'Little People, Big World' alum Audrey Roloff slams show for scripted drama and 'very controlling' contracts
The genre of reality television has gained popularity recently, and 'Little People, Big World' is no exception. This TLC program followed the Roloff family's daily struggles with being little people in a huge world. Audrey Roloff a former cast member, has come clean about the show's deceptive strategy and oppressive contracts. Audrey Roloff's experience with 'Little People, Big World' reveals the darker side of reality television. While the show is known for its heartwarming portrayal of a unique family, Audrey has exposed its deceptive tactics and controlling contracts behind the scenes.
After being a part of the cast for numerous years, Audrey and her husband Jeremy announced their decision to depart the program in July 2018. Audrey recently explained the motivations for their choice to part ways in an Instagram Q&A article. She cited the show's restrictive contracts, contrived plotlines, and demands drama as some of the key factors in their decision to leave.
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Why Audrey Roloff left 'Little People, Big World'
TV and social media are very different even though they have lots of similarities," Audrey wrote. "We also didn't like the storylines being portrayed that weren't actually true, and didn't want to raise our kids in the environment Jer grew up in with the cameras. Ultimately reality TV is all about the drama... and we didn't like the pressure to create or speak to the drama, or perform for the cameras." She added, "We also have the freedom to pursue different work opportunities that we were not able to with our tv contracts. TV contracts are crazy and very controlling. Same with filmin schedules" which indicates how controlling the contracts were, as it didn't allow the former cast member to have her individual lifestyle and the freedom to follow desired work opportunities. This in fact creates a lot of questions in our mind as to what is the true nature of reality shows.
The contracts that were made available to cast members, in Audrey's words, were "crazy and very controlling" and limited their creativity. These contracts imposed restrictions on the cast's behavior and actions and even required them to follow a predefined storyline, which led to a distorted representation of the cast members' personalities and lives. The cast's freedom was further constrained by the hard and rigid production schedules for the show.
Audrey Roloff slams 'Little People, Big World' for untrue storylines
Audrey brought up another important issue - rehearsed stories. She noted that the portrayal of events on the air often deviated from reality, and they didn't want to raise their children in an environment where cameras were constantly being used for dramatic effect. Cast members were often required to reenact sequences or film artificial interactions to fit a preconceived narrative, which was a significant problem given the pressure to create drama and perform for the cameras.
The pressure to perform for the cameras and create drama is a common theme in reality TV, and Audrey's experience on the show is no different. She explained that, "Ultimately reality tv is all about the drama... and we didn't like the pressure to create or speak to the drama, or preform for the cameras. Redoing things or filming scenes to help make the storyline make sense was so hard for me especially postpartum with a newborn... it was just the right time for us to part." She added, "And we are so thankful for what the show gave us, but also very thankful we made that decision 6 years ago." The demands of the show were too much for Audrey to handle, and she ultimately decided to prioritize her own well-being and that of her family.
Where is Audrey Roloff now?
The former reality TV star, Jeremy Roloff, has now left 'Little People, Big World' and moved on to a variety of endeavors. Jeremy co-wrote the books 'A Love Letter Life' and 'Creative Love' with his wife, Audrey. The duo has also started a podcast called 'Behind the Scenes,' in which they discuss personal details about their lives and connections. Audrey promotes goods and offers essential oils for sale. She is a social media influencer with over 1.5 million Instagram followers. Fans of the Roloffs are avidly watching their current endeavors because they appear to have found their niche in the media and business worlds. Beating 50 per cent, a website and blog run by the pair that attempts to assist couples to improve their relationships is also active. Ember, Bode, and their newest child, a boy born in November 2021, are their three children. The five-person family is currently residing in Bend, Oregon, and they are still sharing updates about their travels online.