The Biggest Bombshells from An Update on Our Family, the Shocking Docuseries About Myka and James Stauffer

IN News about our familyVox Media Studios is investigating the viral adoption scandal that pushed Myka and James Stauffer’s family channel offline.

Three-part documentaries — that are inspired New York MagazineThe 2020 Family Feature — includes old videos the couple shared before they announced their decision to bring back their adopted son Huxley and delete all their content from YouTube in 2020. The series premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival and is now resurfacing as comes out on HBO and Max on January 15th.

The Stauffers adopted Huxley, who was later diagnosed with autism, from China when he was 2 1/2 years old, and two years later filed to terminate the adoption, claiming they were unaware of the extent of his disability. At the time, the couple’s attorneys told PEOPLE their ultimate hope was to “provide Huxley with the best possible treatment and care.” (Huxley has since had his name changed by his new family.)

“We are familiar with this case and given the facts we have, we feel this was the best decision for Huxley,” Myka and James’ attorneys, Thomas Taneff and Taylor Sayers, told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement released in May 2020. we know our clients to be a loving family and to be very caring parents who would do anything for their children.”

The Stauffers, as well as Huxley’s new family, did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

Myka Stauffer said Huxley ‘can’t come back’ before she adopted him from China

In one of the deleted clips that resurfaced in the documentaries, the former nurse told her viewers that she and her husband were well-equipped and willing to learn how to parent a child with special needs.

“We started talking to doctors, we started having meetings, we started doing a bunch of different things to be really well educated about different conditions,” Myka told the camera in one of several videos discussing the adoption process. “Let’s just say there are 100 conditions. My husband and I were fine with 99 conditions. So we were very, very open.”

She also stated, “I don’t know what his medical diagnosis will look like. How much education will he need? Will he need a little more hands? Will it be delayed? But if nothing else, my child cannot come back.”

Myka and James Stauffer.

Myka Stauffer/Instagram

YouTuber Myka Stauffer said her child ‘can’t be brought back’ before the viral adoption scandal

Myka Stauffer featured Huxley in a paid commercial for Dreft laundry detergent

Another clip of the vlog shows Myka discussing how she used Dreft laundry detergent to “get closer” to Huxley.

“Dreft Baby Detergent smells just like a newborn, so when I’m cuddling a 3-year-old boy, I still feel like I’m cuddling a brand new baby and I get that baby smell that I never got from my son,” she said. mom from Ohio after filming her playing with her toddler in a video titled: “5 Things I DIDN’T EXPECT about our ADOPTION in China!”

How Myka Stauffer Used Dreft Laundry Detergent to “Connect” with Her Adopted Son—And Then Got Paid to Do It

James Stauffer broke down on camera after a ‘rough’ first meeting with Huxley in China

The dad — who still updates his Stauffer Garage car maintenance YouTube channel — shared his true emotions on camera when he and Myka traveled to China to meet their new son.

“I’m not going to lie. I’m not going to sugar coat it. It’s been hard for us,” he said in a video titled “Huxley’s First Smile After Chinese Adoption!”

The Ohio dad went on to describe the strong bond the toddler had with his foster mother before he was adopted.

“They gave us all these pictures, all these clothes. They took him to the beach. They took him to see the dolphins. They took him to the park every day,” he said, adding, “I mean, the kid had a full-blown mom, it seems.”

In the background of the recording, Myka seems to be saying that Huxley wants to get into his crib. She interrupted to check on her husband and James choked up. He tearfully replied, “Poor child.”

Myka Stauffer with her newborn baby wearing her Cartier bracelet.

Myke Stauffer/Instagram

Who is Myka Stauffer? All about the YouTuber who placed his son in a new family 2 years after adoption

Myka Stauffer wore a $6k Cartier bracelet in her video about reducing Huxley’s speech therapy costs to $70

In another highly criticized clip shown in the documentary series, Myka spoke to the camera about her plans to cut back on her adopted son Huxley’s treatment due to high medical bills.

“We will go to another speech therapist, not the one that costs $500 a month. But we will go to the one that costs $70 for 30 minutes,” said the influencer from Ohio in her vlog.

“Not $500 in 30 minutes. No, no, no,” Myka added in the same video, showing her hand to the camera. On her wrist, she wore an 18-karat gold Cartier Love bracelet, which in 2018 cost over $6,000. The bracelet currently retails for $7,350, according to the luxury brand’s website as of June 2024.

Kate Hudson confirms YouTube mom who broke off adoption ‘terminated’ by Fabletics

Viewers spotted one key clue in the Stauffers’ vlogs that confirmed suspicions that Huxley had disappeared

Devoted viewers launched their own investigation in 2020, when Myka and James suddenly stopped vlogging their son more than two years after adopting him from China. Fans found reason to believe the couple was hiding something about then-four-year-old Huxley in a Stauffer Garage video from April 2020, which featured footage from inside the family’s car.

Eagle-eyed followers were quick to notice that Huxley’s car seat was missing from the back seat, fueling a fire already stoked by parents deleting comments that mentioned Huxley’s absence. Their suspicions were further heightened when Myka and James changed their videos with the toddler from public to private.

Documentary series ‘News about our family’.

Vox Media Studios

Myka and James Stauffer made ‘difficult decision’ to give son ‘best treatment’: lawyers

Myka and James Stauffer deleted the footage showing Huxley with his hand taped

In December 2017, the Stauffers shared a video of Huxley’s anxiety about food after bringing him home from China two months earlier. Myka immediately deleted and re-uploaded the vlog, but the “new” version was about 20 seconds shorter than the original post.

Suspicious viewers took it upon themselves to investigate what was cut from the revised video, with many alarmed by the discovery of footage of Huxley’s thumb wrapped in duct tape. This appeared to be a precautionary measure taken to prevent the adoptee from sucking his thumb, and other YouTubers had their say on Huxley’s apparent treatment.

Several conspiracy theories circulated on social media, and people even complained to the couple’s local sheriff’s office.

Myka and James have also faced backlash over other videos showing Huxley wearing a simple thumb guard. Viewers questioned the ways in which the Stauffers stopped Huxley’s thumb-sucking habit, but Myka and James were quick to address concerns about the makeshift thumb guard in her vlogs.

“Our dentist actually told us it was highly recommended or he would need unnecessary surgery because it changes the palate in his mouth,” Myka explained in a now-deleted video included in the three-part docuseries.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education