Soon after the Welcome To Plathville Season 5 finale aired Tuesday night, Olivia Plath took to Instagram to answer questions from her fans — and her detractors.
In case you missed it, the Welcome To Plathville Season 5 finale included a very tense confessional with Ethan and Olivia in which they talked about whether or not their marriage could be saved. It was very clear the answer to that question was “no.”
Olivia and Ethan issued statements last month confirming their separation, and the finale episode concluded with this update:
Olivia and Ethan have mutually decided to file for divorce.
Olivia Plath Instagram AMA
Once the Season Finale aired, Olivia was free to talk more about her relationship with Ethan, as well as other topics that would have been “spoilers” during the season. That’s exactly what she did with a question and answer session on her Instagram account.
The AMA (ask me anything) is included in its entirety below, but I will start with a few bullet point highlights:
• Olivia moved to Los Angeles roughly six months ago.
• She plans on keeping the last name Plath. For now.
• She wants to date.
• Olivia seems to confirm there will be another season of Welcome To Plathville, and she will be included.
QUESTION: Do you regret being on the show?
OLIVIA: There have been moments when I thought I did because growing up in the public eye is really hard and not for the faint of heart haha. There have been some negatives, I won’t lie.
But in actuality, no. The positives greatly outweigh the negatives. The experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the consistent “holding up a mirror” of watching my own actions and gaining introspection … I wouldn’t trade those. I’m grateful for them.
(This little kid had to grow up quickly 😂)
What got you through your hardest times?
Ooo so many things but primarily music and movement!
Took up yoga as a way to remember to breathe and release stress in my body. Started listening to more music and curating more playlists as a way to remind myself that we all share human experiences of heartbreak, loss, confusion, pain and joy.
These 3 playlists in particular were listened to a lots 😂
Advice for someone interested in photography but has 0 experience??
I won’t claim to have all the answers, but here is what I did:
– bought refurbished gear so I could afford a nicer camera from the get go (upgraded later)
– asked my friends and family to model for me while I learned how to use my gear, develop my shooting style, etc
– asked to assist other wedding or couple photographers so I could watch, learn and practice
– started off with base prices while I continued to practice and learn
– YouTubed any and every question, asked more experienced friends, etc.
What’s inspiring you lately?
What isn’t?! 😩😍
In this lil fresh chapter of my life, I feel like I’m seeing beauty all around me like I’ve never seen before.
Has the sky always been this blue and expansive? Have the leaves always been this vibrant? Has music always been so emotionally impactful? Have humans always been this endearing? Has the crisp air always been this invigorating? Has laughter always been this healing?
I’m so happy to be alive – that in of itself is inspiring 😭
How do you manage/balance so many out-of-state Weddings in a year? No doubt it takes skill!
I used to shoot 40 weddings a year give or take, but I realized that I can’t properly serve my clients when I’m overworked. Now I take 15-20 weddings per year, and since most of those involve US or international travel, I think that’s my sweet spot. It keeps me creative, allows room in my schedule for other things like shooting a season of a reality show each year, nbd 😅 and lets me give more attention to each client and their photographs.
Know your limit, I guess!
WHY DID YOU USE THE DEVILS TOOTH PASTE.
DUH. I need white glow in the dark teeth in case hell isn’t well lit.
This never fails to crack me up, but it had me dumbfounded the first time I heard it years ago.
Of course @mrskickstand asked this. If you know, you know. If not, ask her on TikTok haha.
Travel bucket list?
Everywhere! But have plans to visit: New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece in 2024.
I lost friends from leaving Mormonism. Did you have that? How did you cope?
When you leave an extreme lifestyle or cult, you lose absolutely everything except the few other souls who also choose to leave.
Leaving the fundamental Christian cult is the absolute hardest thing I’ve ever done, because it’s not a one time choice: it’s a million choices of choosing to educate yourself, choosing to question your prejudices and worldview, choosing to break harmful patterns and dysfunctional cycles, being okay with feeling unsupported and abandoned, shunned for speaking up, etc.
But my autonomy was worth it. 10000%.
Hang in there. Find new communities. Seek out education. Create a new family. Build a life you love. 💕
Do you plan on changing your name?
