In 2020, family vloggers Myka and James Stauffer made a heartbreaking announcement to their followers that their adopted son was now living with another family. A new three-part docuseries called An Update on Our Family, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival, delves into the events leading up to this decision, the backlash that followed, and the complexities of the situation.
Director Rachel Mason was inspired to explore this story further after reading a 2020 New York Magazine feature about the Stauffers. She admitted that she initially viewed family YouTube channels from a distance, like an anthropologist observing an unknown species. However, she wanted to understand the appeal of these channels and how they maintained their audiences.
The Stauffer family started their YouTube channel in 2014, sharing various aspects of their lives, including their struggles with miscarriages and parenting challenges. In 2017, they adopted Huxley, an autistic toddler from China, and documented his challenges on their channel. Despite their transparency, they faced criticism from fans who noticed inconsistencies in their videos.
After three years of documenting Huxley’s adoption journey, the Stauffers tearfully revealed in a May 2020 video that they were rehoming him due to his special needs, which they claimed were more severe than they were initially aware of. This decision sparked immediate backlash, including death threats and harsh criticism from other creators, leading the Stauffers to shut down their channel.
The docuseries also features insights from individuals with relevant experiences, such as a mother who shared her own story of dissolving an adoption on Reddit. Additionally, YouTuber Hannah Cho, a transracial adoptee, provided valuable perspective on the scrutiny faced by family vloggers and their audiences.
Director Rachel Mason hopes that the docuseries will shed light on the intense pressures and expectations faced by creators in the online community. She believes that the story of the Stauffers is not just about them but also about the broader culture of extreme reactions and polarized behavior on the internet.
As of now, Myka no longer posts on social media, while James maintains a YouTube channel focused on cars called “Stauffer Garage.” Huxley, now known by a different name, is living with his new adoptive family, who chose not to participate in the docuseries. The general release date for An Update on Our Family has not been announced following its premiere at the Tribeca Festival.