies withholding child support as a tactic to "prove" Brian can't afford the kids and thus should give them back to her—despite her history of emotional distance.
    • Notable Exchanges:
      • Bert: "I would pay for my children." (13:25)
      • Beth: "My ex, Brian, cannot afford to take care of these kids on his own... Maybe I should just take them back, which is what I'm trying to do." (13:29)
  • When pressed about her children’s feelings, Beth insists they’d want to return to her.
  • Beth shares more vulnerably about mental health struggles during and after pregnancies as the reason she initially distanced herself.
    • Quote:
      "I had a very difficult time with the pregnancies... I went through years [of] therapy, and now I'm on medication... At the time, I did not feel fit..." (15:00)
  • Show hosts express empathy for mental health struggles but criticize her approach, especially using finances as leverage.
  • After heated back-and-forth, Beth hangs up, standing by her actions.

6. Aftermath and Reflection with Brian

• [17:21–17:41]
  • The hosts take Brian back on-air, expressing disbelief at Beth’s lack of accountability.
    • Bert: "Can you believe that you are capable of marrying a woman that handles her business like that?" (17:37)
    • Brian: "No, actually. I actually feel like an idiot every time I listen to her talk." (17:41)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "She brags about it every single day. And she's doing it because she wants her ex-husband to go broke..."
  —Bea the coworker, revealing a calculated motive (11:18).
• "I can't afford to take her to court again, you know, and she's hinting that maybe she can take care of the kids now herself..."
  —Brian, voicing his fear and exhaustion (05:20).
• "The point is that my ex, Brian, cannot afford to take care of these kids on his own... so maybe I should just take them back."
  —Beth, justifying her actions (13:29)
• "At the time, I did not feel fit, and I didn't think it was appropriate for me to be around my girls. But that is what is going on. Of course, nobody talks about that."
  —Beth, referencing years of depression and therapy (15:00)
• "You have no idea emotionally what you've done to your kids. You have no idea."
  —Host to Beth, highlighting the show’s stance (15:57)

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Timeline & Timestamps

| Time | Segment / Key Moment | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:04 | Deadbeat Dad Patrol explained, twist for this episode | | 02:02 | Brian’s backstory and struggles as a single dad | | 06:43 | Phil’s “Deadbeat Mom” stakeout at Beth’s house — unsuccessful attempt | | 10:41 | Anonymous coworker exposes Beth’s Miami trip and her calculated avoidance | | 12:02 | Live confrontation with Beth, who admits her strategy and discusses mental health | | 15:07 | Beth explains mental health challenges and her renewed desire for custody | | 17:21 | Call with Brian post-confrontation; show and Brian reflect in disbelief |

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: A blend of outrage, dark humor, and emotional honesty. The hosts switch between levity and serious advocacy, especially in defense of the children involved.
• Main Takeaway:
  The show provokes discussion about parental responsibility regardless of gender. While exposing "deadbeat dads" is common, this segment underlines that mothers, too, must be held accountable for both emotional and financial parenting duties. There’s also a secondary layer of empathy regarding mental health but little patience for using it as an excuse for strategic withholding of support.

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This episode is gripping for its role-reversal, candid on-air confrontation, and insight into the challenges faced by primary caregivers up against indifferent or manipulative co-parents. It's a must-listen for those interested in real talk about families, the justice system, and the complicated lives behind headlines.

Transcript

[A]

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[C]

The Birch Show Jen Hobby Explain what Deadbeat Dad Patrol is. Because that's what we normally do.

[D]

Yeah, normally what we do is we get emails from moms who are really struggling to get child support payments from these absent fathers. And they've gone through the courts, they've done everything that they can do, but the fathers are still not paying up. And they think, you know what, maybe some public humiliational work here. So they usually email us their story. And we investigate this thoroughly because there is no worse insult to call somebody than a deadbeat dad. So we make sure we do our research, we make sure that the story is legitimate and that there really is a need to publicly embarrass this guy. So we send Phil Turana out to the house with some pictures of the kids and he knocks on the door and really confronts him about not paying his child support payments and does it on the radio to embarrass him and maybe embarrass him into actually paying up. So normally it works in favor of moms who are reaching out to deadbeat dads, but this one was a little bit different than that.

