Myka and James Stauffer set the internet ablaze in 2020 when they announced they were rehoming their adopted son Huxley, claiming they could no longer care for him in the way he deserved.
The YouTube stars received a tidal wave of backlash in the wake of their announcement and have since wiped their channel from the site.
A docuseries on the scandal, which dropped on HBO on January 15, has shed new light on the event and delved deeper into the famous family.
Five years on, Huxley has been renamed by his new family and lives out of the public eye.
At the time of the announcement, Myka and James told their audience that the young boy would move in with a “new mommy” who was better equipped to deal with his complex needs.
Following this, the influencer revealed on Instagram that Huxley was “doing better” and “thriving” with his new adoptive parents, who were “a good fit” for him.
© InstagramMyka and James adopted Huxley from China in 2017 when he was just over two years old; they documented the entire adoption process, as well as daily life with their son, on their YouTube channel.
Huxley was diagnosed with autism, something which the Stauffers were aware of before welcoming their son.
“I don’t know what his medical diagnosis is gonna look like,” Myka confessed in a video on their channel.
© Instagram“How much schooling will he need? Will he need a little bit more hands-on? Will he be delayed? But if anything, my child is not returnable.”
Two years later, the family announced their decision to rehome him, explaining that they were not equipped to deal with Huxley’s complex needs as a neurodivergent child.
“For us, it’s been really hard hearing from the medical professionals, a lot of their feedback, and things that have been upsetting,” James said in the announcement.
“We’ve never wanted to be in this position. And we’ve been trying to get his needs met and help him out as much as possible…we truly love him.”
“There’s not an ounce of our body that doesn’t love Huxley with all of our being,“ his wife chimed in.
“There wasn’t a minute that I didn’t try our hardest, and I think what Jim is trying to say is that after multiple assessments, after multiple evaluations, numerous medical professionals have felt that he needed a different fit and that his medical needs, he needed more.”
© InstagramThe couple also share four biological kids and rose to fame for their vlogs on parenting. Myka revealed that she felt like a “failure“ after going through “the hardest thing I could have ever imagined.“
She posted an apology via Instagram after receiving criticism for their decision to dissolve the adoption, showing remorse for the hurt she caused as a role model. “This decision has caused so many people heartbreak and I’m sorry for letting down so many [women] who looked up to me as a mother,“ she wrote.
The mother of four went on to claim she was “naïve“ and unprepared ahead of the adoption process. “We love Huxley and know that this was the right decision for him and his future. Praying that Huxley only has the best future in the entire world,“ she concluded.
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