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Not all reality TV couples are in it for the long haul. Though these TLC stars invited viewers into their homes with hit shows like Jon & Kate Plus 8, Sister Wives and more, fans were occasionally given a bit more television drama than they anticipated.
In Touch looks at all the famed TLC couples who eventually fell out of love, split and filed for divorce.
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Jon and Kate Gosselin
Known for their reality TV show Jon & Kate Plus 8 — documenting their lives with children Mady, Cara, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah and Joel — the couple announced on June 22, 2009, that they were separating amid headlines that Jon was allegedly having an affair with a schoolteacher (he denied the allegations). After their divorce was finalized in December 2009, the show that made them famous was renamed Kate Plus 8 and focused on Kate as a divorced mother raising the kids. Jon and Kate continued to make headlines regarding custody of their children as well as their relationships with the kids following their contentious breakup. “We don’t have a relationship right now,” Jon told Dr. Oz of his ex-wife in November 2019. “We don’t talk, nothing. It’s very nothing. The only time I see [Kate] is in court because we have exhausted all opportunities to coparent. It’s just never going to happen. We just have different aspects of how we want to parent.”
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Meri, Janelle, Christine and Kody Brown
Ever since TLC’s Sister Wives premiered on September 26, 2010, fans followed the intricate relationships Kody has with his four wives and 18 children. Though Kody was legally married to his first wife, Meri, and “spiritually married” to his two other wives, Janelle and Christine, when the show premiered, he eventually divorced Meri on paper and married Robyn. In November 2021, Kody and Christine announced their split after more than 25 years of marriage. Then, in December 2022, Kody and Janelle confirmed they were separated after nearly 30 years of marriage. Days later, it was revealed that Kody’s 32-year marriage with Meri had also come to an end. As of 2024, Robyn is Kody’s only remaining wife.
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Theresa and Larry Caputo
The psychic, best known for her TLC reality television series Long Island Medium, was married to her husband, Larry, for 28 years before filing for divorce. They announced their separation in December 2017 in a joint statement, explaining, “After 28 years of marriage, we have decided to legally separate. We will always love each other and our two wonderful children. We are united in supporting each other and our family. Please respect our privacy during this time.” The couple — who share children Larry Jr. and Victoria — finalized their divorce a year later, with Theresa telling People, “We will continue to support each other and remain friends.”
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Matt and Amy Roloff
Matt and Amy had been married since 1987 before their TLC show, Little People, Big World — documenting their lives with dwarfism — premiered on March 4, 2006. However, the former couple (who share children Zachary, Jeremy, Molly and Jacob) finalized their divorce in 2016 and went on to pursue other relationships. Amy married Chris Marek in August 2021, and Matt became engaged to girlfriend Caryn Chandler, a longtime employee of Roloff Farms, in April 2023. In May 2024, Matt reflected on his family’s unique journey, telling Entertainment Tonight, “Our family, we love each other…there’s been ups and downs as you can imagine but I think — all in all — I think we’ve accomplished some good things.” As of July 2024, Matt and Amy have eight grandchildren.
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TLC/YouTube
Kim and Barry Plath
After 24 years of marriage, Welcome to Plathville stars Kim and Barry shocked fans when they announced during season 4 of the TLC series that they were going their separate ways. Two years later, on June 26, 2024, Kim filed her divorce paperwork in Georgia, stating that her marriage to Barry is “irretrievably broken,” In Touch confirmed at the time. The parents of 10 — they share Ethan, Hosanna, Micah, Moriah, Lydia, Isaac, Amber, Cassia and Mercy as well as Joshua, who died in a tragic accident in 2008 — previously told People that their split was “the best choice for both of us,” adding, “We have been through many highs and lows in our 24 years of marriage and as we navigate this new chapter in our lives, we will coparent our amazing children.” In their paperwork, Kim revealed that the date of the pair’s separation was “around” December 31, 2021.
