From cheating scandals to shielding dark secrets: Top 10 controversies that put TLC in the hot seat
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Despite being one of the most popular networks in the era of reality television, TLC has experienced its share of scandals. Many of the network’s high-profile franchises have seen cast members and crew members facing legal troubles or conflicts with the network. These controversies often remain hidden for extended periods, only to erupt spectacularly when they finally come to light. This is one of the harsh realities of the reality TV era.
Scandals never go away, and occasionally, the network bears the brunt of the fallout. When dealing with controversies involving the Duggars or the Gosselins, for example, TLC undoubtedly found itself in a difficult position. Even though series have been canceled and individuals have been fired, the network manages to weather each storm and continue to churn out new drama. However, a few controversies involving cast and crew from other TLC series have come close to bringing the network to its knees.
Statler Riley breaks NDA to call out scripted cheating scandal on '90 Day Fiance'
'90 Day Fiance's Statler Riley has recently become vocal in her criticism of TLC. On her Instagram stories, she has claimed that cast members are merely puppets, with the production team pulling the strings as the true masters.
Statler has also alleged that much of the show is staged. She previously accused Dempsey Wilkinson of cheating on her with a producer, but later claimed that this was a fabrication orchestrated by the producers. Additionally, Statler has asserted that the program is scripted.
Statler has claimed that the several arguments between her and Dempsey were caused by producers. She has stated that she will not participate in any future projects with the franchise unless it is a documentary revealing the deceptive practices of the creators.
Jon Gosselin calls out TLC for filming his children for 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' despite legal documents denying so
Jon and Kate Gosselin appeared on the reality show 'Jon & Kate Plus 8', which documented the challenges and joys of raising a large family. The Gosselins have eight children, including sextuplets who were toddlers when the program premiered in 2007. The couple's divorce was featured on the show in 2009, but the drama continued beyond that. Jon Gosselin's conflicts with his ex-wife and with TLC persisted well after the split.
Following the divorce, Jon attempted to remove his children from reality TV entirely, claiming that it was detrimental to them. In 2019, he slammed TLC for filming the children despite court paperwork prohibiting them from doing so.
"The judge and the guardian ad litem both agreed that it wasn't in my children's best interests to be filmed, but my ex-wife and TLC had other ideas," Jon said to the Daily Mail. "They put profits and ratings ahead of the well-being of my children and filmed illegally without work permits ... I'm furious. Absolutely furious."
Jay Smith accuses TLC of using bribes to film dramatic moments on '90 Day Fiancé'
Jay Smith was introduced to viewers during the sixth season of '90 Day Fiancé'. The Jamaican tattoo artist and his American partner, Ashley Martson, met while she was vacationing in Jamaica.
A relationship formed, and Jay quickly followed Ashley to the United States. However, trouble emerged swiftly—just days after their wedding, Jay was discovered using a dating app to talk with other women.
Although their plot revolved around Jay's infidelity, the reality star said it was all fake. Jay told In Touch, "I feel like the show portrayed my relationship as a very toxic relationship, like I'm the bad person, but [no] it wasn't [accurate]."
Ashley discovered Jay had cheated on her in a barbershop toilet, and the couple's relationship came to an end. According to TLC, the barbershop owner spilled the beans.
Jay acknowledged the relationship but claimed TLC bribed the shop owner and his friend to tape the dramatic scene. "To my knowledge, they got paid to do that," the reality star stated. "They got paid $500 each to do that." Finally, the troubled couple split in 2021. Jay, the reality star, told In Touch that he regretted appearing on the show.
Jill Duggar blamed her father Jim Bob for 'duping' her into signing the '19 Kids and Counting' contract
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's TLC reality series premiered in 2008. '19 Kids and Counting' followed the life of an eccentric, conservative Christian couple and their large family. In 2015, Josh Duggar, the eldest child, admitted to assaulting five young girls during his teenage years. Following the announcement, TLC canceled '19 Kids and Counting'.
Since the show's cancellation, the Duggars have faced multiple controversies, including Josh's 2021 conviction for child pornography. As the Duggar empire disintegrated, familial bonds dissolved.
In 2023, Jim and Michelle's daughter, Jill Duggar Dillard, appeared in the docuseries 'Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets'. She was eager to offer her side of the tale.
Jill revealed that her father deceived her into signing a contract the day before her wedding, which, unbeknownst to her, obligated her to remain on the program for several more years. She was not the only sister who struggled with a lack of autonomy.
"My parents had signed for a bunch of the kids who were no longer minors, including myself," the former reality star explained to Entertainment Tonight. "As the kids aged into adulthood, they're still listed as minors, and nobody fixed that."
Jill was required to give birth on camera due to her contractual obligations. She later revealed that she was never compensated for her appearances on '19 Kids and Counting'. Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, contacted an attorney to help them obtain money.
Jessica Willis Fisher slams TLC for shielding 'The Willis Family'
'The Willis Family' was introduced by TLC to their lineup of episodes featuring big, traditional Christian households in 2015. Brenda and Toby Fisher starred in the show, along with their twelve children, who were members of The Willis Clan, a touring band.
TLC portrayed the Willis family as a unique but morally upright group. However, the reality was far darker. Behind the scenes, Toby Willis was abusive towards his family. In 2017, the disgraced reality star pleaded guilty to four charges of child rape.
Jessica Willis, his daughter, was one of the victims. Throughout her childhood, Jessica was raped by Toby, according to her memoir from 2022. Jessica brought out the discrepancy between the horrifying facts about her family and TLC's polished narrative in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. She also accused the network of taking advantage of the Willis children.
"It's really disturbing to see what we sometimes platform," Jessica said to the publication. "We need to ask, what is the level of responsibility that we all have? Am I doing anything to support what I see happening here, whether it's just clicking on the TV? My dad was making money off of us. There were children involved who did not have a choice. And I don't think that's OK."
