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How ‘Welcome to Plathville’ Stars Are Celebrating Christmas Amid Estrangement, Olivia and Ethan Split
It was a bittersweet Christmas for some of the stars of Welcome to Plathville, as Ethan and Olivia Plath spent it apart after revealing they split, while matriarch Kim Plath has a new boyfriend.
Moriah Plath got in the holiday spirit early, sharing a carousel of photos with sisters Amber, Cassia and Mercy. The siblings posed for photos wearing outfits featuring red in a December 23 post, while fans asked why sister Lydia Plath wasn’t among the group. “Early Christmas celebration,” Moriah, 21, captioned the photos.
Olivia, 25, revealed their breakup after five years of marriage in an October Instagram post. “Ethan and I have decided to go our separate ways,” she told fans.
“I have ambivalent memories of us being 18 years old, innocently dreaming of forever – but the partner you choose is a reflection of the world you want to live in, and at 18 I didn’t know who I was or what kind of life I wanted to create for myself. 7 years later, I’ve already begun my journey of questioning, deconstructing and rebuilding and I know that is a process that I will continue to prioritize throughout my life,” she added.
The heartbreaking split played out on the season 5 finale of the reality show on December 5. Ethan, 25, shared that their split was “not what [he] ever wanted,” while Olivia tearfully told him, “I can’t go back to who I was when I was 20.”
Ethan’s sister Lydia, 19, could be spending the holiday with her new boyfriend, as she revealed on the finale, “I’ve actually been dating someone for quite a while,” although she didn’t provide a name and in a photo of the happy couple, his face was blurred out.
Kim Plath, 51, could be spending her first Christmas with a man other than ex-husband Barry Plath, as the former couple split in June 2022 after nearly 24 years of marriage. She began dating Ken Palmer in March, and he asked her to move in with him during the November 28 episode of the series.
While that was filmed moths prior, Kim’s son Micah Plath seemingly confirmed their continuing relationship after sharing a rare selfie with his mom’s new boyfriend in September. Neither Kim nor Ken have social media accounts.
It’s unclear how many of Kim and Barry’s children will be spending the holidays with either of their parents. One thing is certain is that there won’t be a holiday at the family’s longtime home. Kim and Barry, 55, were seen preparing to put their marital house up for sale during the season 5 finale, while also separating their belongings.
Kim revealed, “I feel like if Barry had been able to tune in emotionally to what’s going on years ago, then, you know, we would probably be on a different path right now.”
She continued in a confessional, “Barry and I were together for 25 years, and the best parts of that were every single one of those children that we brought into the world, raising them and growing with them and having fun with them and laughing with them. I wouldn’t trade those 25 years of marriage for anything because of the beautiful children that it produced.”
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