‘Little People, Big World’ Star Jacob Roloff Molestation Claim Is Latest Scandal Rocking TLC

TLC is known for bringing the stories of unique families and relationships to the forefront with their slew of reality shows, but it appears scandals are continuing to plague the network’s host of shows and threatening the status of yet another popular program.

Jacob Roloff, one of the stars of the show “Little People, Big World,” which follows his parents, Matt and Amy, who both have dwarfism, as well as his siblings, including his brother Zach, who also has dwarfism, has revealed that he was molested by one of the show’s producers as a child. He revealed his allegations against Chris Cardamone in a lengthy Instagram post, stating the producer has also been “grooming” him at the time.

Roloff was nine years old when the show premiered in 2006, and Cardamone worked on it from 2007-2010, People Magazine reported.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time one of the network’s shows has been rocked by similar scandals and others as well. While it’s unclear if this will affect the show’s future, others in the past have been canceled due to scandal, though some still run in some form. Check out five other major scandals below.

“19 Kids And Counting” Molestation

The show that launched the Duggar family into the spotlight was pulled from TLC in 2015, after allegations that Jim Bib and Michelle’s oldest son, Josh Duggar, had molested his own sisters as a child, came to light. Things only got worse for the large family as it came to light that Duggar had been unfaithful to his wife, Anna when his name was exposed in a leak of clients from the website Ashley Madison. While the original show was canceled, a spin-off focusing on his siblings, starting with sisters Jill and Jessa as they expanded their families, called “Counting On,” still has life on the network.

“Breaking Amish” Domestic Abuse, Drugs And Fake Cancer Schemes

The cast of the “Breaking Amish/Return To Amish” shows are certainly no strangers when it comes to scandals, as the show’s premise wasn’t entirely based in reality from the beginning, with stars including Abe and Rebecca Schmucker, Kate Stoltzfus and Jeremiah Raber all exposed being outside of their faith prior to their alleged leaving their communities to do the show. However, since the series “Return to Amish” first aired, the group was plagued with a number of scandals, especially Jeremiah, who was accused of domestic abuse by his wife, Carmela, and Sabrina, who faced several bouts of drama from an addiction to drugs.

However, Chapel Schmucker, Abe and Rebecca’s sister-in-law, potentially took the title for the worst scandal to come from the show, after she married Abe’s brother, Andrew at the end of the show’s first season following a new cancer diagnosis. She had set up a Go Fund Me page afterward asking fans for financial help for alternative cancer treatment, but she was later busted for drug charges. It was later confirmed by Kate that Chapel had actually lied about her cancer, which had never returned.

“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” Child Molester Boyfriend

Prior to the Duggars, another family was a part of the star lineup on TLC—Alana Thompson, her mother June Shannon, and her family. They first found fame when Alana appeared on “Toddlers and Tiaras,” and went on to get their own series, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” which chronicled their lives. However, after Mama June and Sugar Bear split, the show was quickly pulled after it was believed June was dating a man named Mark McDaniel—a convicted sex offender, who had allegedly abused her daughter, Anna Cardwell.

The family went on to a new show, “Mama June: Hot Or Not” on WE after June lost more than 300 pounds, but the show has also been plagued by problems due to her relationship with Geno Doak, which has involved drugs, and her daughter Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon has since become Alana’s legal guardian.

“Sister Wives” Catfishing

Fans of “Sister Wives” were stunned when news broke that Kody’s first wife, Meri, had filed for divorce in 2014, allegedly so he could legally marry his fourth wife, Robyn, and adopt her children from a prior relationship. While the divorce was a big enough shock, what happened after proved to serve as a catalyst for continued rumors about the family’s dynamic, and whether or not Meri is even a part of the family any longer.

After her divorce, Meri got caught in a major Catfishing scandal, where she started an online relationship with someone she thought was a man named Sam—but was really a woman named Jackie. Plans to leave the family behind to be with Sam were leaked as a result of the scandal, and while Meri does still remain a part of her extended family today, fans continue to question just how committed she is.

“The Willis Family” Haunted By The Past

A show featuring another large family appeared on TLC in the wake of “19 Kids and Counting” being canceled--“The Willis Family,” who were collectively known as The Willis Clan—a family of 14 who were a musical group that had appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”

The family, consisting of parents Toby and Brenda and children—Jessica, Jeremiah, Jennifer, Jeanette, Jackson, Jedediah, Jasmine, Juliette, Jamie, Joy Anna, Jaeger and Jada—saw two seasons of their show before Toby’s past caught up with them and led to the show being canceled after Toby was arrested on charges of child rape. Toby later went on to plead guilty to four counts and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.