Welcome to Plathville’s Olivia Plath Says She Regrets Behavior Before Ethan Split

Welcome to Plathville star Olivia Plath admitted she regrets her behavior while navigating her split from her estranged husband, Ethan Plath, on the reality show.

Just more than one month after Olivia, 25, filed for divorce from Ethan, 25, in February, she told Teen Vogue that she faced “a power struggle” with his mother, Kim Plath, as she navigated setting boundaries with her in-laws.

“I would read critical comments [about me on the show] and I would immediately respond to that, like, ‘No, I’m not the same [as Kim], you don’t understand,’” she recalled about seeing fans’ reactions to the situation. “Looking back on it now, all I wanted was to choose my own life. All I wanted was to be myself and live authentically as who I am.”

Olivia added that the public criticism made accepting the end of her marriage more difficult.

“I look back on the last four or five seasons of the show, which is four or five years of my life, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, who is that kid who cries in every single interview and is so emotional? What is her problem?’” the TLC personality shared. “I was 20 and newly married to someone who wasn’t ready to leave fundamentalism behind at the same time as I was questioning fundamentalism.”

Olivia said that her “whole life” was “open for the public to criticize and critique,” which was hard for her to get used to after having a “sheltered” upbringing. “To be thrown out in it and have everyone watch me as I’m deconstructing and trying to figure out what being married is all about and dealing with in-law conflict. I look back and I’m like, sheesh,” she continued. “It felt very overwhelming.”

The Virginia native explained that she has certain regrets about her actions on the show, stating that she “should’ve behaved better.” However, Olivia also acknowledged that she “did not have the tools at the time to behave better.”

“It’s the juxtaposition of, that was a bad choice; I didn’t know how at the time, but now I do,” the reality star said. “I look back to season one and see a scared kid who felt like she was backed into a corner. I saw things as black and white and drew very harsh boundaries. I think that I needed that at the time. It harmed other people and … I wish that wasn’t the case, but I don’t get a do-over. I want to consistently make better choices.”

Following years of marital problems and split speculation, Olivia and Ethan announced that they called it quits in October 2023. Four months later, the former couple jointly filed divorce paperwork in Carver County, Minnesota, on February 21. They listed their date of separation as February 25, 2023, while Olivia and Ethan said an “irretrievable breakdown” led to the end of their marriage.