Zach and Tori Roloff say they're saying goodbye to Little People, Big World and all the drama that came with it.
On the Feb. 22 episode of their podcast “Raising Heights,” the couple revealed that they and their children have not been on the TLC series for the past six months. Roloff, 33, and Tori, 31, also spoke candidly about how concerns about their children's privacy rights influenced their decision to close the door on the series.
“We're not going back to 'Little People, Big World,'” Tori explained at the beginning of the episode. “It's like, it's over. That part of my life, that chapter, is over.”
Roloff, who began appearing on the series at age 16, added, “Whether we respond or not, this chapter is closed.” “We've made that pretty clear. For a number of reasons, that chapter is closed.”
Roloff clarified that this was because he and Tori, who had been on the show since season 10, were not asked to return.
“This last cycle was tough,” he continued. “My family's contract with the farm is over.”
“The last year has been tough because it's no longer a project that we really believed in. It's been tough to show up every day for this project,” Tori added.
The couple, who married in 2015, explained that an increasing number of requests for their children to keep parts of their lives private was a major factor in their decision to separate.
“Jackson, the oldest in our family, went so far as to voice his opinion that he didn't want to be involved in filming the show,” Tori explained. “There were things he asked me not to share. I think we really took to heart that as parents, we have to take a step back and look at the big picture. That was a big reason for me. I think so.'' We leave. ”
Roloff and Tori have three children together, including 6-year-old Jackson Kyle, 4-year-old Lyla Ray, and 21-month-old Josiah Luke.
In addition to privacy concerns, the couple admitted that they felt the show was starting to stray from the series' original purpose of introducing viewers to the lives of people with dwarfism without being exploitative.
“Looking at your family, I think[the show]changed the way the world views people with dwarfism,” Tori explained. “I think what I didn’t like towards the end of the shoot was that we moved away from that, the idea of showing what everyday life is like for someone with dwarfism. ” ”
Roloff added that the production's focus on family disagreements caused the series to stray from its original goals.
“Finally, it seemed like this was nonsense,” Roloff added. “This is out of control.”
Fans of the series will recall how the show's cast, which initially featured Roloff and his parents and siblings, has experienced ups and downs in recent seasons. In 2016, Roloff's parents, Matt and Amy Roloff, divorced after 27 years of marriage. According to People.com, Amy also accused her ex-husband of having an affair with an employee at her family's farm.
TLC
For Roloff and Tori, the time away from the series has already been a relief in terms of their family relationships.
“I'm already starting to like those relationships, come back, they'll never be the same,” Tori said. “Unfortunately, I'm not what I used to be, but I also feel like it was time for us to move on because I personally didn't want to hate your family.”
