Olivia Plath Reflects on Contemplating Divorce Year After Marrying Ethan
Welcome to Plathville’s Olivia Plath is sharing her experiences of feeling unease during the early stages of her marriage to Ethan Plath — and the reasons she remained committed for so long.
In the Tuesday, October 14, episode of the “Lovett or Leave It” podcast, Olivia, 27, revealed, “I remember year one of being married, saying to my dad, ‘I think I might want to get divorced.’”
Olivia, who wed Ethan, 27, at the age of 20, described feeling “overwhelmed with all the family issues” and Ethan’s “difficulty in establishing boundaries with his family.”
The former TLC star disclosed that she decided to stay married for an additional four years partly due to her father’s, a fundamentalist Christian, reaction to her concerns.
“I remember my dad told me, ‘If you get divorced it’s going to break God’s heart and it will break my heart,’” Olivia shared. This fear of losing her parents’ support made her think, “I guess I have to figure it out.”
“Looking back now, I really could’ve spared four years of endless discussions that led nowhere,” she reflected. “But I just didn’t want to quit.”
Olivia noted that her separation from Ethan in 2023 and the journey to divorce was as challenging as depicted in Welcome to Plathville.
Nonetheless, she never intended to divorce Ethan. In fact, she hoped to be the couple that successfully navigated the challenges of marrying young.
“What I always returned to was, ‘It doesn’t have to be a mistake,’” she mentioned on the podcast. “While it’s uncommon, people do stay with their first partner for life.”
Olivia highlighted that the stigma surrounding divorce in her religious family and in-laws contributed significantly to suppressing her feelings.
“I also feared being blamed for the divorce,” she added.
Olivia and Ethan tied the knot in October 2018 after a nearly year-long engagement. Before their wedding, Olivia clashed with Ethan’s mother, Kim Plath, who she felt tried to control their lives.
“While we were dating, I realized I was being restricted in our activities and conversations,” Olivia told Us Weekly in August 2021. “The moment it clicked for me was the night we got engaged. When we came home, [Kim] waited up for us and grabbed my hand to look at the ring. The first thing she said was, ‘Oh, I want to trade rings with you.’ I thought, ‘That’s really strange.’”
After marriage, Olivia’s relationship with Ethan’s family became increasingly strained. By the time they announced their separation in October 2023, Ethan had limited communication with his family, which he later attributed to Olivia.
Olivia and Ethan filed for divorce in February 2024, with documents indicating their separation date as February 25, 2023.
Their emotional ups and downs were portrayed in seasons 6 and 7 of the TLC series. During the season 7 finale in September, which was Olivia’s last episode on the show, the couple was still navigating the finalization of their divorce.
Despite being candid about her feelings towards Ethan and his family — and how she was represented on the show — Olivia expressed on Tuesday that she ultimately found the experience therapeutic.
“The show really placed me in the midst of mainstream society,” Olivia elaborated. “It reflected my own reactions back to me, allowing me to grow.”
She concluded, “Reflecting on it now, I consider it a positive experience. I learned a lot,” noting that from season 1 to 7, viewers can clearly see her growth.
Olivia is currently residing in Washington, D.C., with her boyfriend Brendan. Meanwhile, Ethan made his relationship with Teegan Nichols public in January.
