If you’ve spent any time listening to the Scamanda podcast or watching the ABC docuseries, there’s one question that probably keeps you up at night. It’s not just about how Amanda C. Riley faked terminal cancer for seven years—it’s about the guy sitting right next to her the whole time. Did Cory Riley know about Amanda and her elaborate web of lies, or was he the ultimate victim of a master manipulator?
Honestly, the answer isn’t a simple "yes" or "no," and that’s exactly what makes this case so haunting.
The Man in the Front Row
Cory Riley wasn't just a background character in Amanda's story. He was the "rock." In her blog, Lymphoma Can Suck It, Amanda constantly praised him for being her primary support system. He was the one driving her to "appointments," sitting in waiting rooms, and supposedly holding her hand through grueling rounds of chemotherapy that we now know never actually happened.
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When people ask, "Did Cory Riley know about Amanda?" they are looking at a man who was physically present for almost every stage of the scam. He was there when she shaved her head to mimic hair loss from chemo. He was there when she claimed to be traveling to New York City for clinical trials. He even watched as she accepted over $100,000 in donations from their church, friends, and total strangers.
It’s hard for a lot of us to wrap our heads around how you could live in a small house with someone and not notice they aren't actually dying.
The Legal Side of the Story
Here is the part that gets tricky. While Amanda was sentenced to five years in federal prison for wire fraud, Cory Riley was never charged with a crime.
Law enforcement investigated him thoroughly. Detective Jose Martinez, who worked the case, has gone on record saying he felt Cory knew what was going on. However, feeling something and proving it in a court of law are two very different things. The prosecution simply couldn't find the "smoking gun" evidence—emails, texts, or bank records—that definitively linked Cory to the financial deception.
Even though his name wasn't on the bank accounts used for the scam, his life was definitely influenced by it.
The Bankruptcy and Custody Battle
One of the most damning pieces of information regarding what Cory might have known involves his legal battles outside of Amanda’s health. During a bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife, Aletta Bernal, Amanda’s "cancer" was used as a reason why Aletta shouldn't get more time with their daughter, Jessa.
Cory and Amanda argued that because of Amanda's fragile health, they needed stability. Even more staggering? Cory filed for bankruptcy twice, citing Amanda’s massive medical bills as a primary reason for his financial distress.
- He testified under oath that he attended her medical appointments.
- He used her illness as leverage in legal proceedings.
- He claimed her "debt" as his own.
If he didn't know, he was a man who was deceived to the point of financial and personal ruin. If he did know, he was an active participant in using a fake illness to win a custody war. It's a heavy thought.
Perspectives From the Family
Jessa Gonzalez, Cory’s daughter and Amanda’s former stepdaughter, has been vocal about her suspicions. On the podcast, she described her father as appearing "numb" during those years. She recalled him taking her to hospitals frequently, which she now believes was a way to "prove" to the kids and the world that Amanda was actually sick.
Jessa doesn't seem to buy the "oblivious husband" narrative. She’s expressed a lot of hurt over the fact that neither Cory nor Amanda has ever truly apologized to her for the years of emotional turmoil.
On the other hand, some supporters of the family suggest that Amanda might have been a "high-functioning" person with Munchausen syndrome (now often called Factitious Disorder). Experts like Dr. Jaime Zuckerman have pointed out that people with this disorder are incredibly adept at creating "evidence." They might take medication to induce symptoms or even perform minor self-harm to mimic medical emergencies. If Amanda was doing this, could she have fooled Cory?
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Where is Cory Riley Now?
The relationship didn't survive the fallout. In 2024, Cory Riley officially filed for divorce from Amanda while she was still behind bars. He has since moved to Texas with their two sons to start over and live a much more private life.
He hasn't given a big sit-down interview. He hasn't written a tell-all book. He’s essentially gone silent. This silence is what fuels the debate. Is he staying quiet because he’s ashamed of being so thoroughly duped, or is he staying quiet because he knows just how close he came to a prison cell next to her?
The Takeaway on the "Knowledge" Question
We may never get a definitive confession from Cory. But looking at the facts, we can see a clear pattern:
- The Proximity Factor: Living in the same house and attending the same "appointments" makes total ignorance statistically unlikely but psychologically possible in cases of extreme narcissistic manipulation.
- The Benefit Factor: Cory benefited from the scam through the custody battle and the bankruptcy filings, even if he wasn't the one clicking "withdraw" on the GoFundMe page.
- The Lack of Evidence: The FBI and the IRS are very good at what they do. If they couldn't find enough to charge him after years of looking, it means his involvement was either non-existent or incredibly well-hidden.
If you’re trying to make sense of this, start by looking at the court documents rather than the blog posts. The blogs were the fantasy; the bankruptcy filings were the reality. Understanding the financial pressure Cory was under provides a lot more context than Amanda’s flowery prose ever could.
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Pay close attention to the testimony of the investigators in the Scamanda docuseries. They lay out the timeline of when the tips started coming in and how Cory reacted when the walls finally began to close in on their "poster family" life in San Jose.
Ultimately, whether Cory was a co-conspirator or the most "gaslit" man in America, the damage to the community and his own children remains the same.
Review the case files from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California if you want to see the specific charges Amanda pleaded guilty to. It highlights the 349 individuals she defrauded—people Cory knew, spoke to, and broke bread with every Sunday at church. That's a lot of people to look in the eye if you know the truth.
Next Steps for Research:
Check out the official court records regarding Amanda C. Riley's wire fraud case (Case No. 5:20-cr-00281-BLF). These documents provide a line-by-line breakdown of the fake medical records she created, which can help you visualize exactly what Cory would have had to "miss" in their daily life. Additionally, listening to the final bonus episodes of the Scamanda podcast offers updated interviews with the investigative team regarding the divorce filings and Cory's current status.