Warning: The next put up incorporates discussions of sexual abuse and baby abuse.
TLC’s case of channel drift has changed the cable community’s academic programming with lowbrow actuality tv, and in lots of notorious circumstances, community execs received extra drama than they wished.
For greater than a decade and a half now, TLC stars have been condemned by the court docket of public opinion and by felony courts. Right here, in chronological order, are our picks for the most important controversies in TLC historical past.
2009: Members of the family of Kate and Jon Gosselin communicate out about Jon and Kate Plus 8
In Could 2009, as Jon and Kate Gosselin navigated a separation that led to the top of their marriage, Kevin and Jodi Kreider, Kate’s brother and sister-in-law, criticized them and their TLC present Jon & Kate Plus 8 in interviews with the press.
“The present shouldn’t be actuality, and has not been for a very long time,” Jodi stated on the time, per the New York Every day Information. “This can be a practice wreck.”
Added Kevin: “It has changed into an enormous moneymaking machine, and the cash has grow to be precedence primary with Kate.”
2011: Lowe’s pulls adverts from All-American Muslim
Celebrities Kal Penn and Mia Farrow and greater than 200,000 petitioners protested Lowes’ December 2011 choice to drag adverts from the TLC present All-American Muslim, in response to The Hollywood Reporter.
The house-improvement retailer chain stated its choice got here after All-American Muslim “raised issues, complaints, or points from a number of sides of the viewer spectrum,” THR beforehand reported.
However after the conservative Florida Household Affiliation urged its supporters to e-mail advertisers on the present, a Lowes consultant emailed the group, saying, “Whereas we proceed to promote on numerous cable networks, together with TLC, there are particular packages that don’t meet Lowes’ promoting tips, together with the present you dropped at our consideration. Lowe’s will not be promoting on that program.”
In a tweet on the time, Lowes claimed it “didn’t pull our adverts based mostly solely on the complaints or emails of anyone group” and that the corporate “values variety of thought in everybody.”
2011: Problematic docuseries My Massive Fats Gypsy Marriage ceremony premieres
In June 2011, TLC began airing My Massive Fats Gypsy Marriage ceremony, which instantly sparked backlash. The New Republic’s Seyward Darby dinged the present for its “voyeuristic, stereotypical, judgmental, and shallow depiction of one of many world’s most misunderstood and, at instances, abused minorities” and its “simplistic view of the cultures of Travellers and Roma — two distinct teams, although the present fortunately conflates them into one class.”
The present began its life because the docuseries Massive Fats Gypsy Weddings in the UK, the place it confronted different critiques. Academic marketing consultant Brian Foster, chair of the Advisory Council for the Schooling of Romanies and Different Travellers, stated in October 2012, the present had triggered “actual, measurable, and long-term hurt” and blamed it for a rise in bullying and damaging stereotyping of Romani folks, per The Guardian.
2011–12: Toddlers & Tiaras costumes spark outrage
A September 2011 episode of the TLC present Toddlers & Tiaras appalled viewers when the mom of 3-year-old magnificence pageant contestant Paisley dressed the lady like Julia Roberts’ intercourse employee character in Fairly Girl. “When are we going to cease sexualizing our kids?” Sherri Shepherd requested on The View on the time, per ABC Information.
Then, in an August 2012 episode, the mom of 4-year-old Future dressed her up just like the greaser model of Sandy Olsson from Grease, even giving her daughter a cigarette to faux to smoke. “Future has a cigarette!” a decide on the present exclaimed, per At present. “What’s [her mom] considering?!”
2012: Cake Boss costar Remy Gonzalez is convicted of sexual assault of a minor
In August 2010, police arrested Cake Boss character Remy Gonzalez — onetime brother-in-law of star baker Buddy Valastro — and charged him with sexually assaulting a minor, in response to the Related Press.
The next June, Gonzalez pleaded responsible, and in Could 2012, he was sentenced to 9 years in state jail for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old lady, in response to NJ Advance Media.
2012: Breaking Amish is accused of fakery
TLC needed to go on the defensive in September 2012 amid accusations that the Amish and Mennonite individuals of the docuseries Breaking Amish had, actually, ventured out of their communities earlier than and that some had even gotten married and had youngsters.
“There’s lots of info floating round in regards to the group featured on Breaking Amish,” the community stated in an announcement, per The Hollywood Reporter. “A lot of it’s not true, however a few of it’s — and is addressed in upcoming episodes.”
Breaking Amish’s reunion specials that November did tackle the hypothesis however solely in circumspect phrases, per Deadline. “[Viewers] can imagine no matter they need, but when they need to know, they’ll watch the present,” solid member Rebecca stated about her and her costars’ lives. “I don’t give a [bleep] what anyone thinks.”
2015: Josh Duggar’s previous acts of molestation come to mild
In Could 2015, In Contact Weekly reported that 19 Youngsters and Counting star Josh Duggar had been investigated for sexually molesting minors years prior. The outlet additionally reported that Josh had confessed his acts to Jim Bob Duggar, his father, had that Jim Bob waited greater than a yr after that confession earlier than notifying police.
