A new docuseries hit Max this month that took viewers back to the moment when a couple of influencers adopted a child in 2017. However, the couple – Myka and James Stauffer – then gave up the child and had him rehomed, causing a major backlash. They ended up wiping all their content off YouTube in 2020 and were blasted by fans for giving up on the little boy.
Here is a look at the new documentary about the couple – An Update on Our Family.
Max Doc On Myka And James Stauffer, Who Gave Up Adopted Son
Myka and James Stauffer were YouTube influencers and shared videos of them raising their family. In 2017, they added to their family with a little boy they named Huxley. However, they soon decided to give up the little boy and had him rehomed when they said they couldn’t deal with his later-diagnosed developmental disabilities.
The couple released a YouTube video announcing they were giving up on their adopted son and were having him rehomed. This made headlines and created a massive backlash. They finally deleted all the videos on their channel and moved on with their lives. Huxley found a new family that actually wanted to care for him (via PEOPLE).
However, in the new documentary, a YouTube video that they deleted had the couple saying they were “well-equipped and willing to learn how to parent a child with special needs.” Myka also said Huxley, who they adopted from China, was “non-returnable” before they decided to indeed return him to be rehomed.
“Let’s just say there’s 100 conditions,” she said in the deleted video (via PEOPLE). “Me and my husband were comfortable with 99 of the conditions. So we were very, very open.”
Where Is Huxley Now?
The good news is that Huxley found a new home and family who actually loved him for who he was. They also renamed him, and his new location and life have been kept private since he was a minor. The new docuseries has kept his privacy a matter of importance, but they did say he is loved and happy.
The documentary is not only about Myka and James Stauffer. However, they are a major part of the problem as the documentary shows how people are making money off their families and having babies, and sometimes, the babies pay the ultimate price for being a cash cow for these parents.
The title of the documentary was pulled from the blog that Myka created to make money by showing how she and James raised their family. In that specific blog, she talked about using Dreft laundry detergent in what proved to be a sponsored post.
What are your thoughts on these family bloggers, using their kids as props to make money on YouTube? Let us know in the comments below.