As of right now, I do not. This has been my name for the entirety of my adult life. Honestly, I sometimes joke that I f***king earned it (and largely gave it notoriety) with everything I went through and I’m not about to change it back to my dad’s/family last name because that girl doesn’t exist anymore – she grew up and left that world behind. I will probably change it when I get married again someday, or maybe hyphenate since my business is branded based on my current last name. We will see 🥰
Do you/the Plaths have any input/veto power re storylines on the show?
Yes. I’ve always said “they can’t film what you don’t do” 😂
One common misconception for our show is that the producers are always scheming, plotting, or forcing us into situations or having conversations. That is absolutely not true. In my opinion, the producing team that we work with is not only incredibly kind and fair, but they also have a high level of integrity and if you see inconsistencies in the show, that is due to certain cast not being honest/realistic, not the producers. I’m proud to both work with them and call them friends.
What’s your skin routine because you look flawless?
I have imperfections like everyone else, promise. BUT I swear by investing in good skincare and removing stress from your life haha. Those two things will make a much bigger difference than makeup I also started cutting out more processed foods and alcohol and it made a difference for me!
Where will you live next!?
I moved to Los Angeles earlier this year for a fresh start while I figured out where I wanted to put down roots. It’s been a lovely 6 months in LA learning to surf, making new friends, enjoying the scenery and weather, etc. 🥰 I needed some time to take deep breaths and figure out some internal things. Los Angeles is not a permanent decision, but I’ve always wanted to live in California and couldn’t before, so I decided to do that now while I can.
Did you and Ethan have to wait to announce your divorce b/c of the show?
I mean, yes, but it was mutually beneficial to have some extra time to figure everything out before saying anything publicly and dealing with the onslaught of opinions and crap from family/the public.
Divorce is hard.
Public divorce is … HARD.
I cannot believe some of the absolute vile things that people have commented on my social media.
I’m also blown away by all of the lovely messages of support and solidarity I’ve received. So if you sent one of those, know that it is appreciated 💕 And if you took the time to seek out my page and say something super hurtful and gross, I hope your conscience doesn’t let you sleep at night until you get rid of that ugliness inside. It hurts you more than it hurts me, honestly.
What’s your astrological sign?
Sun: Taurus Moon: Aries Rising: Aquarius
Don’t know too much about them, but what I know tracks I guess 😂
Favorite fiction book you’ve read in the last few years? ❤️
– The Book Thief
– The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
– The Parisian
– The Wife Between Us
– Water for Elephants
Why are you antisemitic?
If being anti-genocide and pro-humanity makes me anti-Semitic, that says everything about our culture and nothing about me.
What’s the most significant thing you’ve learned this year?
The world is even more nuanced than I thought last year. People aren’t black and white either. They can do some really shitty things (even repeatedly) and I don’t have to be around them, I don’t have to have a relationship with them because of their bad behavior, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they arc a bad person.
I was asking for some very basic, personal and valid needs to be met by people who were never going to be able to meet those needs. I was asking too much of the wrong people. I wish I had realized that years ago, but I’m glad I see that now What I need and want in my relationships won’t be too much for the right people who have the skills and desires to meet those needs.
Advice for someone who is going through a similar relationship situation?
Know your worth. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with them. Prioritize growth, communication and healing together. If that’s not possible, prioritize it for yourself.
Someone sent this to me earlier and it resonated with me:
Refusing to give up on a relationship even when it is making you lose your sanity, mental health, or normal functioning isn’t a noble act.
Fighting for a relationship by abandoning yourself isn’t romantic. Trying to be more patient with someone who refuses to change isn’t love.
Not everything is worth fixing or saving, especially if it comes at the cost of our well-being. Sometimes, the greatest act of maturity and courage lies in declaring, ‘I give up on this relationship.’
Please note this is based on my experience and I don’t know what’s right for everyone.
What are your favorite girl names? (I need some inspiration 🙈)
I’m a sucker for classic/whimsical names! Juliette, Charlotte, Audrey, Eleanor, Isla, Florence, Josephine, Scarlett, Claire, Jacqueline, Adele, Skye, Eloise, Virginia, Juniper, Violette, Gwenyth.
Here's the "social media" post Ethan's talking about that initiated the rift between Olivia and his family.
The post was in response to Olivia accusing Kim Plath of stealing from her son Ethan. #plathville #welcometoplathville https://t.co/cFk4sNAneG
— Starcasm (@starcasm) September 20, 2023
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
