Jacob Roloff Pens Emotional Letter, Claims He Was Molested By A 'Little People, Big World' Producer As A Child
He bravely shared his story on Instagram.
YouTube Jacob Roloff has been noticeably absent from Little People, Big World, and in the past, he's has quite a bit to say about his experience being on the TLC show with his family.
After TLC’s Little People, Big World returned to the network in 2018 with yet another new season, Matt and Amy Roloff’s youngest child Jacob, was MIA, and it got fans wondering where he is and if he’s going to make appearances on the show in upcoming episodes.
While there has been a ton of speculation as to why Jacob has not renewed his TLC contract and if he had a falling out with his lovable family, it seems as though Roloff has finally shed some light on his exit from the show.
In an emotional letter posted to Instagram on Dec. 16, Roloff revealed that he had been molested by a third party field producer while he was on Little People, Big World.
“It is often much easier to think about things than it is to talk about them, and so this disclosure has been delayed, but through that delay, I have found the fortitude and words," he began the letter.
"As a child, I after what I realize now was a long grooming process, I was molested by an executive field producer for Little People, Big World.”
Jacob's brave letter most likely answers the question that everyone's been wondering for years:
Why isn't Jacob Roloff on Little People, Big World?
Read on for all the details.
Jacob is over the drama.
Jacob lives relatively close to his parent’s farm, so it’s become obvious that distance is not the reason why we aren't seeing him in any scenes.
In 2016, he commented that the show was framing scenes in such a way to build up drama for viewers.
He claims his family is the complete opposite of what the public sees on TV. In 2015, he took Twitter by storm by implying that when he was a minor, he didn't receive appropriate financial compensation for being the show.
He felt his family’s health was not prioritized.
“Producers have to try to get us to follow the talking points,” Jacob wrote in Good Housekeeping.
“For me, noticing how the agenda of the crew doesn't work well with the health and happiness of our family is what made me decide quite a while ago that I could not be a part of it as soon as I was able.”
He’s a published author.
He released a book, Verbing which reveals the show only brought him pain, especially in his relationship with his family members.
Jacob explained that, “The show led to arguments and miscommunications with family, especially my parents, culminating in their decision to experiment with having me see a therapist.”
Verbing is compiled into essay format and speaks of his personal growth, on several different levels, due to being in the public eye.
He's married.
Besides working on his second book, Jacob and wife, Isabel Rock, had been traveling across the country at the time, documenting their adventures and road trip-experience through their YouTube channel, Rock & Roloff.
His Instagram says a thousand words.
Of course, if viewers look closely, we can all see this was a long time coming for Jacob. Nearly a year ago, he wrote a lengthy caption under one his Instagram pictures about the sum of his experience:
“I get comments on here all the time about how people ‘miss me on the show’, or telling me I should ‘do a few more episodes with the family; and I’m posting this to say that that will never happen. For the sake of the ratings I’ve seen a lot of STORYLINES drawn up (loosely) about our lives and when I was standing here, behind the scenes, watching it from an outside perspective I just couldn't stop laughing....
...Laughing at how hard the producers have to try to get us to follow the talking points, and at how ridiculous the talking points are. …For me, noticing how the agenda of the production crew doesn't work well with the health and happiness of our family is what made me decide quite a while ago that I would not be a part of it as soon as I was able. I appreciate people wanting me to ‘be with the family’ for a few more episodes, but the family that is filmed is not my family...
...They are the Roloff characters and I have scarcely anything in common with them, nor do I want to be a character myself. As soon as the cameras drop however it’s like they never played the part. I am with my family and I love them, I’m just saying you will never see me on TV again.”
On Dec. 16, he shared an emotional letter about his traumatic experience as a child while filming the show.
Jacob Roloff took to Instagram to reveal the trauma he experienced at the hands of a field producer on Little People, Big World.
His wife, Isabel, supported him in the comments, writing, "Proud to know you, proud to love you, proud to be your wife."
Amy Roloff, Jacob's mom, also commented on his brave admission. "I love you forever and always Jacob. Im proud of you. Now you don’t have to feel alone and carry this around anymore."
Sexual abuse of children and minors is incredibly common.
According to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), 1 in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 have experienced sexual abuse from an adult. Girls are far more likely to be victims of sexual abuse; the organization reports that 82% of all victims under 18 are female, and those who do suffer from assault and abuse are more likely to also develop mental health issues like depression, PTSD, and drug abuse.
Sexual abuse of adults is also common.
RAINN also reports that every 73 seconds, an American is a victim of sexual violence. As with children, females are far more likely to be abused and assaulted, and 90% of victims who are adults are women. This is especially prevalent among women who also happen to be college students, which makes their risk three times greater.
There are ways to help child abuse victims.
Want to get involved to bring an end to child sexual abuse? There are a few things you can do. There are organizations like Prevent Child Abuse America that are good places to start and that are always looking for people to donate their time and money to their efforts. The organization also suggests writing to local elected officials to support policies that bring an end to sexual abuse, and of course, the simplest thing to do is to keep eyes and ears open and to report abuse when you see it — and to always take children seriously when they say they're being abused.
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Christina Wright is a New York based freelance writer covering entertainment, beauty, interior design and all things fashionably interesting. Christina mostly enjoys reading, and doing things “for the funny story later”.