Everything You Need to Know About 'Welcome to Plathville' Star Ethan Plath
Ethan Plath came onto our screens as the lovable oldest son of the Plath family on TLC's newest show Welcome to Plathville. Ethan captured audiences' attention as the first child to move out and go against many of his parents ultra-conservative rules. We got to see Ethan try many things for the first time on Welcome to Plathville, including drinking soda, going to the gym, and even ordering a beer in front of his alcohol-free parents.
Ethan has certainly led an incredibly interesting and unusual life thus far, so here's everything we know about it.
Ethan grew up extremely sheltered.
Ethan's parents, Barry and Kim, chose to raise their children in an ultra-conservative Christian fundamentalist household on their 55-acre farm in rural southern Georgia. Ethan and his siblings were (and some still are) homeschooled with little access to technology, no TV, and a diet free from processed sugar. (This means no ice cream or soda!)
Additionally, the only holiday the Plath kids celebrate are their birthdays: the family don't celebrate Christmas, Easter, Halloween, or any other holiday for undisclosed (but assumedly religious) reasons. Ethan's parents encourage their children to dress modestly and avoid getting physical with someone they dating (including even a kiss) until they're married.
A post shared by Ethan Plath (@ethan.plath) on Sep 21, 2019 at 7:50am PDT
Ethan loves old cars.
Ethan's always had an interest in old cars, and would buy and repair them as a teenage. He's put together a collection of them over the years and ended up selling his first-ever car, and most prized possession, a 1950 Chevrolet Fleetline, to buy an engagement ring for his then-girlfriend Olivia. But, as Olivia later shared on her Instagram stories, she was able to secretly buy the car back for Ethan as a birthday present.
Ethan married Olivia, who introduced him to more "worldly" ideas
In 2018, Ethan married Olivia, his girlfriend of four years, in a ceremony at his family's farm. Ever since, Olivia, who lived much more liberally than her husband, has been exposing him to the world, giving him his first can of Coke, sip of alcohol, and sugary dessert. On and episode of Welcome to Plathville, Ethan said that Olivia has been introducing him to many of the TV shows and movies that he missed out on growing up, with Friends being one of his favorites so far.
This picture was taken right after we broke down in my 1950 Chevrolet Fleetline. Good times. 😊
A post shared by Ethan Plath (@ethan.plath) on Mar 19, 2019 at 9:01pm PDT
He has a tumultuous relationship with his parents.
According to an Instagram comment from Olivia, Kim and Barry had entirely cut Ethan off from his siblings prior to filming Welcome to Plathville. In an attempt to get him to agree to do the show, they told him they would allow him to see his siblings again if he filmed the series.
In an interview with Youtube channel Without A Crystal Ball, Olivia said Kim and Barry genuinely believe that Olivia is possessed with evil spirits and has corrupted Ethan, and they don't want the same thing to happen to their younger children. It might seem like a strange reason to the average person, but there is plenty about the show that has audiences puzzled.
In the same interview, Ethan called his mother "selfish" and "stubborn" and said she "doesn't look out for anyone but herself." Ethan has also called out his parents for not being authentic on the show. In one Instagram comment, he says they are acting more liberally than they normally would — something he attributes to cameras being present.
The first season of Welcome to Plathville can be streamed on the TLC website.
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