“Twelve years in the past, as a younger teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I’m extraordinarily sorry and deeply remorse. I damage others, together with my household and shut associates,” Josh Duggar stated on Fb after the scandal broke, perCNN. “I confessed this to my dad and mom, who took a number of steps to assist me tackle the state of affairs. We spoke with the authorities, the place I confessed my wrongdoing, and my dad and mom organized for me and people affected by my actions to obtain counseling.”
Jim Bob and spouse Michelle Duggar later stated in a Fox Information interview that 4 of the 5 women Josh molested had been his sisters, per The New York Instances. TLC canceled 19 Youngsters and Counting that summer season.
2015: TLC angers viewers with its collection My Husband’s Not Homosexual
The January 2015 premiere of the TLC actuality present My Husband’s Not Homosexual, which adopted heterosexual Mormon {couples} through which the person of the couple had same-sex attraction, turned a lightning rod for the community. Greater than 132,000 folks signed a Change.org petition saying the present “promotes the false and harmful concept that homosexual folks can and may select to be straight in an effort to be a part of their religion communities” and calling for TLC to cancel the present.
“This present is downright irresponsible,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis stated in an announcement to The Hollywood Reporter on the time. “Nobody can change who they love, and, extra importantly, nobody ought to must. By investing on this harmful programming, TLC is placing numerous younger LGBT folks in hurt’s method.”
2017: Toby Willis pleads responsible to baby rape
In July 2017, Toby Willis, the patriarch of a musical household that rose to fame on America’s Obtained Expertise after which starred within the TLC actuality present The Willis Household, pleaded responsible to 4 counts of kid rape and was sentenced to 40 years in jail, as Folks reported on the time. TLC had canceled the present two years prior and earlier than his arrest, the journal added.
“Though the felony case has concluded with Toby Willis receiving 40 years for the crimes he dedicated, the affect on the victims will stay for much longer,” the opposite Willis members of the family stated as a part of a public assertion on the time, per The Tennessean. “The household is appreciative and grateful that folks have revered their want for privateness throughout this making an attempt time and asks for continued respect as they search to maneuver ahead.”
2017: Derick Dillard posts transphobic tweets about Jazz Jennings
In August 2017, 19 Youngsters and Counting character Derick Dillard tweeted transphobic statements about one other TLC actuality star, I Am Jazz’s Jazz Jennings. He known as Jennings’ present “a ‘actuality’ present which follows a non-reality” and claimed that “‘transgender’ is a delusion,’” CNN reported.
Then, after one other Twitter person confronted him about his beliefs, Dillard stated he “[had] nothing in opposition to” Jennings as he mispronouned the then-teenager.
Jennings appeared to reference Dillard’s posts in a Twitter put up of her personal, writing, “Day by day I expertise cyber-bullying, however I maintain sharing my story. At present was no completely different.”
2020: Jacob Roloff says he was abused by a Little Folks, Massive World producer
In a December 2020 Instagram put up, Little Folks, Massive World star Jacob Roloff stated that he was groomed and molested as a toddler by an govt subject producer on the present.
“I don’t anticipate to supply particulars of this encounter at any level publicly,” Roloff wrote in his put up, partially. “I do hope he’s by no means allowed round youngsters once more. … I select to reveal it now, because it stays a traumatic reminiscence that must be exorcised of any additional energy of my improvement.”
In an announcement to Folks on the time, TLC stated, “TLC was simply knowledgeable about an alleged encounter that occurred years in the past involving a 3rd occasion related to the manufacturing of Little Folks, Massive World. We’re saddened and troubled by this very critical allegation, and TLC will work cooperatively with the authorities. Our principal focus stays on supporting the Roloff household throughout this very tough time.”
2021: Josh Duggar is convicted of possession of kid pornography
After Josh Duggar’s molestation scandal, TLC debuted a brand new spinoff along with his siblings titled Counting On. However even that present received the axe in June 2021 after Duggar was arrested on federal costs of downloading and possessing baby pornography, per the Los Angeles Instances.
That December, a federal jury convicted Duggar of receiving and possessing materials depicting minors engaged in sexually express conduct, and in Could 2022, he was sentenced to 151 months in jail, because the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace of Western District of Arkansas stated in a press launch on the time.
2021: 90 Day Fiancé: Earlier than the 90 Days star Geoffrey Paschel is convicted of kidnapping and assault
Geoffrey Paschel, one of many topics of 90 Day Fiancé: Earlier than the 90 Days Season 4, was convicted of kidnapping and assaulting his ex-fiancée in October 2021 and sentenced to 18 years in jail the next February, in response to Folks. Viewers had petitioned TLC to take away Paschel from its programming in a March 2020 petition, citing the continuing and previous allegations in opposition to him.
Should you or somebody you understand is the sufferer of sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest Nationwide Community’s Nationwide Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Should you or a cherished one are in instant hazard, name 911.
Should you or somebody you understand is the sufferer of kid abuse, contact the Childhelp Nationwide Youngster Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Youngster (1-800-422-4453). Should you or a cherished one are in instant hazard, name 911.