Olivia Plath Reflects on Her Divorce and Losing Her Younger Brother ‘Tragically’ in Emotional 2023 Recap
The reality star said that this past year "provided time for grief and also gave me room to gain confidence"
Olivia Plath/Instagram
Olivia Plath is looking back at 2023.
The Welcome to Plathville star, 25, reflected on the ups and downs of the past year, including losing 15-year-old brother Micah Meggs and her divorce from Ethan Plath, in an emotional Instagram post shared ahead of 2024.
“2023 was quite a year,” Olivia wrote. “A while ago I wasn’t sure how this year was going to feel in retrospect because getting divorced, losing a younger brother tragically and questioning everything you know while starting over in life is a lot to have happen in a short time.”
“But the honest truth is that I’m so so thankful for this year. It challenged me, it shook me, it provided time for grief and also gave me room to gain confidence,” she continued.
Olivia then thanked all of the “people and animals” — hinting at her pet hedgehog that she rehomed earlier this year — saying they were “sincerely the best parts of my year." She also noted that while she felt like she “grew up this year," she also “gained back some youth and child-like wonder and joy.”
“My mind questioned … a lot. And despite everything, or maybe because of everything, my soul feels so vibrant, curious, serene and at home with herself. 🫂,” Olivia continued.
“These photos might not seem super glamorous, but they were all moments that breathed life into me. So ready for 2024 because no matter what happens, it’s going to be the best year yet. 🥹🩵,” she concluded the post.
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One of the biggest struggles Olivia has had to overcome this year was the dissolution of her marriage with Ethan, 25. The pair, who wed in October 2018 when both were just 20 years old, had been struggling to see eye-to-eye on several important matters and publicly announced their separation in October.
During the finale of TLC's Welcome to Plathville that aired earlier this month, Olivia and Ethan talked over whether their marriage should continue and came to the conclusion that it should end.
Related: Ethan Plath Chooses to End His Marriage to Olivia in Tear-Filled Welcome to Plathville Season Finale
"One of the biggest things that could be done on your end to try to make this work would be to go back and try to mend your relationships with your family and try to get back to some of the roots and values that were instilled in you and how you grew up," Ethan told Olivia, who grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home and has been speaking out about her negative experiences in recent years.
"I feel like I have to draw a line in the sand and say this is the absolute limit where my personal beliefs will let me go with where you are now… There's just things I'm not okay with the children that I raise growing up to think and believe. It's a matter of principle to me," he later added.
"I'm the kid of two people whose principles matter more than a relationship with their daughter, and I will be damned if I repeat that,” a tearful Olivia replied on the show. “So yeah, it hurts that I feel like I've been committed to this relationship, and I do feel that you've made the choice for us to not be together. But I support the choice, and I do think that that's the right move for what we both want our futures to look like."
"I love you as a person," she added. "I think we're not the right romantic partners for each other, but I still love you and I still want the best for you. No one can say we didn't give it a shot."
Earlier in the year, Olivia also struggled with losing her brother, who was struck by a car while riding an electric bike in Franklin County, Virginia, in May, according to local news outlet The Roanoke Times.
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