[C]

Yeah, Brian got divorced four years ago and his ex wife wanted nothing to do with their kids at all. Nothing. I mean, for a while there she was paying child support, then she stopped, then she started up again, now she stopped again. And by the time we're done with this, we actually found out why she stopped paying. And what a bitch. Total bitch. This took place over about 90 minutes of the show, didn't it? And we've kind of condensed it down to 15 minutes because we know you guys that listen this early can't listen late in the show. So this was our first Deadbeat mom segment Friday morning on the Burt Show. Hey, Brian.

[E]

Hey, how are you?

[C]

All right. How are you today?

[E]

I'm all right.

[C]

I'M all right, give us some of the details because you guys have been divorced for four years now, right?

[E]

Yeah, four years. We have, we have two kids, a 12 year old girl and a nine year old girl and I have custody of both. Okay, well, I didn't fight for it. She just decided, you know, she wanted her, her own life back was what she said, you know. You know, she, she wanted to, you know, freedom to do her own thing or whatever, you know, even when we're together, you know, she went to work a month after the kids were born and I stayed home and raised them. I mean, she's very career driven. She makes more cash in me too. A lot more like it. I don't know, probably at least double.

[C]

Can I ask what she does and can I ask what you do?

[E]

Well, she's an accounting manager for a pretty big firm and I'm a restaurant manager, so I don't make anywhere near as much as she does.

[C]

It says in your email also that you specifically take like weekend shifts and stuff like that so you could spend more time with the kids. So the thing I got from reading your email is that you could work more, but you don't because you take the responsibility of being a parent very seriously. So you don't take it and you don't get as much money and that's why you depend on your ex wife's child support. Correct?

[F]

Right.

[E]

I mean, there's only one parent in the household, you know, so, you know, I've got to spend time with them. We were okay after the divorce, but she, I mean, she only wanted to see them like once a month and I mean they missed her, but at least she sent me some money. It was like, I don't know, 100 bucks a month or something like that. It was, you know, it wasn't very much. But about two years ago she just stopped sending the money and I had to take her to court and you know, I mean, we could barely survive. The three of us are living in like a two bedroom apartment and she's living in a three bedroom house, you.

[C]

Know, all by herself.

[E]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean she hasn't paid a dime of child. What happened was I won, I won a settlement and she was supposed to pay me 1100amonth and. But for the last four months, you know, she paid that once in a while, but for the last four months she hasn't paid a dime, you know. And before that, you know, I don't know, she didn't pay that much, but she owes me at least 44. And I spoke with her about a month ago, and she promised she'd get me 2,000 by June 1st. And what happened was the girls needed summer clothes, so I had to pay for that with my money. And when she told me she'd give me the 2000, I promised the girls a vacation and they could each bring a friend. We're gonna go to Golf Stores, Alabama, you know, but it's coming up July 4th, you know, I need the money. And, you know, if I don't get the money, I'm gonna look like a jerk to. Not only to the other girl's parents, but to my kids. You know, I was counting on that money. I mean, the girls are so excited. I mean, their friends, you know, they're all excited to go. And I don't know, I can't afford to take her to court again, you know, and she's hinting that, you know, well, she can take care of her, of the kids now herself or whatever, but she's just. She's, you know, she'll never have time with them or anything. Even if, you know, I just don't want to. Even if I did go to court, I don't want to take a chance that she'll, you know, win and get the kids or something. I mean, that was just. I just don't think that would be a very good situation.

