Big Family, Big City Star Describes Feeling ‘Brainwashed’ by Conservative Church
The de la Mottes family continues to reflect on their 15 years spent as part of their conservative church.
“[It felt as if we were] indoctrinated members of a cult,” Amber de la Motte revealed during TLC’s Big Family, Big City on February 25, expressing that it took a significant amount of time for them to “come to that realization.”
Amber’s husband, Marc de la Motte, remarked that belonging to the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church felt akin to being “the frog in the kettle.”
“You won’t notice the water heating up until you’re in a boiling situation,” he elaborated.
The de la Mottes family are featured in Big Family, Big City, which aired as a special on TLC. This segment showcased Amber, Marc, and their 11 children relocating from the suburbs of San Diego to New York City.
In Big Family, Big City, they also discussed their experiences in the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, which Amber characterized as “outdated” and “unaffected by modern influences.”
“Women were expected to be quiet and obedient in every aspect,” Amber mentioned on the show, revealing that some regulations included women having to wear skirts that fell below their knees and the prohibition of rock music.
Marc then illustrated that relocating to New York was their effort to “explore their own path” outside of the church and to gain “new experiences while remaining sensible.”
Even though Amber and Marc chose to leave their church, they still follow some traditional values, particularly regarding women’s roles within the family.
In the recent episode, Amber articulated her wish for her daughters Pearl and Naomi to “eventually have husbands who are dedicated to supporting them … and raising a family together.”
“Your true fulfillment will come from being a wife and a mother,” Amber conveyed. “There are numerous ways to contribute from home when you establish your family, that can bolster your husband’s efforts.”
Amber’s daughter Pearl disagreed slightly, asserting that having a family doesn’t mean she has to abandon her musical ambitions.
“When I have a family, I don’t wish to forgo my musical career for the kids,” she remarked. “It feels odd to me that she would expect me to abandon my musical career right after having my first child, especially when she devoted her entire life to it [and had the family relocate across the country for it].”
Amber added during a confessional that if one of her daughters “chose to focus on a career instead of starting a family,” she would feel a sense of failure.
“That’s a fundamental aspect of a woman’s nature,” she pointed out.
Big Family, Big City is available for streaming on Discovery+.
