The Truth About Welcome To Plathville's Olivia And Ethan's Marriage Struggles
The TLC show "Welcome to Plathville" features a family of two parents and their nine children. The family lives in rural Georgia and upholds many conservative Christian values that lead to the children living an insular life. Eldest of the Plath children, Ethan Plath, is in his 20s and is currently living on his own with his wife, Olivia Plath.
In an interview with YouTuber Katie Joy of Without a Crystal Ball, Olivia opened up about how she and Ethan met and began dating. Olivia and Ethan share similar backgrounds in that Olivia is also part of a large family; she is the fourth of 10 children. Also devoted Christians, Olivia's family decided to attend the same Christian family summer camp as the Plaths in 2014. It wasn't love at first sight, as Ethan was younger than Olivia and she felt he was more interested in her than she was in him. However, with a little help from meddling matchmakers (aka, Ethan's parents), Olivia began spending more time around the Plath family and her bond with Ethan deepened over time.
Ethan proposed in November 2017 and the couple wed in October 2018, per The Sun. Unfortunately, Ethan and Olivia have learned that married life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Keep reading to learn more about their marriage struggles over the years.
Ethan's ongoing feud with his parents has put strain on the marriage
Fans learned ahead of Season 2 of "Welcome to Plathville" that Ethan and Olivia Plath had moved into their own place, although still close by the rest of the family, and had broken off contact with Ethan's parents, as reported by People.
In one episode of the season, Ethan hinted about the family drama. "Since last year, a lot has happened in our relationship between me and Olivia and my parents and my siblings," he said. "During last year, we were allowed to see the kids some, and then last fall, everything just completely changed and we were not allowed to see the kids at all," Olivia added. This was incredibly hurtful to Ethan, who felt that he should have been allowed to visit his siblings without supervision. Ultimately, the couple felt they needed space and were unable to accomplish this without breaking off all contact with his parents.
The problems with Ethan's family go back to when the couple first got engaged, according to Us Weekly. Olivia reported feeling that Ethan's mom, Kim, was being overly controlling with wedding preparations. She even went so far as to post the couple's engagement online before Olivia had a chance to tell her own parents. The interference from Ethan's parents extended into other parts of the couple's life, which created tension in their marriage.
The strain on Ethan and Olivia's marriage has only grown worse
Over the nearly three years that Olivia and Ethan Plath have been married, tension has formed cracks in their relationship, causing them to disagree in front of the cameras. In one episode of the third season, which aired on September 14, Ethan and Olivia argued over the possibility of moving away from the countryside to a bigger city, as reported by The Sun. Olivia has been pushing the move, stating it's what's best for her, but Ethan isn't on board. In the episode, Ethan admitted, "Stuff between Olivia and I, it's been a little bit difficult," adding, "I would do anything to make my marriage my work. But sometimes ... you wonder if it's in your power to make it work."
Olivia reiterated in a tense conversation with her husband that she wanted more than rural life had to offer, to which Ethan replied that she wasn't the same person he married. His wife expressed her concern that they got married too young and wanted different things. "I think we're growing apart," she said. She repeated this same idea to Ethan's sister, Moriah, in an earlier episode of Season 3, confiding in her that the couple wasn't doing great and adding that she felt the relationship wasn't equal. As the season progresses, fans are anxious to see if the young couple will be able to resolve their differences or if divorce may be in their future.