[C]

So it's a case now where you've promised her and you've promised her friends that you guys are all going on vacation together and they're all looking forward to it.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Getting away from work, and you're getting away from work and all that, and you can't do that because she hasn't paid you in how long?

[E]

Four months.

[C]

Four months. And she owes you $4,400.

[E]

Right.

[C]

We have Phil. He's on the way over to her house right now. He's actually there.

[E]

He's on standby. So whenever we're ready, he's ready.

[C]

All right, hold on one second. Okay, Brian? Okay, I want to get Phil to Ann on the phone because he is outside of your ex wife's home, and I just want to make sure it's the right home. So I want to get a description and just make sure that he's in front of the right place. Hey, Phil.

[E]

Hey, guys.

[C]

Are you out in front of Beth's home right now?

[G]

Yeah, I'm pretty positive this is the right place.

[E]

It's a.

[G]

It's a pretty nice house. The kind of. The area I'm in is in between, like, Marietta and Kennesaw, there's, like, off of the air. I mean, there's nice neighborhoods all over the place. It's not like super high end houses, but they're not, you know, they're not. They're family houses. They're pretty nice. And the house I'm staying in front of, it's like a. It's kind of like a light blue house. And it's two story. There's a little deck on the front, and there is a garage around back. And I always kind of park one house down just because I don't want to be spotted. But there is a garage around back. I don't see any cars in the driveway, but both garage doors are down, and there's no windows on it. So maybe there's a car in the garage.

[C]

What did you bring with you? Because I know you had a file.

[H]

Of stuff other than a six pack.

[C]

Tailgating.

[G]

I'll tailgate for deadbeat death.

[C]

A big smoker on the back of his truck. He's got a tent up.

[G]

I've got with me, I've got a folder. And inside of the folder, I have obviously a letter from Brian and then a picture of the two girls.

[C]

You want to approach the house, Knock on the door, see if you can get her attention?

[E]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

It's all in your hands.

[I]

Watch.

[H]

She turns out to be a hottie. And Phil just like, hey, what's your number? And starts talking to her.

[C]

As he's walking right now, his thought is, why didn't I go with Gene and Julie? Why didn't I go with Gene and Julie?

[G]

All right, I'm at the. I'm at, like, there's like, there's a front door and there's kind of a side door beside the garage. I'm gonna go to the side door because it looks like it looks into the kitchen. And there's a couple of. There's a hallway light on, but there's no kitchen light on. So. By the way, I hate these.

[E]

All right.

[C]

Why are you nervous?

[H]

It's just a chick.

[G]

Have you seen me? Not a very powerful man. All right, here we go.

[H]

That was Phil knocking on the door.

[E]

Oh, she's got a dog.

[H]

Phil's about to be eaten by a rottweiler.

[C]

Candy. Graham, get out of here.

[H]

Get out, Plumber.

[D]

This is serious.

[C]

I'm being serious.

[I]

No, you're not.

[G]

Just trying to bring some levity.

[E]

What's that mean? Electrician.

[C]

All right, get out of here.

[E]

Oh, shut up.

[D]

Is she not there, Phil?

[G]

I don't think so. I mean, I don't see any movement. Hold on. I don't see any movement inside. Like I said, there's one hallway light on. There's no kitchen lights on.

[A]

She work?

[H]

I mean, it's almost not.

[D]

What about going around to the front and doing the doorbell?

[G]

I can do that.

[E]

Let me try that.

[F]

Hang on.

[G]

Let me get around to the front.

[C]

Suck if we can't get in touch with her, what we should have done is.

[G]

I see the dog.

[C]

You've got nothing.

[G]

I don't see any movement. I can see up the stairs. However, the only two doors I can see, they're both closed.

[D]

I mean, either she could have gone to work or maybe she could have gone out of town this weekend. So maybe Monday we'll have better luck.

[C]

Maybe. All right, just come on back here and we'll try it again on Monday.

[G]

Well, I mean. You want me to leave the folder?

