The Truth About Matt Roloff's Girlfriend

When Little People, Big World stars Matt Roloff and then-wife Amy announced their shocking split in June 2015 after 27 years of marriage, many fans wondered when the exes would start dating other people. Well, that question was answered in March 2017 when news broke that Matt and one of his longtime employees, Caryn Chandler, were in a relationship. The revelation came as a shock to people, to say the least, mainly because Chandler was close to both Amy and Matt before the romance. Not to mention, the timing of the relationship came across as a bit suspect. A lot of people wondered if the two had gotten together prior to the divorce — a hunch that has negatively colored fans' opinions of Chandler. 

Making matters even more difficult for Chandler is that the press caught wind of her rocky past in the months since she and Matt got together. Yikes. But is all of the criticism towards Chandler warranted? Let's take a hard look at the truth about Matt Roloff's girlfriend.

Little People, Big World fans already know that Chandler worked at Matt and Amy's farm — Roloff Farms — as a manager. Essentially, Chandler's job was to make sure the operations at the farm ran smoothly, including during the busiest time of the year — pumpkin season. "Caryn is instrumental in running pumpkin season, she's run it for 10 years," Matt explained on an April 2018 episode of the show (via In Touch Weekly). "She tries to get Amy as involved as she can. There was awkwardness a little bit, but we're all kind of finding our way." 

And by the sound of it, Matt really loved working with Chandler. "I enjoy her immensely," Matt added. "Whether we're working or whether we're relaxing, we have a great time together." 

As it turns out, however, Chandler might not be employed by Roloff Farms any longer. A family insider told Radar Online in May 2018 that Chandler is no longer working at the business in "any capacity." Dang, what happened here? Either there's trouble in paradise or Chandler wants to expand her professional horizons. As for what we think about this supposed change, we're just concerned about pumpkin season. Let's not forget the innocent pumpkins, people.

There's no dancing around the fact that working with your ex's new significant other can be awkward. And in some cases, it can be downright tense. No one knows this truth better than Chandler, who was forced to work alongside Amy after she got together with Matt. Sheesh, talk about a nightmare scenario.

Sadly, the bad feelings are 100 percent mutual in this situation. "It is hard for me to say, 'Yeah, go ahead and invite Caryn,' because it is someone I've known for a long time. Matt's worked with her for many, many years, and that will always hurt to some degree, but it's something that I will have to be an adult about it," Amy said during an April 2018 episode of LPBW about inviting Chandler to her daughter-in-law's baby shower (via Cafe Mom) "It doesn't mean I have to embrace it and accept it personally." 

As for Chandler, she expressed frustration to Matt that Amy has the power to dictate their relationship. "I don't want to make a decision on our relationship based on what Amy might do in the future," Chandler vented to Matt during dinner, according to a trailer promoting LPBW's 18th season. "I want to make our own decisions." Yep, it sounds like Amy and Chandler will have to work really hard to get their relationship on track. 

Chandler's divorce from her husband of about 20 years, Joseph, was pretty difficult. Case in point: Joseph went to court in September 2012 to ensure that the exes' then-teenagers, Brittany and Connor Chandler, never appeared on LPBW. Obviously, this must have been tedious for Chandler considering she worked at the same place where LPBW was filmed. "Mother will not take [redacted] to her employer's property without Father's permission," a judge stated in court documents obtained by Radar Online. "Neither party will allow the children to be filmed for television without the consent of the other party." 

Additionally, the judge ordered that neither Chandler nor Joseph could back one another in front of their children or at work. "Father and Mother shall be restrained and enjoined from making any derogatory comments about each other to, or in the presence of the children, as well as in their respective places of employment," the documents went on to decree. "In addition, both parties shall refrain from discussing the other parent's employment with the children, and neither parent shall do anything that might jeopardize the other party's employment." Wow, it's crystal clear Joseph wanted his kids to have zero ties to Roloff Farms. We wonder why...

You can't discuss Matt Roloff and Caryn Chandler's relationship without bringing up the unfounded rumor that the two both cheated on their former spouses. Although this theory has never been confirmed outright, there are some pieces of evidence out there that fuel this piece of gossip. For starters, there's the fact that Chandler's ex, Joseph, went to great lengths to have his kids kept away from Matt and Roloff Farms — five years before the controversial romance. It seems to suggest Joseph was never the biggest fan of Matt, and one has to ask why. Not to mention, there's the fact that Amy was devastated to learn about the pair's relationship. "Caryn has been Matt's personal assistant for many years," Amy said in preview for the 17th season of LPBW, shortly after news of their relationship broke. "Now that they're dating, of course that's hurtful." 

And it's clear that time hasn't healed Amy's wounds. "I'd rather minimize the personal interaction with them [Chandler and Matt]. It's not healthy for me," Amy admitted on an April 2018 episode of LPBW (via The Hollywood Gossip). Yeah, it sounds like this love triangle is pretty complicated.

One of the more upsetting rumors about Chandler is that her adult son, Connor, has struggled with drug addiction. The claim came to light in January 2018 after Radar Online obtained an Instagram post that Chandler's daughter, Brittany, supposedly wrote about the sensitive topic. "Tonight and most nights, I fall asleep wondering where my brother is, if he's safe, and what tomorrow will bring," Brittany penned in October 2017, according to Radar Online. "The heavy misuse of prescription drugs and opportunity to deal has turned my brother into someone I hardly even recognize anymore. I struggle to understand what this epidemic has become and why it has to be this way." 

