4 Red Flags Ethan And Olivia Plath's Marriage Wouldn't Last

In 2019, reality TV fans were first introduced to Ethan and Olivia Plath in the hit TLC series "Welcome To Plathville." Throughout the show, viewers were treated to a deep and personal look at their marriage, which began on October 13, 2018. While their first few years of holy matrimony included an array of adorable moments, the two also had their fair share of issues, resulting in breakup rumours. In July, Olivia seemingly put the speculation to rest after her sister, Sophia, claimed their breakup would take place in "Welcome to Plathville" Season 5. "A friend informed me of this post, so I just wanted to take a second and clarify... Sophia is my younger sister, but her and I have a very distant/strained relationship," she wrote. "Subsequently, she actually isn't a reliable source when it comes to my personal information."

However, on October 27, the pair announced they were, in fact, splitting up. "Olivia and I have parted ways. It just didn't work between us, though Lord knows we both gave it all we had," Ethan wrote on Instagram. Olivia echoed similar sentiments in her own heartfelt post, writing, "There were good moments, and I want to remember and honor those... We will be okay. Thank you for the good times, Ethan." With their divorce imminent, we wanted to take a look at Olivia and Ethan's relationship and the red flags that were clear as day all along.

While Ethan and Olivia Plath's relationship was jam-packed with romantic moments, the pair's harmonious union took a nosedive during the third season of "Welcome to Plathville," which saw the latter move out after a tense argument (via The U.S. Sun). While they were able to somewhat reconcile, the underlying tension resulted in Oliva and Ethan signing up for couples counselling after only three years of marriage. "As of right now, I think what we both really really need is to be able to sit down with a counselor that'll help us both hear each other," he explained in a clip from the show.

During the airing of "Welcome to Plathville" Season 3, the couple updated fans on how the couples therapy helped with their communication style. "If you have two people that don't get each other and have gotten to the point where they're no longer willing to hear the other person, it takes a third person to be the go-between the two, so that the other person is heard on both ends," Ethan told People. "I felt like that was a big thing the therapist helped us with." In an additional interview with Us Weekly, Olivia expressed similar sentiments while reflecting on the positives of their marital issues. "Our relationship almost had to hit rock bottom for us to kind of wake up, prioritize and actually deal with our own problems," she explained. "We're in a much better place now."

Unfortunately, Oliva and Ethan Plath's marital problems didn't end after they signed up for couples counseling. During "Welcome to Plathville" Season 4, the two embarked on a four-hour road trip to visit family. However, instead of a peaceful ride, Ethan and Oliva argued about how they were going to spend their time in Cairo. "Can we set up a time to hang out with Isaac and Lydia while we're up there?" the wedding photographer asked (via TLC). In response, Ethan revealed he already had plans to hang out with Isaac, implying he wanted one-on-one time with his brother. 

This didn't go over well with Olivia, who accused him of having a double life. "He told me he doesn't want me coming with him. I don't even think he means that personally," she explained in a confessional. "But I would be lying if I said I didn't sometimes have thoughts in my head of where is he and what is he doing... he has this little double life."

While Ethan didn't have a double life per se, he did hide the fact that he bought a new car during their separation, which was part of the reason behind their trip to Cairo. "I bought another old car. Well, I actually bought it when we were separated," he said in an additional clip from TLC. The news didn't bode well with Olivia, who explained in a confessional that she felt as if Ethan didn't prioritize her.

It's safe to say that Ethan and Olivia Plath's relationship with the former's parents, Kim and Barry Plath, played a major factor in their impending divorce. From Barry accusing Olivia of brainwashing Ethan to the younger Plath's moving to Minnesota for a clean break, the two couples have endured their fair share of drama. "I would say definitely the stuff we had to sort through with my family really put a strain on our marriage," Ethan admitted to Us Weekly in 2021. Olivia echoed similar sentiments, adding, "The family strain and all that drama just kind of put pressure on us. In the early stages of when we were just getting to know each other."

The young couple's strained relationship with Kim and Barry also leaked into their bond with Ethan's younger sister, Moriah, which started to crack in 2022. However, it was Olivia accusing Kim of using Ethan's credit card that ended their relationship with Moriah, resulting in the singer moving out of their shared home in Tampa, Florida. "I don't know how this is gonna play out. But I do know when it comes to Olivia, I don't feel even guilty at all for saying, 'Hey, look. You were my best friend for a while, I love you, I wish you the best, but I don't wanna be a part of it anymore,'" she said in the Season 5 premiere of "Welcome to Plathville" (via People).

The fact that Olivia and Ethan married at 18 years old was also a huge red flag that their marriage wouldn't work out. According to statistics obtained by Wilkinson and Finkbeiner, 48% of couples who marry before age 18 have a higher divorce rate within 10 years compared to those who marry after 25. "Up until around age 25, the human brain is still developing — specifically the part of the brain that is necessary in making informed decisions about the potential consequences of life choices like marriage," revealed marriage and family therapist Shawntres Parks in an additional 2022 interview with Women's Health. With the stats in mind, it's no surprise that the reality TV couple announced their separation due to their lack of maturity and evolving personalities.

During an emotional scene from "Welcome to Plathville" Season 5, the wedding photographer opened up about how her relationship with Ethan had changed and whether she regretted marrying him. "When I look back at the period of time that he and I were separated, I don't think of it as like independent or free or single or figuring life out," she explained in a confessional (via TLC). "I just remember intense pain. But my mindset was, this is going to have to work out. But I think I'm in a very different place in my life. And I think I would feel different today."