Kim from “Welcome to Plathville” Shares Heartfelt Thoughts on Her Late Son with Zac
Kim Plath is open to discussing her deceased son, Joshua, but having a conversation about him with her son-in-law Zac Wyse feels anything but enjoyable.
“I know Zac enjoys deep discussions, but I wouldn’t describe it as ‘exciting,’” Kim, 53, shares with the cameras in an exclusive sneak peek from Us Weekly of the Welcome to Plathville season 8 finale, airing Tuesday, June 16.
Despite her discomfort, Kim meets with Zac, 24, who attempts to explain how “exciting” it is for his wife, Lydia Plath, to “share this with her family who experienced it with her.”
Zac expresses that it’s “awesome” and “great” that Kim is open to talking about Joshua, not only with Lydia, 22, but the rest of the family, given that Lydia mentioned her parents never addressed his death. (Joshua passed away in 2008 at 17 months old in an accident on the family farm, where Kim was driving.)
“I’ve stopped trying to fix every relationship and make them perfect,” Lydia comments to the cameras, emphasizing that only “time” will reveal whether Kim and Zac “decide to spend time together and grow.”
Zac shares in a confessional that he struggles to understand Kim and her “operating” style.
“I’m making an effort to understand many of the decisions she’s making, but they just don’t resonate with me,” he admits, seemingly referring to Kim’s reluctance to publicly revisit her loss of Joshua, unlike Lydia, who did so during a January podcast. (Lydia’s brother, Ethan Plath, previously mentioned in a June episode that discussing Joshua “publicly is something he dislikes unless it’s to remember him as he was in life,” deeming it “disrespectful” to address his actual passing.)
Kim Plath transforms into a protective mama bear in the next episode of Welcome to Plathville, addressing daughter Lydia Plath and her husband Zac Wyse’s supposed disapproval of their family’s lifestyle choices. “Apparently, Lydia and Zac have been having conversations with family members about their concerns regarding our way of life,” Kim states.
Zac and Kim navigate their conversation with hesitance, as Zac shares with his mother-in-law, “Grief can often be more complex.”
During their heart-to-heart, Kim emphasizes that she will “forever be a parent who lost a child.”
She acknowledges, “No amount of thinking, discussing, writing, or praying can alter that.”
Kim reveals she feels as though she “lost so much” of her life during the year that followed Joshua’s death and thus prefers not to revisit it.
“You’d prefer not to revisit that dark place,” Zac says, to which Kim responds, “Exactly.”
However, Kim mentions that if her other nine children, whom she shares with ex-husband Barry Plath, “require me to revisit that past, I will do so.”
Zac appreciates this response, replying, “That’s great,” as his wife has increasingly encouraged Kim to talk about Joshua.
Lydia Plath is clarifying her recent move to Colorado, asserting that her husband, Zac Wyse, did not separate her from her reality TV family. “My husband didn’t ‘take me away from my family,’” Lydia, 22, stated via Instagram on June 3, accompanying a video of her enjoying the Colorado mountains. “He brought me here to explore.”
“Lydia has genuinely strived over the past few years to be recognized within the family. I just feel like Kim hasn’t attempted to understand or acknowledge her,” Zac expresses emotionally. “I refrain from discussing this because I want to defend my wife, but truthfully, I can’t fully grasp their experiences.”
Conversely, Kim mentions in her confessional that she comprehends Zac’s perspective, acknowledging his good intentions, yet she remains uncertain about what he “requires from me to feel accepted and appreciated.”
Welcome to Plathville’s season 8 finale debuts on TLC Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.
