Kim And Barry Plath Share Sad Relationship News
The swiftly disintegrating relationship between Kim and Barry Plath has played out in excruciating detail during the current season of TLC's "Welcome to Plathville."
As Screen Rant points out, Kim has a reputation for being a bit harsh, particularly in her treatment of daughter-in-law Olivia Plath, but fans have seen an entirely different side to her in Season 4. In particular, watching the dedicated wife and mother finally opening her own dance studio, a dream she'd put on the back burner for years, has enamored viewers to Kim much more.
Sadly, as Kim continues to find herself, her connection to Barry has grown more tenuous. Per People, during a recent episode of the hit show, he admitted to feeling "lonely" and "betrayed" by his wife. "One thing I thought wouldn't ever be shaken was us," he said. "Now it's totally shaken up. It's just really sad. It's a tragedy."
Acknowledging that Kim needs space, Barry argued he was trying harder to make her a priority, but nothing seemed to be making a difference. The couple has finally confirmed where they stand — and the news isn't good.
The Welcome to Plathville stars have decided to separate
Kim and Barry Plath are calling it quits after 24 years of marriage, People confirms. In a joint statement, the "Welcome to Plathville" stars announced, "After considerable thought and discussion, we have decided to end our marriage."
They continued: "While this was not an easy decision, we know it's the best choice for both of us. We have been through many highs and lows in our 24 years of marriage and as we navigate this new chapter in our lives, we will co-parent our amazing children."
Fans of their hit reality show have been watching the couple, who share 10 children, struggling to reconnect during the current season. In fact, Kim and Barry had one of their most emotional conversations yet in a recent teaser, which was shared on Twitter. Barry reasoned that they shouldn't throw away all their happy years together, even suggesting getting professional help to deal with their issues.
But, for Kim, their time together hasn't always been that great. In fact, the matriarch acknowledged being unhappy for years, particularly since she feels like her husband doesn't acknowledge her feelings. When Barry accused Kim of being selfish, she countered in a confessional that him viewing her needs that way was a major part of why things have soured so much between them.
How have the kids reacted to Kim and Barry's split?
After Kim Plath shared a sad update about the state of her marriage to Barry, all eyes were on their kids, particularly those who were estranged from them.
Moriah Plath, who moved out of the family home months ago alongside brother Micah, told People, "I've known for months before anything actually happened, months before they actually decided to separate." She added, "I knew that they were struggling."
Kim moved out, too, explaining on "Welcome to Plathville" that she was crashing at the couple's rental properties. The younger kids were told what was going on gradually and seemed to take it well.
Although they haven't been seeing eye-to-eye recently, Moriah confirmed that she and Kim were leaning on each other. "Some of our relationships have been really rocky at times, but I've realized through all of this though, they're going to have my back no matter what," the aspiring singer shared. Moriah isn't taking sides, noting that, as long as her parents are happy, she'll be happy, too.
Her older brother, Ethan Plath, meanwhile, told People, "I would probably prefer to stay out of it, honestly." The reality star did admit, however, that he doesn't agree with Kim airing their dirty laundry. Ethan also argued that having the cameras around makes it harder to work through relationship issues because the show amplifies everything. "That's how you have drama at the reality show," he said.