‘Scamanda’ Amanda Riley, Husband Corey to Divorce: What Did He Know?

As the Thursday, February 20, finale of ABC docuseries Scamanda revealed, convicted cancer scammer Amanda Riley and husband Corey Riley are now in the midst of a divorce — and many viewers (and “Scamanda” podcast listeners before them) remain curious about his role and awareness of his estranged wife’s crimes.

Amanda, now 39, was convicted in 2021 for wire fraud; using her blog and staged photos to document lengthy, entirely fake cancer battles (chemotherapy, surgeries, clinical trials and hospital stays), the Bay Area, California, mom raised over $100,000 in donations plus gifts, trips and more. Corey, now 48, has never been officially accused of any wrongdoing, but was by his wife’s side throughout her simulated illnesses. He stood next to her onstage at their mega-church, where congregants threw money at their feet.

Charlie Webster, creator/host of the podcast and producer who appeared on the docuseries, exclusively tells Us Weekly she attempted to contact Corey multiple times. “He absolutely didn’t want to engage in any of this. We had one exchange between us, which was back when the podcast happened,” Webster says. “Just my observation, [as I] watched him in court, he was not how I would expect the mannerisms of somebody to behave if your partner is in that situation. Very little emotion.”

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More recently, Webster revealed she’s been “contacted by women he was engaging with, so I think he’s been looking to move on.”

As for questions about Corey’s complicity in her scheme, Webster reiterates to Us: “Corey has not been convicted of anything. Police did investigate the both of them.”

As Webster points out, the criminal aspect of Amanda’s deception was completely financial. “Amanda wasn’t convicted for lying or faking cancer; she was convicted for wire fraud. So from a conviction, criminal point of view, all that she’s been convicted for is wire fraud, because the money went into her name. But that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t more involved, because the law’s adversarial and can only go after certain things.”

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Of particular interest to Webster: a bankruptcy filing made by the couple, in which they cited medical bills accrued from Amanda’s cancer fight. “[Corey] said under oath that he went to all of Amanda’s appointments. And they claimed bankruptcy for Amanda’s cancer,” Webster reminds Us.

“He’s not being convicted, but it’s for all of us to make our own minds up,” Webster continues. “And I did find that evidence, which I did put in the podcast, which showed that he was part of the bankruptcy claim. He claimed bankruptcy because of Amanda’s cancer.” Corey also cited Amanda’s illness during his custody battle with first wife Aletta Souza over their daughter, Jessa, Webster points out.

Us has reached out to Corey for comment.

After meeting during Corey’s first marriage (to Souza), the couple wed in 2011 and went on to welcome sons Carter and Connor. Two years after his wife went to prison, Corey filed for divorce in 2024 and now lives in Texas. His estranged wife recently moved from prison to transitional housing, and her current release date is December 9.

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Webster has been in contact with Amanda, meanwhile, since her 2022 conviction.

“She has said to me that she is sorry,” she said. “She regrets everything she’s done. Every single day … Now she’s in a situation where she has lost everything.”

When Amanda emerges a free woman, “I think it’s going to be very, very hard for her,” Webster said. “Do we believe in second chances? Do we believe in redemption? Do we believe that people can learn their lessons and change? It’s a case of trying to rebuild her life. Maybe not rebuild actually — try and build a new life. I don’t think she can rebuild.”

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​Us Weekly

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