[C]

No, no, no. Just come on back and we'll do it again Monday. Because these guys might be right. Like, one of her friends might have called her and said, you better split because the radio stations outside your house right now, and they're going to make you look like an ass, even though she's done a pretty good job of that herself. All right, so come on back. All right, I need the voice disguiser, Jeff, because B. Beth. Not her real name. Says she.

[I]

Bea.

[C]

Says she works with Beth. Good morning, Bea. You're on all the hits. Q100.

[J]

Good morning.

[C]

Good morning. You know who we're talking about here.

[J]

I really do know who you're talking about here. And she's just about my least favorite person in the office.

[D]

Really?

[J]

Yeah.

[D]

Why?

[J]

Well, first off, the reason that you can't find her is because she's not home. She's in Miami with a guy that she just met two weeks ago.

[C]

Okay, you're right.

[J]

And second of all, I'm just really sick and tired of her being at the office bragging about how she's not paying child support.

[D]

Really?

[J]

Oh, no. She brags about it every single day. And she's doing it because she wants her ex husband to go broke so that he'll just hand the kids over to her.

[I]

Really?

[C]

Well, that doesn't make any sense, though, because she's wanted nothing to do with the kids this whole time. So why now?

[F]

Well, I don't.

[J]

Apparently she wants them back and she thinks that this is the best way to go about. I really can't tell you. I have no idea what's going on inside this Woman's head. But I do. I do have her cell phone number, which I am happy to give to you.

[C]

Why don't I do this? I'm gonna put you on hold right now. We're just gonna get some facts straight with Brian just to make sure we're talking about the same woman. And if it is, we'll get her cell phone number from you, and we'll try calling her in a couple of minutes. Is that cool?

[J]

That's fine.

[C]

Hi, Beth? Yes, hi. This is Bert and Jen and Melissa and Jeff, and we're on the radio right now on a show called the Bert show on all the hits, Q100.

[F]

Yes, I know all about it. Wonderful.

[C]

Oh, good. How are you?

[F]

Oh, I'm doing amazing.

[C]

Yeah, we hear you're in Miami.

[E]

Yeah.

[F]

You hear that?

[E]

Yes, yes.

[F]

How'd you find that out?

[C]

You know what? When we. You only have a couple of listeners, we can pretty much track all of them anywhere. You know, we just found out that you're in Miami.

[F]

That makes sense.

[C]

You having yourself a good time?

[F]

I'm having an amazing time.

[C]

Soaking up the rays. Enjoying yourself? Relaxing a little bit?

[F]

Sure. Just have some guy call you up and give you his side of the story, and then just call and slam mama. Is that what you're doing?

[C]

Well, I mean, I guess this would be a great public forum for you to defend yourself here, but, Brian, your ex says that it's been four months since you've paid your child support, that you owe him about $4,400. He's already told the kids that they have a vacation coming and their friends are supposed to go also.

[F]

Yeah, it's all very sad. Anyway, first of all, it's none of any of your business. This shouldn't be done on the air or off the air. You should have no knowledge of this. This has nothing to do with you.

[C]

So let me get this done.

[F]

Nothing about the relationship or anything that's going on in my personal life. Would you like it if I called you up on your own personal stuff and put it on the radio? Would you like that?

[C]

I'm a better person than that. I would pay for my children.

[F]

Oh, okay. All right. Well, the point is that my ex, Brian cannot afford to take care of these kids on his own. And he's never been able to afford anything since I've known him. And so maybe the idea is that since he can't afford it, maybe I should just take them back, which is what I'm trying to do.

[D]

By starving Brian and the kids by Cheating them out of their summer vacation by you going gallivanting to Miami. And your kids can't go to the States.

[B]

You know what?

[F]

This is also a business trip. I'm not gallivanting in Miami.

[E]

Okay?

[J]

Okay.

[I]

Mm.

[F]

Yes.