Brittany also revealed that Connor, who was supposedly homeless in Portland, Ore., at one point, cycles through stages of sobriety and addiction. "My brother ... is once again consumed by addiction," she added in the message. 

As for Chandler, she hasn't addressed Brittany's claims. One can imagine Chandler wants to keep this matter private if the drug addiction rumor is true. 

Unfortunately, a lot of fans have attacked Chandler on social media throughout the years. Each and every time Matt Roloff shares a photo of Chandler on social media, for example, people immediately flood the post's comments section with negative remarks. The good news is that Matt has no qualms about defending his lady love. "Yesterday I posted a photo that included my wonderful Girlfriend Caryn," Matt penned in a March 2018 Facebook post. "You all sent us so many wonderful kind, warm comments. (a few minor exceptions lol). But that's ok.... As long as you don't use four (4) letter words and/or vulgar hateful speak I try and let various opinions go ... Thank you for being so supportive and loving to me, my family and Caryn. She truly is a wonderful human ... both inside and out." 

Matt, who is pretty active on social media, also denied that Chandler is responsible for any discord in the Roloff family. "Fake news is alive and well.. how sad. The roloff family just keeps hanging closer and closer together despite these broken misleading headlines ... matt, amy, Jer, zach Audrey, Tori, molly, Joel, Jacob, Izzy, Chris and caryn," Matt shared via Facebook in January 2018. "All working together to surprise you all at how an American family can function together despite a few minor differences." Aww. It's clear Matt really wants fans to love Chandler.

Although Amy and Chandler have their issues, Matt's kids are happy to have their dad's girlfriend in their lives. From intimate family gatherings to nights on the town, Chandler is frequently pictured with Matt's brood. Chandler's ease with the Roloff kids might have to do with the fact that she let things unfold organically. "I'm certainly not going to push myself on anyone," Chandler shared in an episode of LPBW (via Good Housekeeping). "So I think letting everything happen really naturally is really important." 

The only problem with this situation? Amy doesn't know how to handle Chandler's presence in her kids' lives. "Seeing Caryn here threw me for a loop more than I would have liked," Amy said about running into Chandler at her daughter-in-law's gender reveal party, which took place in January 2017 (via Cafe Mom). "I think coming here to this particular event is an intimate family thing ... It just throws a whole different dynamic to my life here on the farm." Well, we suppose Amy will just have to get used to this new normal.

New relationships can hit a few speed bumps from time to time, and it looks like Chandler and Matt's union is no exception to this truth. Following a long and happy honeymoon stage, the couple appeared to break up in May 2018. As for the evidence, some eagle-eyed LPBW viewers noticed that Matt supposedly stopped following Chandler on Instagram — a telltale sign that the pair had called it quits. On the other hand, however, Matt's family members didn't unfollow Chandler on the 'gram. Hmm, very curious indeed. Either Matt's Instagram snub was a misunderstanding or the two did part ways. If the latter is true, it's likely Matt took the split hard. 

"I really like and appreciate the fact that she wants to spend personal time with me," Matt said in April 2018 about his love for Chandler (via The Hollywood Gossip). "It really warms my heart. Amy and I had some compatibility when the kids were born, but looking back after the kids were gone, we realized we don't really have a lot in common." Here's to hoping Chandler and Matt can make things work in the long run.

One of the consistent rumors about Chandler is that she's after Matt Roloff's money. In fact, people often resort to calling Chandler a gold digger on social media. Although it's not clear why people think Chandler is all about Matt's reality television cash, there's a good chance it has something to do with the fact that she was once employed by Roloff Farms — meaning that she probably had insight into the family's finances. So, did Chandler seize her chance for fame and money when Matt split from Amy? Who knows. Either way, it's clear fans think there's something off about Chandler's intentions. 

"She [Chandler] is only a gold digger you need to wake up Matt," one fan commented on a February 2018 Facebook snap of the couple. "Can't stomach Caryn." Another person chimed in, "Same old same old. Older man and younger woman. It's always for the money." To be fair, however, Chandler did earn a salary from Roloff Farms for seven years. It's likely that Chandler has a nice nest egg saved and that she doesn't need (or want) Matt's LPBW fortune.

It's no secret LPBW viewers are closely monitoring Caryn Chandler's every move. And in October 2017, a very observant fan who visited Roloff Farms noticed that Matt Roloff's girlfriend got a new tattoo on her ankle. The tattoo, according to Radar Online, is an "R" placed above the word "really." Interesting, right? 

Although it's not clear what the tattoo "really" means, lots of people think the "R" is a homage to Matt's last name — Roloff. So, did Chandler really get ink in honor of her boyfriend? If Chandler did get the "R" to pay tribute to Matt, some might argue that it was a little fast. The two had only been together for eight months at the time, after all. On the other hand, it's possible Chandler knew Matt was "the one" fairly quickly. Zach Roloff, who has always been supportive of his dad's relationship, said of the pair's electric dynamic, "Caryn and my dad seem really happy together" (via Good Housekeeping). Hmm, we wonder if Matt will get his own tat to commemorate his love for Chandler.