Women sue man, say he faked cancer and coerced abortions during relationships

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group of seven women, from different states, came together to file a lawsuit on Oct. 16 in Travis County District Court against one man, alleging he systematically deceived each of them by falsely claiming to have cancer.

"During the period concerning this Petition, Defendant alleged he was given, on two separate occasions, a fatal diagnosis with three months to live. Defendant has, at various times, falsely claimed to have the following cancer diagnoses: bone, brain, ocular, spinal, stomach, and lung," the lawsuit states.

The defendant, Matthew Richard Hecht, told KXAN via email that he has yet to hire legal counsel, but "fully intend[s] to defend [himself] vigorously against these allegations."

"Because I am in recovery, I want to make sure I admit my wrongs were made and help clarify where there might be some misleading [claims]," Hecht said. "There are things that are false, exaggerations, or just emotions as a result of the hurt I caused."

Hecht told KXAN that he is a recovering alcohol and drug addict, but is in rehab and a sober living facility.

"I am trying to make amends for my wrongs, my lies and my deceit, part of that is taking ownership of the things I have done," Hecht said. "Such as some of these accusations, I will take ownership of the things I have done (truthful accusations) and for those that are false I will defend."

KXAN will report on Hecht's legal response when it is filed.

In his email, Hecht told KXAN that his cancer diagnoses were "a lie I told."

'A pattern of deceptive and manipulative behavior'

Patrick Wallen, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told KXAN that Hecht's behavior seems to have followed a "playbook."

"He was able to convince them, each as a master manipulator, that he had cancer, and then he used that diagnosis to get his tentacles in their lives, to build a relationship with them, a physical relationship, emotional relationship. And he started to abuse that," Wallen said.

One of the plaintiffs describes in the lawsuit how she met Hecht on a dating app in 2021.

"She was drawn to [Hecht], who appeared to be a stark contrast to other men she had met post-divorce," the lawsuit states. "His role as a father, his sobriety, and his passion for his work and frequent travel, which he suggested would allow for visits to her and shared trips, made her optimistic about a long-term relationship."

She said he flew her out to Denver, Colorado, where he claimed to be working, and romanced her over a few days. He allegedly drove her around the city, showing her real estate properties he had connections to, including a home he was set to close on. After three days, he allegedly told her how he wanted to marry her.

"She felt early on that the feelings they were developing for one another were rare and meaningful," the lawsuit states.

She went home and they continued a long-distance relationship. But when she visited him in June 2021, things had changed -- he "became short-tempered" and told her it was due to an upcoming oncologist appointment.

"Though she was an empathetic and compassionate person, questioning his behavior or motives during this trying time appeared to her to be treated almost criminally, as though her natural curiosities were wrongful," the lawsuit states.

In July, he allegedly told her that his cancer had returned. She said she felt called to care for him and pledged her full support.

"Defendant relied on the fact that, upon learning of his purported life-threatening, late-stage cancer, a normal and caring person would make Defendant a priority in their life," the lawsuit states.

Hecht said this wasn't his intent.

"My cross-addictions and addictive behaviors—like lying—were used to garner sympathy and attention. It was never about making myself a priority; that allegation is false," he said.

Regardless of intent, that support drained her finances and deteriorated her well-being, according to the lawsuit. When she attempted to address things with Hecht, he "abruptly ended the relationship."

"The following morning, [she] noticed that Defendant had blocked her from seeing his social media accounts, as is consistent with [his] scheme," the lawsuit states. "Shocked by this unceremonious ending...[she] struggled to comprehend the abrupt conclusion to what she believed was a deep and meaningful connection that once warranted lofty discussions about marriage and a life together."

'To deepen the depravity'

The allegations against Hecht also include claims of sexual assault by deception and coerced abortions, according to the lawsuit. It claims Hecht told some of the women that chemotherapy had made him infertile and that they didn't need to continue using birth control, which he allegedly said could cause cancer.

Two of those women became pregnant following sex with Hecht, despite the claim. They said that he told them it was a miracle, Wallen said.

"[Hecht] feigned both amazement and fear: he was amazed that, even after chemotherapy, the conception occurred, and he was fearful that the chemotherapy would cause serious birth defects," the lawsuit said. "To deepen the depravity, he then convinced these women to get abortions and promised to pay for them, lest they give birth to a child plagued by terrible, chemo-induced deformities."

Hecht told KXAN that one of the women had "stopped using birth control without his knowledge" and claimed that the other stopped because of side effects.

