Celebrity Influencer Steps In With $8,000 Reward Boost to Help Locate Missing Rutgers Senior

The search for a missing Rutgers University student has made headlines after a prominent influencer and wife of country music singer Jelly Roll donated to the investigation. The donation has given the missing student’s family hope after months of publicizing his case and searching for answers.

Rutgers University senior Mortimer “Mekhai” Wortman, 22, has been missing since late November 2025. Authorities say he was last spotted on security footage on November 21, 2025. The footage shows him in a Regional Day School parking lot near the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in Jackson, New Jersey. Investigators and family members have been working hard to find him since that day.

Bunnie Xo, a social media star and podcast host, donated $8,000 to bolster the reward for Wortman’s location as the hunt approached its third month. Her gift boosted the prize to $10,000. Jackson Township officials offered a $2,000 prize last month to anyone with information regarding the case.

Wortman’s family met the influencer unexpectedly. Wortman’s mother, Johanna Reyes, and her friend Selena Tevis attended a “The Kelly Clarkson Show” taping in New York City to raise awareness of the disappearance. Wortman-branded shirts and pamphlets were distributed to the audience.

The program also included Bunnie Xo, who promoted her memoir “Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic,” on February 25. Tevis said she spotted an opportunity to promote Wortman’s case during filming. She called for aid from behind security during a commercial break.

Tevis requested help for the family and briefly discussed the missing pupil scenario. Bunnie Xo expressed concern and requested that she submit the facts via social media direct messaging, according to her story. Reyes and Tevis were taken away by security following the incident, but the message had reached its destination.

Response was prompt. Reyes later reported Bunnie Xo responded minutes later and offered $8,000 to augment the search reward amount. The family was surprised but it brought attention to a case they continue to fight for.

The gesture was unexpected and very appreciated, Reyes added. She said the family hopes the higher reward may prompt someone with information to assist find her son. The family continues to search for Wortman and bring him home after months.

Beyond her financial assistance, the influencer has raised awareness of the case through her podcast, “Dumb Blonde Podcast,” and social media posts. A sweatsuit with her logo was auctioned at a fundraiser for the search.

Wortman’s relatives and friends have searched nonstop since his disappearance. They seek new leads and follow every suggestion. Reyes thinks her kid will be discovered despite the uncertainties and long months of waiting.

She stated her faith kept her hopeful and strong during the hard times. Reyes believes law enforcement is investigating the case and following all evidence.

Along with local investigators, the family has joined with the Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons. The Wilmington, North Carolina-based nonprofit helps missing persons families and provides search and awareness resources.

The increased prize encourages anyone who saw or knew about Wortman’s disappearance. Police invite the public to contribute any information that could assist investigators identify what happened.

Over three months after his disappearance, the case continues. Family members search daily, hoping for new suggestions and rewards to uncover long-awaited answers.

Reyes and Wortman’s loved ones want to find and return him.