What The Cast Of Breaking Amish Is Doing Today
The following article contains mentions of drug addiction and sexual abuse.
Fans were first introduced to the main cast members of TLC's "Breaking Amish" and "Return to Amish" franchises in 2012. Viewers were immediately hooked as they watched five young members of the Amish and Mennonite communities leave their homes behind for the first time and experience the "English" or modern-day lifestyle in New York City. At the end of the season, cast members were expected to decide whether or not they wanted to return to their previous lives or continue the new lifestyle they adopted, even if meant being shunned from their communities forever.
While it was revealed later on that cast members Sabrina Burkholder, Rebecca Schmucker, Jeremiah Raber, Abe Schmucker, and Kate Stoltzfus had already either left their communities or planned to and that parts of their storylines were manufactured, fans were still hooked and wanted to know more about their lives. The cast all returned for a second season of "Breaking Amish" the following year, and all signed on for subsequent seasons of "Return to Amish."
Since then, the majority of the original cast has moved on from the show, either to pursue a more private life or seek out new ventures. Of course, fans are still always wondering where their lives have taken them. While some have faced trouble since finding fame, others seem to be enjoying the lives they have today.
Sabrina Burkholder struggled with addiction during the show
Sabrina Burkholder had periodic gaps in her involvement with "Return to Amish" after appearing in both "Breaking Amish" and "Breaking Amish: Brave New World." This was due to her struggles with drug addiction, which also landed her in some legal trouble. In 2018, Burkholder revealed that she had relapsed and nearly died from a heroin overdose, telling her followers on social media (via People) that despite having been clean for nearly a year, she began using again on her birthday and overdosed. She revealed she had been revived by paramedics and would take a break from social media to focus on her recovery.
Burkholder has remained committed to being clean and even shared on Instagram in 2023 that she had learned she used drugs to cope with trauma from her childhood. "I was sexually abused as a child and I had never healed or learned how to cope with being an adult. Drugs made me feel safe and it was a coping mechanism in order to deal with all the unresolved trauma and pain inside of me."
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Today, Sabrina Burkholder is healthy and raising four children
Sabrina Burkholder has worked hard at having a healthier life since being sober. She's also been working on different ventures and pursuits as well, with posts on her Instagram feed sharing that she had become a Pampered Chef consultant, and also has a few other different partnership deals.
Burkholder is also focusing on being a mother. While dealing with her previous struggles, she lost custody of her eldest daughters, Oakley and Ariana, whom she shared with ex-boyfriend Harry Kreiser III. The girls went on to be adopted by Harry's sister. Since then, she went on to have three more children — a son Zekiah and two daughters, Skylar and Kalani, with her ex-boyfriend Jethro Nolt. The pair's split was reported in 2022, though Burkholder shared on Instagram in March 2023 that she and the kids had not seen him since 2021. "For the sake of our children, I have chosen not to speak publicly about Jethro at this time. I wish him nothing but the very best," she wrote.
She welcomed her sixth child, a son named Aro Reno, in February 2023. In the same post where she shared she had not spoken to Jethro, she revealed that Aro's father was her new boyfriend, a man she only identified as Scottie.
Jeremiah Raber has taken on several business ventures
Since finding fame on "Breaking Amish," Jeremiah Raber, who was adopted by an Amish family, has kept busy with a number of business ventures he has seemingly pursued over the years, with many appearing to be ones that capitalized on his upbringing. These included an attempt to sell blankets with fellow castmate Mama Mary Schmucker on the Season 1 of "Return to Amish," as well as selling Amish donuts with Ada Byler in a later season. He has also attempted to sell t-shirts and Tupperware — among other things.
His most recent venture, according to an Instagram post in February 2023, was a new fragrance brand. The fragrance was tagged as unisex and is called JC Sass. Unlike some of his fellow cast members, Jeremiah Raber remained part of the "Return to Amish" world throughout the show's run. He was most recently featured on the show's seventh season in 2023, and throughout the series, documented his search for more information about his background before he was adopted. This has included meeting other family members, with the reality star finally meeting his biological grandmother for the first time in a May 2023 episode (via Facebook). He also occasionally serves as a mentor for newer cast members who seek to leave the Amish community.
