Hannah Kobayashi’s mysterious disappearance last year is back in the headlines, and her family is not staying quiet anymore, especially on the rumors of a “fake husband”.
Her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, is speaking out exclusively to slam a Daily Mail article that claims Kobayashi faked a marriage to help an Argentinian man get a green card and that he helped her plan the whole missing person episode. Hannah Kobayashi’s aunt, Pidgeon says the claim that this “fake husband” rumor was part of any plan is not just wrong, it’s dangerous. She calls it “deeply irresponsible and dangerously inaccurate,” saying there’s zero evidence behind the explosive headline that’s now gone viral.
The article alleges that Kobayashi, 31, paid $15,000 in a sham marriage to a man named Alan Cacace and that he was part of a plot to stage her disappearance. But Pidgeon, who has been quietly supporting Kobayashi since her return to the U.S., is having none of it. “The claim that her ‘fake husband’ was involved in planning her disappearance is completely false, unsupported by any evidence, and incredibly damaging,” she says in a statement.
Pidgeon also confirmed that Kobayashi has been living with her, though she made clear she was speaking only for herself, adding, “Right now, no one else is standing up for a girl who went through something traumatic.” Kobayashi isn’t ready to speak out just yet. Pidgeon said her niece “is going to tell her story in full when the time is right,” and she’s been staying quiet until now to protect her.
For those who forgot, Kobayashi went missing in early November after traveling from Hawaii to Los Angeles. She never boarded her connecting flight to New York, setting off a full-blown missing persons investigation. Her family sounded the alarm, thinking she was in real danger. In December, after weeks of searching and speculation, LAPD revealed that Kobayashi had voluntarily chosen to stay in California, eventually taking a bus to Mexico. She came back shortly after, but the rumors never died down.
LAPD made it clear at the time that she hadn’t done anything illegal. “She is not obligated to speak to us,” Lt. Doug Oldfield told PEOPLE then. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said, “She has a right to her privacy, and we respect her choices.” Still, the headlines kept coming, and now the Daily Mail has stirred up even more controversy with its claims about her alleged marriage arrangement.
The Kobayashi family has been under a microscope for months. During the search for her, tensions rose, and personal tragedies hit hard. Her father, Ryan, who had previously expressed a desire to reconnect with her after an estrangement, died by suicide during the ordeal. Pidgeon says he “died of a broken heart,” and that blaming Hannah for his death is not only unfair, it’s inhumane. “Ryan was loved. His passing was a tragic loss during an already devastating time,” she said.
What’s more painful, according to Pidgeon, is how public judgment has turned cruel. “Strangers, and even people we share blood with, have told us to die, accused us of staging everything, and tried to rewrite a story they were never truly part of,” she said. The attention should have ended when Kobayashi was found safe, but instead, it’s spiraled into online attacks and unverified reports.
In the wake of the disappearance, reports began surfacing that Kobayashi may have entered a marriage-for-money arrangement. But that theory has always been murky. Attorney Sara Azari, who works with Kobayashi’s mother and sister, said back in December that the family “had not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage” due to lack of verified facts. She emphasized they were still investigating, along with an investigative team.
Lt. Oldfield later told PEOPLE that LAPD wasn’t pursuing the marriage claim either, calling it a “rumor” and something “out of our jurisdiction.” So far, Kobayashi hasn’t commented publicly on the matter, and Cacace hasn’t been reachable. The Daily Mail also hasn’t responded to requests to address Pidgeon’s statement.
Recently, Kobayashi broke her silence briefly with a video on Instagram, where she thanked everyone who helped search for her during her disappearance. “Every day is such a gift, especially after such loss and pain and suffering,” she said. “We should all learn to be kind to one another.”
For her aunt, the silence ends now. “Hannah didn’t vanish for attention, fun, or to abandon anyone. She was in real danger. The situation was far more complex and serious than most people realize, and one day, that truth will be fully known.” Pidgeon says they’ve carried this burden quietly for long enough, and when Hannah is ready, the real story will come out, and it will set the record straight on all the painful and reckless lies that have been spread.
- Are Hailey and Justin Bieber Headed for a Split? - July 2, 2025
- Suge Knight Drops Shocking Tupac Murder Claims - July 1, 2025
- Kayleigh McEnany Reveals Baby Girl’s Name with Bible Verse Tribute - July 1, 2025