[D]

So your little girls can sit at home and be disappointed this summer because they can't go anywhere on vacation.

[F]

You know what? This is so none of any of your business. It's unbelievable. I can't believe I'm having this conversation with. I don't know who.

[C]

It would have never gotten to any of this had you just done the right thing. Brian feels like there's no other way to. To. To get through to you except to publicly humiliate you.

[F]

Get. Get a. A backbone.

[C]

You need to get a backbone and be a mom.

[F]

That's exactly what I'm trying to do. And I'm trying to get my kids back so I can take care of them.

[D]

So what is. You wanted your life back? What does that mean?

[F]

What that meant was that I had a very difficult time with the pregnancies, and I had a very difficult time after the kids were born, and we went to a very deep depression, and I went through years. I've been going through therapy, and now I'm on medication, and. And now I feel. And I'm positive that I'm in a place where I can take care of them. At the time, I did not feel fit, and I didn't think it was appropriate for me to be around my girls. But that is what is going on. Of course, nobody talks about that.

[C]

So with you being on the medication now, you're thinking clearly. You think the great way to handle this whole thing is just to stop paying child support so your husband has no alternative except to give you the children back. That's what the medication has made you think clearly about?

[F]

Yes, because then I can take them to court, and then I can get my daughters back.

[C]

Why don't you up your prescription, then? Cause you're still not thinking clearly.

[F]

Okay, well, thanks for your help, Doctor. I really appreciate that.

[D]

Beth, how do you feel about Burt show listeners having to come up with the money to send your kids to the beach? And you can't do it.

[C]

Yeah. How pathetic is that? Everybody's calling up.

[F]

Yeah, what's pathetic is that he's having to do it on the radio so he can have people chip in and feel sorry for him like he's done his whole life.

[D]

Okay, what makes you think your daughters want to go back to you?

[F]

How do you have any idea what My daughters want. Have you ever.

[D]

How do you have any idea what your daughters want?

[F]

Of course they want to come back with me.

[C]

No, they don't. I've got more experience in this kind of thing than you have. Because I was the child of a relationship just like this where Mommy bails for 10 years and then all of a sudden she wants to come back. You have no idea emotionally what you've done to your kids. You have no idea.

[F]

Well, you know what? No time like the present to fix it.

[I]

Oh, come on.

[C]

How do you live with yourself?

[D]

The youngest was five when you left her.

[F]

I'm doing the best I can.

[C]

No, you're not.

[F]

I feel sorry for him. I'm sure the judge is going to love that. He called. Called a radio station to take care of this.

[D]

And I'm sure the judge will love the fact that you're bragging at work about not paying child support. The thing is, you enjoy your beach time and make sure your daughter's womb.

[F]

Thanks. Whatever you have to say. Yeah, my beach time.

[C]

Just start to pay him the money that you owe him that the courts have told you that you owe him. He doesn't want anything to do with you. Just pay the money. Be a responsible parent.

[F]

I am being a responsible parent and I'm trying to get my daughters back. You've all been extremely helpful. I really appreciate it. And I hope all your listeners chip in to poor Brian.

[C]

You're a wonderfully warm person. Wonderfully warm. Well, you'd be warm if you got.

[F]

A phone call like this.

[C]

I wouldn't get a call like this because if I separated from my wife, I take care of my kid. Well, have just a little bit of integrity. Good God, woman.

[F]

You know what? You guys have a great day.

[C]

Super. Enjoy your Miami vacation.

[F]

Right.

[C]

Bye.

[J]

Bye.

[F]

Thank you.

[C]

Brian, back on the phone. Brian.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Good God, there must be times. Can you even. I am. I bring this up when we do these things from time to time. Can you believe that you are capable of marrying a woman that handles her business like that?

[E]

No, actually. I actually feel like an idiot every time I listen to her talk.

[A]

Can you.

[C]

Can you go into detail about why you got divorced? Because I'm not seeing it.

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