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Courtesy of Ethan Plath/Instagram
Olivia and Ethan Plath
The Welcome to Plathville stars surprised fans on season 3 when they announced they were separating after only about two years of marriage. Though they briefly reconciled, they confirmed their split in October 2023. “When we first got married, we were pretty much on the same page. Political beliefs, religious beliefs and now we’re on opposite ends of the book,” Ethan explained during an October 2023 episode. In a private confessional, the reality star confessed that he felt he and Olivia had been “drifting apart on some fundamental stuff.” In Touch confirmed the former reality TV stars initiated their divorce proceedings in Carver County, Minnesota, on February 21, 2024, stating that their official date of separation was roughly a year earlier, on February 25, 2023. The reason for their divorce was an “irretrievable breakdown” of the marriage.
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TLC/YouTube
Amy Slaton and Michael Halterman
After the 1000-Lb. Sisters star married the mill operator on March 15, 2019, Michael filed for dissolution of their marriage on March 13, 2023, according to divorce documents exclusively obtained by In Touch at the time. The two separated on February 24, 2023, per the docs, with Michael requesting that both he and Amy attend a case management conference. In addition, Michael requested that the court enter and honor a civil restraining order, preventing he and Amy from being within 500 feet of each other and their respective properties. The mother of two (they share kids Gage and Glenn) showed off her finalized divorce papers during the February 6, 2024, episode of the series. “I signed the final documents and that’s the end of an era,” Amy told her YouTube followers as she vlogged herself receiving a copy of the signed papers. “I’m ready for it to be over with.”
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TLC
Molly Hopkins and Luis Mendez
Molly and Luis got engaged only two months after they met in the Dominican Republic. The international lovers documented their first 90 days in America on season 5 of 90 Day Fiancé, which debuted in October 2017. However, the couple faced major trust issues, and Luis struggled to connect with Molly’s two daughters. Though they eventually married, Molly filed for divorce from Luis six months later in January 2018, and their divorce was finalized that May. While Luis remarried five months later, he appeared to confirm in December 2021 that he split from his second wife. “Yo no tengo esposa. Yo soy soltero,” he told fans in a since-deleted social media video, which translates to, “I don’t have a wife. I’m single.”
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TLC
Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno
Pedro and Chantel’s messy split began when the couple officially separated in April 2022. Pedro then filed for divorce one month later, claiming their marriage is “irretrievably broken,” according to court documents previously obtained by In Touch. Around that time, the 90 Day Fiancé alums were issued mutual restraining orders that prevented them “from doing or attempting to do, or threatening to do, any act that injures, maltreats, vilifies, intimidates, molests or harasses the adverse party.” Chantel later filed counterclaims accusing Pedro of “adultery” and “cruel treatment.” Fans watched Pedro and Chantel battle out the details of their split on season 5 of The Family Chantel.
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Natalie Mordovtseva and Michael Youngquist
Despite a roller-coaster romance, Mike and Natalie officially tied the knot in April 2020. However, In Touchbroke the news in March 2021 that the two had separated after one year of marriage. Mike eventually filed for the dissolution of their marriage in December 2023, and on the April 15, 2024, episode of the 90 Day: The Singe Life tell-all, Mike served Natalie with divorce papers via cast member Debbie Johnson, who acted as the legal third party. “This has been coming for years,” Mike said. “It’s not cruel on my part.” Mike told his ex that they got married on national TV, so it only made sense for them to get divorced in the same way.
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Courtesy of Deon Derrico/Instagram
Deon and Karen Derrico
The Doubling Down With the Derricos stars, who got their start on TLC with the 2020 premiere of their reality show, finalized their divorce on June 6, 2024, just two days after they filed. The TLC stars will reportedly split legal and physical custody of their 13 minor children equally (their daughter Darian was not included in the filing because she is no longer a minor). “Together, we remain unified in the parenting of our 14 beautiful children – their well-being is our priority,” the pair said in a statement after news of their divorce was revealed. “We thank everyone for their understanding and support as we move forward for the good of our family.”
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