Why Did These YouTubers Give Away Their Son?

Four years after successful family vloggers Myka Stauffer and James Stauffer announced they had “rehomed” their son Huxley, his disappearance from the couple’s vlogs is getting renewed scrutiny in a new docuseries. The Ohio couple Youtube vlogged about their adopted toddler for years until an eery video in May 2020 announced the dissolution of their adoption.

Myka Stauffer

For years, Myka Stauffer and her husband James chronicled the adoption of their autistic son Huxley on their monetized YouTube channel. The couple’s efforts included a video of their first meeting with the 2-and-a-half-year-old from China that received over 5 million views. They also made the boy a key component of their lifestyle videos, which boosted their popularity and garnered them sponsorships.

But in 2020, the family vloggers shocked fans when they revealed that they were rehoming Huxley. The news sparked suspicion among their dedicated viewers, who noticed that the toddler wasn’t appearing in vlogs anymore and that comments on his absence were being deleted. Their suspicions grew even more when James posted footage of his car’s back seat on his auto maintenance channel Stauffer Garage, and fans noted that Huxley’s carseat was no longer in the backseat.

The family vloggers ultimately explained that they had to make the tough decision because they were struggling to provide Huxley with the care he needed.

James Stauffer

One of the hardest, gut-wrenching decisions a parent can make is giving up a child. In a 2020 YouTube video, James and Myka Stauffer announced that they were “rehoming” their adopted son Huxley in order to find him a family that could better care for him and his needs. Speculation began when James posted footage from the inside of his car on his maintenance YouTube channel, Stauffer Garage, and viewers noticed that Huxley’s car seat was no longer present.

While the Stauffers have since deleted their family vlog, they still post videos on James’ channel about car flipping and detailing, and Myka has started her own parenting vlog called The Mommy Diaries. The couple’s story is also being revisited in a new Vox Media docuseries called An Update on Our Family that takes a deep dive into the family-vlogging industry.

Kova Stauffer

Earlier this month, Myka Stauffer and her husband James revealed that they had “rehomed” their adopted son Huxley. The Ohio-based content creators, who have four other children — daughters Kova and Jaka and sons Radley and Onyx — received backlash from their followers over the decision to rehome the 4-year-old, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder level three.

The couple filmed an apology video, in which they explained that Huxley had more issues than they anticipated from the adoption process and that they were unable to handle his needs. They also said that he is now with a family who will be able to care for him.

The video has since been made private on Myka’s YouTube page, but it can be seen on Bilibili, a Chinese video platform. Despite the apology, the couple has faced backlash over their decision. Many have called for their sponsors to drop them.

Jaka Stauffer

Myka Stauffer and her husband James made a name for themselves on YouTube by sharing their family’s day-to-day life with thousands of fans. Myka is a parenting influencer, and James runs a car detailing channel called Stauffer Garage. They have four children, Kova, Jaka, Radley, and Onyx.

The couple’s most successful video was a heartwarming montage of their adoption process from China that went viral and brought in millions of views. That video also spurred a new era of growth for the popular family vloggers, who had previously struggled to gain traction on the platform.

But a month after announcing that their adopted son Huxley had been placed with a new family, the Stauffers incurred backlash from angry viewers. Some claimed that Myka and James had exploited Huxley for views, and Playtex Baby and Danimals severed their ties with the couple. Adoption advocates and experts weighed in, saying that the situation was irresponsible and harmful to Huxley’s well-being.

Radley Stauffer

Huxley Stauffer is the son of Myka and James Stauffer, who are both YouTube celebrities who document their family life in vlogs. He is one of four children, including daughters Kova and Jaka and sons Radley and Onyx. Huxley was adopted from China in 2017 and became widely known for his presence in the family’s The Stauffer Life vlog channel. But last month, Myka and James revealed in a tearful video that they had rehomed him.

The family’s decision triggered intense backlash online. The incident inspired a new Vox Media Studios docuseries that delves into the controversy surrounding the couple. Despite the furor, Myka and James maintain that their decision was in Huxley’s best interest. They also say that he is “thriving” in his new home, where his mother has the medical and professional training to care for him.

Onyx Stauffer

Four years after Myka and James Stauffer rehomed their son Huxley, the YouTubers have found new fame in a Vox Media Studios docuseries called An Update on Our Family. The series dives into the family vlogging industry and includes footage from the couple’s videos before Huxley joined their family at age 2.

Stauffer and her husband documented every step of their adoption process, from crying while describing administrative delays to celebrating when their son was finally home in 2017. They also kept hundreds of thousands of followers updated on their relationship with him, as well as their other children Kova, Jaka, and Radley.

But when the couple made an emotional video explaining that they had rehomed their son because of autism, the backlash was fierce. Some of the brands that had partnered with the family, including Playtex Baby and Danimals yogurt, cut their ties.