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Juan Cloubri is Graham Hornigold’s longtime friend and fellow pastry professional, who helped reveal the truth in Con Mum, Netflix’s latest true-crime documentary. It retraces the real-life story of Graham Hornigold, who was reportedly conned out of nearly £300,000 after being contacted by Dionne, a woman claiming to be his biological mother. While the focus remains on Dionne, the documentary also highlights Cloubri’s intervention.
As reported by Moviedelic on March 25, 2025, Cloubri grew suspicious after meeting Dionne in Zurich and noticing her extravagant lifestyle, followed by a personal request for money under the guise of inaccessible international funds. Despite her claims of terminal illness and royal lineage, Cloubri sensed inconsistencies and later alerted Graham’s partner, who confirmed Dionne’s financial manipulation.
As per The Sun, March 24, 2025, Cloubri’s warning helped Hornigold break away from the deception. Today, Juan Cloubri continues to work in the pastry industry while maintaining his base in Zurich, where he has transitioned into consulting and app development.
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In 2014, Juan Cloubri joined the Hakkasan Group as Pastry Sous Chef, where he first met Executive Pastry Chef Graham Hornigold
Juan Cloubri, now an established name in the international pastry scene, first met Graham Hornigold in 2014 while working as Pastry Sous Chef at Hakkasan Group. Cloubri’s skill and leadership quickly made an impression, and within two years, he was promoted to Head Pastry Chef at HKK London.
Eventually, he took over as Executive Pastry Chef for Hakkasan’s Asian Luxury Market in the US. His journey from Buenos Aires to becoming an acclaimed pastry consultant underscores the dedication that shaped both his culinary career and his personal values.
It was these very values that played a pivotal role during the events that unfolded in Netflix’s Con Mum, a documentary exploring the financial and emotional fallout faced by Graham Hornigold after reconnecting with a woman claiming to be his biological mother, Dionne Marie Hanna.
Juan Cloubri noticed early red flags
By late 2020, Juan Cloubri was based in Zurich, serving as Head Pastry Chef at the Chocolate Academy. When he received a call from Hornigold, his former colleague and friend, informing him that he and his mother were in the city, Cloubri went to meet them.
According to Moviedelic, he quickly observed signs of excess. Dionne and Graham were staying in one of the city’s most expensive hotels and spending heavily on wine, food, and accommodations.
At the time, Graham believed Dionne’s claims that she was the illegitimate daughter of the former Sultan of Brunei and a wealthy businesswoman. She told him she had three types of terminal cancer, which was why she wanted to pass on her fortune. Juan Cloubri was also informed that Dionne planned to leave him an inheritance worth €3.5 million and potentially buy him a luxury home in Zurich.
However, when he declined the property, citing maintenance costs and practicality, Dionne raised the offer to €7 million. She then privately asked Cloubri for cash, claiming her international accounts were frozen due to COVID restrictions. She also insisted he not tell Graham.
Graham’s partner, Heather Kaniuk, later reached out to Cloubri, concerned about Graham’s growing debt. Cloubri confirmed Kaniuk’s suspicions and helped Graham confront the reality of his situation.
Dionne’s story begins to fall apart
Dionne’s initial contact with Graham was in July 2020. As per Marie Claire, March 26, 2025, she identified herself as his mother and claimed to be dying, prompting Graham to let her into his life. Her extravagant lifestyle and gestures, like gifting him a £75,000 Land Rover and designer items, appeared to validate her claims.
However, things began to shift. According to Glamour, on March 26, 2025, Graham and Dionne traveled to Zurich to finalize paperwork with a private banker who required a minimum balance of €20 million. During this extended stay, Dionne allegedly asked Graham to pay various bills under the pretext that she couldn’t access her funds. These payments eventually accumulated to around £300,000.
As The Sun reported on March 24, 2025, Graham funded much of Dionne’s spending using his credit cards, believing he would be reimbursed. Meanwhile, Dionne privately requested money from Juan Cloubri, but he refused to comply. Cloubri’s skepticism was later validated when Graham discovered red food dye among Dionne’s belongings, which was used to fake symptoms of illness.
Where is Juan Cloubri now?
Following the events of Con Mum, Juan Cloubri continues to reside in Zurich and has transitioned into an international pastry and gelato consultant. His professional focus now includes consulting, workshops, and courses through the Chocolate Academy Center. He also launched Gelart, an app specializing in gelato formulation, as per his Instagram.
His Linktree and Instagram highlight active collaborations with So Cool and Arte Heladero magazines and appearances as a judge on RSI’s La Sfida del Gelato.
As of 2025, Juan Cloubri maintains a strong presence in the global pastry community. Despite the discomfort of having to intervene in a friend’s personal distressing situation, Cloubri’s foresight and honesty helped prevent Graham Hornigold from falling deeper into financial ruin.
Con Mum is available to watch on Netflix.
