An alarming new series is showcasing a YouTuber who rehomed her child after a few years.
A new HBO docuseries called An Update on Our Family reveals the troubling realities of family vlogging.
One of the focuses of the series is the controversial case of Myka Stauffer, the YouTuber mom who ‘rehomed’ her adopted autistic son, Huxley.
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Back in 2017, Myka and James Stauffer, parents to four other biological children, documented the process of adopting a child from China back in 2017.
They shared videos about the adoption journey, including the challenges and milestones of bringing him into their family.
Their openness and raw footage quickly earned them a devoted audience with around one million subscribers on the video-watching platform.
Huxley, who was only five at the time and lived with autism, had been the star in so many YouTube videos sharing the Stauffer family’s joys, struggles and brand partnerships.
However, by early 2020, fans noticed that Huxley had disappeared from the family's videos.
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Strangely, older clips featuring him were quietly deleted and comments asking about him were ignored - all while Myka continued posting homemaking videos.
When the Stauffers finally addressed the situation in a video titled 'An Update on Our Family,' the internet backlash was instant.
Critics accused them of exploiting Huxley’s adoption for clicks and views, only to 'give him back' when things got hard.
While the internet was quick to condemn the Stauffers, the backlash took on a life of its own, devolving into conspiracy theories and over-the-top commentary.
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Now, the new three-part docuseries revisits the Stauffer family case offering a deeper and more empathetic perspective than the internet’s reaction ever allowed.
The synopsis reads: "Inspired by a New York Magazine article by Caitlin Moscatello, the series dives into the popular practice of family vlogging and the rise and fall of Ohio-based vlogger parents Myka and James Stauffer, who gained massive popularity through their widely watched YouTube channels that had a combined following of roughly one million subscribers by 2020."
Across three episodes, the docuseries examines not only the Stauffers’ saga but also the wider phenomenon of family vlogging, with insights from experts and fans.
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It explores the fine line between sharing authentic family moments and turning private lives into public entertainment.
The trailer for the docuseries dropped on January 7, 2025, and An Update on Our Family officially premieres on January 15 on HBO and StreamOnMax.