Jacob Roloff accuses a member of the 'Little People, Big World' production team of assaulting him
The dwarf couple Matt and Amy Roloff first captured viewers's attention in 2006 with the debut of their television series 'Little People, Big World' debuted. The show followed the couple as they raised their four children and managed their family farm business. Despite their on-screen presence as a cohesive family, Matt and Amy divorced in 2016.
But the show has to go on. The family has had a lot of drama for more than 20 seasons, including legal issues and outrage over social media posts. A significant disclosure surfaced in 2020 when Jacob Roloff, the couple's youngest son, disclosed that he had experienced sexual assault at the hands of a production staff member for the program.
"As a child, after what I realize now was a long grooming process, I was molested by an executive field producer for 'Little People, Big World,' Chris Cardamone," Jacob said in a tearful Instagram post.
After leaving the program in 2016, Jacob Roloff criticized reality television for its voyeuristic nature and questioned the long-term impact of involving children in such shows. "We are still sprinting ahead with the enterprise [of reality television] ... asking for forgiveness later, instead of asking harder preliminary questions of ourselves," said the former reality star. Chris has not publicly responded to Jacob Roloff's allegations. Additionally, The Sun claims that he was detained in 2008 on charges of child sexual abuse.
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'90 Day Fiancé's Blake Abelard blamed TLC for deceptive editing to portray his relationship with Jasmin Lahtinen as unhinged
Blake Abelard, an American, and his Finnish fiancée, Jasmin Lahtinen, appeared in season 7 of '90 Day Fiancé'. The couple fell in love on a dating service and moved quickly to secure the K-1 Visa.
However, things became complex once Jasmin landed in the United States. The ambitious model seemed unsupportive of Blake's musical ambitions, and they frequently clashed over their differing interests, lifestyles, and values. Despite their disputes, the pair said "I do" in 2019.
In 2020, Blake appeared on the Domenick Nati Show to address his relationship with Jasmin. "There are things that have been exaggerated to make it seem like they're ... worse than it is," the reality star described.
Blake also attributed the couple’s perceived incompatibility to misleading editing. While fans were aware of their relationship issues, the portrayal led to social media trolls targeting them.
Jasmin said that the concert was "fake" and the result of "acting" in response to some comments on her Instagram account. Although verifying Jasmin's assertions might be challenging, in the realm of reality TV, anything is possible. As of July 2023, the couple was reportedly still together.
'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo's Mama June Shannon calls out TLC's double standards
When June Shannon's daughter Alana 'Honey Boo-Boo' Thompson made an appearance on 'Toddlers and Tiaras', in 2012, she quickly shot to fame. The exuberant child was the standout of the episode, and her performance went viral.
The Shannon family was brought on by TLC later that year for their reality series, 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo'. However, in 2014, Shannon, also known as Mama June, faced charges related to dating a convicted child sex offender.
Shannon refuted the accusations, but 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' was canceled by TLC. The network stated to TODAY, "Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority," in a statement that Today was able to receive.
In an interview with TMZ, Mama June criticized TLC for what she saw as a double standard. She pointed out that while Josh Duggar's child abuse case was addressed, the network continued to feature the Duggar family on their shows.
Shannon ultimately felt that her family did not deserve TLC's criticism and vowed to sue the network. Despite the turmoil with TLC, Mama June remained in the public eye. 'Mama June: From Not to Hot' debuted on We TV in 2017.
'Sister Wives' star Gwendlyn Brown accused producers of exploiting her sexuality
It's well-known that sensationalized content is prevalent in reality television. Producers often steer conversations in desired directions, even in "unscripted" shows, as part of the reality TV experience. According to 'Sister Wives' star Gwendlyn Brown, TLC crossed a line concerning her private life. She claimed that producers pressured her to discuss her sexual orientation during a 2017 episode.
While Gwendlyn discusses her bisexuality in the video, she claims on her YouTube site that the inquiries seemed to come out of nowhere. "I was a little disappointed," the reality star remembered, "I thought we were going to talk about the divorce [between Christine and Kody Brown], and then all of a sudden they're like, 'We're going to talk about your sexuality, Gwendlyn.'"
Gwendlyn has been open about her bisexuality, but she was skeptical of TLC's motives for highlighting it on the show. She speculated: "They're like, 'Oh, we have another queer. We're gonna exploit that. We're gonna make ourselves famous." Gwendlyn claims that producers asked intrusive questions regarding her autism while filming the sequence. Looking back, Gwendlyn said, "It did feel weird."
'My 600-lb Life 'patient had to call police to get production out of her house
'My 600-lb Life' is one of the most controversial shows on TLC. Marketed as a series focused on life-changing weight loss, it has faced criticism for promoting voyeurism and neglecting the psychological and sociological complexities of its subjects.
Critics have also accused the program of exploiting its participants, and several cast members have filed lawsuits against TLC's production firm for carelessness and other wrongdoing. Lisa Ebberson is among those who have publicly criticized the show.
Lisa had a sad series of events during her 2022 episode. After being hospitalized and losing her lover, Randy, to Covid-19, she eventually abandoned the weight-loss regimen. In a 2022 Soap Dirt interview, Lisa said that producers forced her to eat enormous, unhealthy meals in front of the cameras. "Before they came along, me and Randy were on a diet," she stated.
"We cut out all pasta, potatoes, chips, and anything fattening. And then, when they came, they brought that food [seen on the show] — cheese, bacon, eggs ... They stuck this plate in front of me, and I broke down crying. I've never seen so much food in front of me in my life."
Lisa also claimed that when the shooting was over, the producers would not leave her home. "I had to literally call the police to get them out of here," she stated to the publication.