Jeremiah Raber has had a tumultuous relationship and marriage
It seemed as if Jeremiah Raber was getting a happily-ever-after ending when he met and married his wife Carmela Raber on the Season 3 finale of "Return to Amish." However, the pair's relationship has proven to be tumultuous, and where they stand still remains unclear to this day.
Things first took a turn for the duo in 2017, when she accused Jeremiah of domestic violence. He also struck out against his wife that year, accusing her of stealing money from him. In 2018, the charges against Jeremiah were dismissed and the two seemed like they were trying to work things out. However, in March 2022, Carmela went on to file a restraining order against Jeremiah, where she alleged he had threatened to put her "6 feet under" (via In Touch).
Despite this, both appear in Season 7 of "Return to Amish." Though it's not clear if episodes may have been filmed prior to the restraining order and other troubles, a trailer for the episodes showed that the two were trying to have a baby, with Carmela expressing jealousy that Sabrina Burkholder was pregnant again because she and Jeremiah had been trying, but were unsuccessful (via YouTube).
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Abe and Rebecca Schmucker seemingly met on the show before quitting the series for good in 2018
Fans of "Breaking Amish" watched the show's first season as Abe Schmucker and Rebecca Byler (now Rebecca Schmucker) seemingly met for the first time and fell in love on camera before marrying. They also watched as the pair welcomed a daughter, Malika, on Season 1 of "Return to Amish." While the truth was later exposed that they actually knew one another beforehand and Rebecca's older daughter, Kayla, was actually Abe's, proving they were together before joining the series, fans still fell in love with the pair and were eager to watch their journey.
Through ups and downs, the two starred on the show as they built a life and family together. They also handled struggles involving Abe's family members and the questions some of them had about remaining Amish as well. Still, in 2018, they shocked fans when they revealed they were leaving their lives on reality TV behind, with Rebecca Schmucker releasing a statement that they were opting to leave and live a quieter life off-camera as they raised their children.
"Announcement! We made the decision to no longer participate in 'Return to Amish.' It's been a long road to come to this decision as a family and to move on to things that make us happy and [bring] us closer to where we want to be. We are living our best life!!" she wrote on Twitter at the time (via Starcasm).
Abe Schmucker is now a truck driver
Since announcing their departure from the show in 2018, Abe Schmucker has been keeping busy as a working man and supporting his wife and children. The former reality TV star, who has stayed off social media, has become a long-haul truck driver and is often on the road as a result. However, this has not affected his marriage to Rebecca Schmucker.
In fact, through social media posts, Rebecca still shares an affection for her husband and appears to be grateful for everything he does to provide for them as a family. She also often gushes about him on anniversaries and Father's Day, including their ninth wedding anniversary in 2021, where she acknowledged they had been through tough times together, but that they both knew how lucky they were to get through them.
"Nine years ago today we said 'I Do'! It's been anything but boring," she wrote at the time (via Instagram). "We often talk about how lucky we really are to be living this life together, the good and the bad. We are lucky we have the freedom of choice in everything we do. We are proud of where we come from but we are so blessed to be where we are today and to do it together."
Rebecca Schmucker is focused on raising her daughters
While Abe Schmucker spends time on the road, his wife Rebecca Schmucker has taken time away from reality TV cameras to focus on raising their daughters. Though she doesn't often post about Kayla and Malika, when she does, it seems clear that she is happiest just being their mom and being able to raise them in an environment that allows them to have more private lives.
She also often shares updates and posts that show she's still close to her in-laws, especially Mama Mary Schmucker. Rebecca frequently shares updates on Instagram featuring get-togethers with her and helping promote some of the items Mary makes and sells. She especially shared her love for Mary in a September 2022 birthday post on Instagram, where she wrote that Mary was the "wild to my serious side." She also wrote: "I appreciate you and everything you have done for us! Love you mom!"
Of course, while focusing on her children has been a big part of Rebecca Schmucker's life, she's also taken time to focus on herself and bettering her education. In the same post where she announced that she and Abe were leaving the show in 2018, she also shared that she had received her GED, which was a major accomplishment for her as Amish children only receive education at Amish schools through the eighth grade (via The Amish Village).