"I never asked or convinced her to take it," he said (in part) about the latter woman. "She chose to stop taking birth control because it made her feel horrible and caused various issues. I told her it was up to her to decide, but at no point did I ever convince or suggest not taking birth control due to infertility."

The women got abortions, worried about the impact of cancer treatments on their child, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims Hecht never paid them back; he denied this and said that he covered expenses for both.

"No matter where you stand on abortion, what this man did to these women is horrible and awful," Wallen said. "He then intentionally impregnated these women because he knew that they got off birth control. He convinced these women to have abortions, effectively stripping them of that decision, that they should have been able to make with the right information."

Ex-wife, birth mother

Not all of the plaintiffs had romantic relationships -- one is Hecht's birth mother, who gave Hecht up for adoption when she was 15. She said that Hecht contacted her after he had allegedly used a DNA ancestry testing service. But her hope to reconnect with him was preyed on, the lawsuit claims.

"[He] knew that he could exploit [her] long-held guilt and her maternal instincts. Defendant reminded [her] of the blanket she gave him all those years ago," the lawsuit states. "Yet...during the first conversation on the first day together, [Hecht] revealed to [her] that he was terminally ill with cancer and required funds to survive."

The plaintiffs range in life circumstances and wealth, but his birth mother is a "woman of modest means." She gave him several hundred dollars, per the lawsuit. But Hecht's alleged "greed and appetite for coercion" led him to "increase his demand for support," the lawsuit states.

Hecht confirmed to KXAN that the "family plaintiff" is his birth mother.

Another plaintiff is an ex-wife of Hecht's, who said in the lawsuit that he claimed "serious medical reasons" as why he couldn't pay child support to his two kids.

He said that he does owe unpaid child support. According to the lawsuit, his ex-wife was left with his credit card and student loan debts, causing her to file for bankruptcy. She said she is still paying off his student loan debts.

"Following the dissolution of [her] marriage with Defendant, and likely in an effort to avoid continual child support, Defendant contacted [her] in 2018 to inform her that his cancer had spread throughout his spine and he was to die in approximately three months," the lawsuit states.

Hecht had concocted a "slanderous" story about his ex-wife's infidelity, according to the lawsuit.

"This unfounded defamation aside, [her] story transcends any personal grievances she bears against the Defendant. These acts of financial sabotage, sheltered under Defendant’s claims of cancer, have not only strained her ability to provide for her children but also significantly hindered her capacity to invest in their future," the lawsuit states.

Allegedly, he told that story to the other plaintiffs to garner further sympathy with them. Hecht said he believes there had been infidelity, but admitted to KXAN that those stories were false.

"Although I don't have concrete proof, some events that occurred after we split seem too convenient and don't make much sense," Hecht said. "The stories I told the plaintiffs are false, but I do think my ex-wife was up to something at the end of our marriage."

'Widespread' manipulation

Over the years, the plaintiffs connected with each other, sharing the truth and comparing their stories.

"This is a story of these victims...banding together and regaining their autonomy and regaining their dignity. It's about female empowerment, and it's about bringing justice to a man that has used every resource in his in his arsenal to control and manipulate women," Wallen said.

According to the lawsuit, Hecht went to great lengths to sell his "cancer" to the women. It claims that he allegedly created a fake chemotherapy port on his chest, would pretend to be doctors in emails and text messages to victims, used expensive makeup to create a chemotherapy patient's pallor and shaved his eyebrows.

Hecht told KXAN that he never received treatment for cancer, and didn't recall "pretending" to be medical professionals.

The deception described in the lawsuit includes multiple, at some points simultaneous, relationships with the victims.

"Technology has equipped him with the ability to take that manipulation and to make it widespread," he said. "He was able to use dating apps to efficiently contact people in other areas. As a 'consultant,' he could justify long absences by having to travel to meet with clients. When he did that, he used these dating apps to target more victims."

Wallen said he hopes that dating applications see this case as a reason to create more robust protections for their users.

The women are asking in their lawsuit for at least $1 million in damages, but expressed hopes for the court to "effectively deprive" the defendant of "any financial benefit that might otherwise accrue to him as a result of his cruel frauds." They also asked the court to declare that Hecht never had cancer and to grant his royalty rights to the plaintiffs.

"This was not just about squeezing the amount of money he can out of people and out of communities. This was about the satisfaction he got from exercising control over their minds and of their bodies," Wallen said.