Parenting YouTuber Myka Stauffer has defended her and her husband’s choice to “rehome” their adopted son, Huxley, following intense backlash.
Myka and James adopted the now four-year-old boy from China in October 2017. Their journey to Huxley was widely documented and shared on Myka’s self-titled YouTube channel, from the day they met Huxley to bringing him home. However, when fans started to notice Huxley was missing from Myka’s recent posts and videos, the parents released ‘an update on our family’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozthKDdSMZQ&t=165s
“After multiple assessments, after multiple evaluations, numerous medical professionals have felt that he needed a different fit in his medical needs, he needed more,” an emotional Myka said in the video.
“We haven’t made this video yet, and it’s because we’ve been trying to protect his privacy, his rights, and also just try to not mess up his future that was laid out in front of us,” James continued. “We’re trying our best to make sure we don’t impact that all by making this video.”
Myka said that she tried to let her followers know about Huxley on Instagram in “little” ways, but couldn’t share more because she didn’t want to mess anything up legally.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-So2SXA5A7/
While some followers are sympathetic towards Myka and James, the overwhelming response to their decision is shock and disgust. Myka’s Instagram is filled with furious comments and a Change.org petition was created demanding that the Stauffer family remove all monetised content of Huxley from YouTube.
Facing increasing backlash, Myka wrote in a since deleted comment on Instagram, “We would never just give up a child with special needs, this is a personal matter to Hux it had nothing to do with he just had Autism.
“Multiple scary things happened inside the home towards our other children, and if these events happened with one of my biological kids, after all the help and after the behaviours we witnessed sadly we would have no other choice then to seek help and get their needs met.”
Myka continued, “Huxley wanted this decision 100% we saw that in family time with other people, he constantly chose them and signed with and showed tonnes of emotion to show us and let us know he wanted this. Huxley never had a say in his adoption, and he needed more help and also wanted this and we know that 100%.”
Since revealing the ‘update’, a slew of brands have cut ties with Stauffer including baby supplies label Playtex Baby, retailer Big Lots, and kid’s yoghurt and smoothie brand Danimals.
Kate Hudson, responding to an IG user who asked her if her activewear line Fabletics would continue working with Myka, said their partnership had been “terminated”.
Barbie did the same on Instagram, responding to a user: “Thanks for reaching out and voicing your concern. We are not currently working with the Stauffer family and do not have plans to partner with them in the future.”
Myka had shared sponsored posts for both of the brands within the last year.
