Welcome to Plathville stars Ethan and Olivia Plath are divorcing, and Kim and Barry Plath’s split may have made them decide to throw in the towel. During the latest season, there was endless drama, and Olivia was at the center of every feud. She can’t get along with Kim, Barry or anyone else. Meanwhile, the controversial former duo Kim and Barry chose to break up despite religion, family ties and years of history. Since Kim and Barry made such a revolutionary decision, they might have unwittingly pushed Ethan and Olivia towards divorce. However, Kim and Barry have intentionally caused trouble for the younger couple.
Welcome to Plathville season 5 has brought out the worst in the cast. It’s been a disturbing look at what happens when family feuds take over and inflict emotional damage. While Ethan and Olivia would have had problems even if there were no in-law issues, including clashes with siblings, it has to be said that Kim and Welcome to Plathville‘s Barry Plath triggered many of their feuds. In fact, they need to take a lot of responsibility for their son’s divorce. However, while Kim and Barry might realize that they caused trouble, they might not understand how their own divorce led Ethan and Olivia to break up.
Kim & Barry Plath Showed Ethan & Olivia That Religious People Can Divorce
Kim & Barry Plath Are Christian Fundamentalists Who Decided To Call It Quits
After spending years touting the benefits of strict Christian Fundamentalist beliefs, Kim and Barry went against the grain by choosing to end their marriage. In their faith, divorce is sometimes permitted, but it’s generally frowned upon. Depending on the church and type of faith (Baptist, Protestant, etc.), it may even be forbidden. As Welcome to Plathville season 5 stars Kim and Barry made such a big deal out of their ultra-conservative beliefs during early seasons of the show, their about face is shocking. They seemed like the last couple that would do that.
Kim & Barry Plath Were Involved With IBLP (Is It A Cult?)
The Duggars’ Connection To IBLP’s Also Controversial
The trailer shown above, for Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, as per Prime Video at YouTube, touches on their link with the IBLP and its leader, Bill Gothard. While this article isn’t about the Duggars, the trailer shows just how intense this type of cult-like mindset can be, and how difficult it is to break away. A lot of the harsh rules that Kim and Barry set while they lived on the farm in Cairo, Georgia with their kids may have stemmed from being steeped in IBLP teachings. Lydia Plath confirmed that those beliefs were a big part of their lives while they were growing up.
So, what do IBLP devotees believe? Well, it’s old-fashioned to say the least. Married men are put on pedestals – their wives must defer to them even when they’re wrong. Men are the leaders of households and their spouses need to obey them. Michelle Duggar is known for her “adoring gaze” whenever she’s around Jim-Bob Duggar. She’s sort of putting the whole IBLP mindset on display through her slavish devotion to her partner. However, most cult-like belief systems are unhealthy. People become locked into points of view – they aren’t open to those who are different, or to facts which might cast doubt on what they believe.
So, in light of all of this religion and the strictness of IBLP guidelines, the fact that Kim and Barry divorced is very interesting. Clearly, they’ve shed so much of their religious training. Nonetheless, the older Plath kids had to bear the brunt of being raised in such a restrictive environment. Ethan definitely paid the price, and sometimes, his parents made his life extremely unpleasant. After he became independent, Kim and Barry’s disapproval was off the charts.
Ethan couldn’t win with his parents – not ever. He married someone religious, but she wasn’t religious enough. Now, Kim’s out partying iin shorter-than-average skirts and full warpaint. She even got a DUI. Kim used to live it up in college before sealing her kids off from humanity in admittedly idyllic rural surroundings. When Ethan broke a rule, all hell broke loose. He’s psychologically scarred for life because of what they did to him. He may heal, but it’ll always be there. Kim and Barry should apologize.
Kim & Barry Plath Didn’t Stick It Out Through Thick & Thin (Either Did Ethan & Olivia)
Kim & Barry Plath Broke Their Wedding Vows, Paving The Way For Ethan & Olivia’s Split
Parents are inevitably role models, for better or worse. No parent is perfect, and sometimes, married couples don’t make it. They divorce and their children are wounded by their splits. That’s just a sad fact of life. While Ethan’s an adult, he’s now the child of divorced parents. Although he’s often at war with his mom and dad, they are still his primary role models. They’ve shown him that marriages can end, and possibly influenced his thinking. Had they stayed together, he might have had more drive to work things out with Olivia.
That doesn’t mean that he was necessarily the prime mover in that divorce – it could have been Olivia, who asked for a temporary separation in the past. Nonetheless, seeing his parents “free,” and branching out into new lives (Kim more than Barry, as she’s now with a new man, Ken Palmer) may have acted on him, pushing him closer to his breaking point,
Kim and Barry’s divorce may be for the best. After so many years, it’s possible to grow apart from someone, no matter how important they were in the past. People change, and breakups are sometimes the product of personal growth. Olivia and Ethan also grew in different directions, so their split may be a blessing in disguise. Unhappy relationships don’t need to go on forever. However, since the series is so centered on religion, or used to be, it’s highly unusual that both couples broke up so close together. It seems like there really is a link between the two Welcome to Plathville divorces.
