Is Moriah Plath Emancipated — Or Is It A Hoax?
She broke free of her controlling uber Christian family.
YouTube The season 2 premiere of Welcome to Plathville is right around the corner, and if you're unfamiliar with the show, let us fill you in here.
Kim and Barry Plath have nine children and used to live on a large farm in Georgia. The Plath kids are homeschooled, aren't allowed to use the computer or have social media accounts, and they don't drink soda or eat sugar.
In the season 2 trailer, the Plath family reveals they moved off their farm and closer into town, and that there have been some pretty big changes in the Plath family dynamics since season 1 wrapped up last year.
One of those big, aformentioned changes centers around their one of their older daughters, Moriah Plath.
Who is Moriah Plath, and is Moriah Plath emancipated?
Read on to find out everything you need to know about Moriah Plath, including whether or not she's actually emancipated from her parents.
Moriah Plath has always been a bit of a rebel.
Her desire to be a typical teenager with a social life and fashionable clothes and listen to artists like Carrie Underwood has always been at odds with her parents' super-controlling and super-conservative ways.
Moriah Plath wanted to go to college.
On an episode of Welcome to Plathville, Moriah sat down with her mother Kim to talk to her about thinking about going to college.
Her mom didn't take this well and said, "Everywhere you go there are just pornography and junk."
It seemed like maybe Kim would come around when Moriah mentioned going to a nearby college.
However, let's not forget that in the first episode of the show, Kim said she thought her daughter Hosanna was happier getting married young and starting her own life instead of sitting at a desk and learning "head knowledge."
She's the black sheep of the family.
Moriah is basically the black sheep of the family for being a typical teenager and wanting to have a social life, listen to popular (ie: secular) music and travel the world.
In her deeply Christian family, though, that's not looked upon favorably. Just look at how Kim and Barry treat Ethan's wife Olivia, who is Christian but partakes in normal activities for a 20-something, like drinking wine, traveling, and more.
Kim seems to want Moriah to follow a plan that she has laid out for her daughter. And if older sister Hosanna is an example, that plan would be to get married right out of high school.
Moriah is really just a normal teenager.
On Welcome to Plathville, we've seen Moriah trying to spread her wings in a typically teenage way.
She wore a bikini to the beach. She traveled to San Francisco. And she's pushing as many boundaries as she can with her parents.
She's also been vocal about the fact that she disagrees with the strict rules her parents have for her and her siblings and because of her parents controlling and intrusive ways, she doesn't feel close to them.
In a teaser for the show, she said: "Nothing against my parents, but I don't agree with everything they say or think."
She has an Instagram account.
Just the fact that Moriah has an Instagram account tells us she is no longer under her Mama and Papa's roof because as revealed on the show, Kim and Barry Plath are staunchly anti-technology.
Moriah's Instagram account features a number of photos of and tributes to Ethan's wife, Olivia, who we see being a guide/mentor/friend to Moriah on the show, introducing her to a new world and new way of thinking.
The two young women even attended a Carrie Underwood concert together.
She went public with her emancipation.
On October 16, 2019, Moriah Plath posted the photo below and a 193-word caption that appears to confirm the fact that she has moved off the family farm.
She captioned it in part: "i asked to be independent, i got that one for sure. i asked life to make me stronger.. i’m learning a lot and i hope i always will. anyway, i just wanted to say i love all of you tons and thank you again for being the awesome people you are in my life."
Olivia Plath commented on this post, saying that she was proud of her.
Mariah then responded that she was grateful to have her looking out for her "instead of a sister who looks down on [her]."
Later on in the comments, Barb Plath (who is Moriah's grandmother) commented on the post about Moriah getting her birth certificate.
Moriah replied: "Already have that… more like emancipation."
She spent Thanksgiving with her sister-in-law, Olivia.
Moriah took to her Instagram account on Thanksgiving to post a pic with Olivia.
She captioned it: "I’m thankful for a million things this thanksgiving but I am so thankful for this gem. Olivia thank you for being there for me in the times when I’ve needed you most. I am blessed to know you for the real and beautiful you and you certainly know me for the wild and crazy girl I am. I love you, sis! Happy Thanksgiving."
Her brother Ethan Plath also commented on the post. "Favorite girls."
Some people think its a hoax.
Katie Joy of the YouTube channel 'Without A Crystal Ball' commented that Moriah's alleged emancipation is actually just a hoax and tha all the comments about emancipation are a long-running joke.
Moriah may have just gone to Minnesota to visit her grandparents (one of whom is the Barb Plath that frequently comments on Moriah's Instagram posts) for a while, and returned to the farm in October.
When does Welcome to Plathville season 2 premiere?
We're all going to have to tune in to TLC and keep an eye on Moriah's Instagram to uncover the real story.
The season 2 premiere of Welcome to Plathville airs on TLC on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 10 p.m. ET.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in December 2019 and was updated with the latest information.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based writer and editor covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, business, and philanthropy. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.