Kate Stoltzfus changed her name and became a model
After joining "Breaking Amish," Kate Stoltzfus found her world change in immeasurable ways, as she quickly began to find success as a model. She found herself appearing in different photo spreads and campaigns and most notably posed for Maxim magazine in 2013. As her profile grew, she faced more strife with her traditional Amish family, who she admitted at the time she could tell were "disappointed" in her which was difficult to face (via ABC News). Still, despite the strife, she continued to pursue her passion and started to professionally go by a shortened version of her name — "Kate Stoltz" instead of "Kate Stoltzfus."
Following the Maxim photo shoot, she revealed in interviews that she knew her life was changing in dramatic ways, and that she didn't have regrets because while she admired some of the qualities of her strict upbringing, she also knew deep down that it wasn't for her.
"My life changed drastically: my family, job, lifestyle. I'm adjusting well now, and I love the city," she told Cosmopolitan in 2013. "I don't practice Amish traditions anymore, but I try to remember the good qualities they have. There are reasons they do things the way they do, it's just that lifestyle isn't for me."
Kate Stoltz's modeling career also led to a new path as a fashion designer
Though she started to find success as a model, Kate Stoltz has since managed to transition her career to the other side of the industry and has found success as a designer in her own right. After studying the art of creating clothes and tapping into her roots from sewing dresses for her family while still Amish, she went on to found the Kate Stoltz New York fashion line. Today, her website focuses on luxury and made-to-measure women's wear and designs, with a variety of different apparel options including dresses, tops, and accessories, as well as home decor, art, and other goods. She also sells various items from fair trade partnerships and has a line of sweaters and beanie hats made from regenerated Italian cashmere.
In addition to finding her true passion and establishing a successful brand, Stoltz has also managed to mend some of the issues with her family over the years, admitting that they are still very different from her, but that they have come around to seeing her new life and supporting her endeavors.
"My family and I have become — we're on much better terms now," she told In Touch in 2018 at the launch of her collection. "I really enjoy going home and seeing them. They're always very welcoming to me, so I'm definitely thankful for their support."
Kate Stotlz spoke out against the show and criticized it for manufacturing drama
Though it helped her build some of her fame, Kate Stoltz did eventually tire of "Breaking Amish" and "Return to Amish," and after leaving, she went on to criticize the series and its producers. In a series of deleted tweets (via Us Weekly) in 2016, Stoltz wrote that producers used awful tactics to get reactions out of cast members to feed storylines, and even said: "Doing a reality show was one of the worst decisions I made in my life. Everything on the show is so edited and out of context."
She later followed up further in another series of since-deleted Tweets (via the International Business Times) where she accused producers of bullying and harassing the cast to make them go along with false storylines, and manipulated cast members to create more drama as well.
"We were bullied and harassed while filming. If we didn't go along with the story line, they would turn it around and make us look bad. If they thought our lives were boring, they would create wild story lines about us," she said. "I would be told that someone is talking about me, they would be told that I am talking about them. That way we wouldn't trust the other. I'm not just speaking to get my side of the story out. I don't want people to fall for the same glossy pitch that I did."
What about Mama Mary Schmucker?
Abe Schmucker's mother, Mama Mary Schmucker, became a big part of the cast in later seasons of "Breaking Amish." After initially appearing to object to Abe's decision to leave, she also experimented and flirted with parts of the "English" lifestyle over the seasons. She became a role model for the entire group, especially Jeremiah Raber, but her involvement with the show also led to her being shunned by her community.
Mary confirmed her exit from the show in 2022, sharing with fans on Instagram Live (via In Touch) that there were "too many issues that won't work for me." Not long after that, she went on to share that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer. According to her daughter-in-law, Rebecca Schmucker, her surgery in April 2022 had gone well, but Mary herself updated followers in a private Facebook group in June that year to say that her cancer had actually progressed to stage three, almost stage four, in which case chemotherapy would no longer help.
She still interacts with fans on social media, and appears to be in better spirits, though she was seemingly still fighting the cancer as of January 2023. In an Instagram Live at that time, Rebecca Schmucker shared an update with fans, indicating that Mary's health was a "day by day" thing.