More than a year after accusing her mother-in-law of committing credit card fraud, Olivia Plath is providing more details about the alleged crime.
As fans of Welcome to Plathville have seen on the current season of the TLC reality series, relationships among the Plath family continue to be rocky, with parents Kim and Barry remaining estranged from their son Ethan and Ethan’s wife, Olivia.
This season, viewers have also watched as Ethan’s younger sister Moriah has gone against her former bestie Olivia, after Olivia alleged that Kim once stole a credit card from Ethan. Moriah claimed on the show that Olivia made up the story to “validate her big emotions,” and in August 2022, she even took to social media to defend her mom and accuse her sister-in-law of not telling the “full story.”
“ … Mom and Ethan had a business agreement in which Ethan earned a good bit of money,” Moriah wrote in part. “And both parties were aware of any transactions that were made. Our mom should have had the opportunity to defend herself and tell her side of the story.”
Just days ago, Starcasm reports, Olivia took to TikTok with a nearly 10-minute video in which she attempted to clear up the details surrounding the “credit card fraud” story she first shared in 2022, admitting to viewers that she was “nervous as hell” to share the story, but felt it was what she needed to do.
“I got married when I was 20 and that is when the blowup around this story took place,” Olivia explained. “But the backstory to that is when Ethan was about 16 or 17, his mom signed him up to be on her downline for an MLM company she was a part of called Young Living.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br1gLewgqF3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
(As you may know, multi-level marketing businesses operate by enlisting individuals to sell products/services and by having those individuals recruit others to do the same; MLMs are often referred to as “pyramid schemes.”)
Olivia said at this point in Ethan’s life, he was not allowed to be on the computer (due to the Plath family’s strict rules), nor was he allowed to purchase toiletry/hygiene items that were not specifically made by the MLM company Kim was working for. Because Ethan was not allowed on the computer himself, Olivia said Kim set Ethan up on auto-shipment to receive his hygiene products monthly using Ethan’s own credit card, which was saved on-file.
“ … Within a few months of his mom opening this account for Ethan, she wasn’t making the money she wanted to make with the MLM, so she started going on his account–- that he had no access to-– and making these really large purchases to bump her up so then she would get paid more, she would get more bonuses,” Olivia alleged. “And she made a ‘business arrangement’ with her son that whatever the order was that she placed, she would pay him back half of that.”
According to Olivia, Kim explained to Ethan that this arrangement was a win-win because it allowed her to make more money while also giving Ethan some of the cash she was earning, as well as bonus points that he could redeem for free Young Living products.
Olivia went on to claim that within a week of her and Ethan getting married, Ethan was set to receive another auto-shipment from the MLM, but he told Olivia he no longer wanted to receive the products and gave her the green light to cancel his future orders. However, when Olivia attempted to do so, she learned that Ethan never had the password for his account. After requesting the information from Kim, Olivia said she logged onto Ethan’s account, where she discovered multiple “large” orders that included items Ethan didn’t use, such as makeup and protein drinks.
Olivia proceeded to confront her husband about the seemingly sketchy “business arrangement” he had with his mom, at which point she said a “lightbulb went off” for Ethan. Olivia went on to change the password on his account and within an hour, she received a call from Kim asking her to meet at the Plath family home to have a conversation. Olivia said she was greeted by both Kim and Barry upon her arrival.
“They spent 30 minutes trying to bully me into giving them the password, telling me I was standing in the way of them parenting their children and helping their kids out,” she said. “The joke is, when I was on [Ethan’s] account before changing his password, I saw that all those free points that he accumulated for the large orders [Kim] made, [Ethan] never got to use them. [Kim] redeemed them all for free products.
“The business deal was even more shady than I thought,” she continued. “He was being stolen from.”
Olivia said she and Ethan sat down and looked at all the orders made from his account that he paid for but was never reimbursed for in order to create an invoice. The couple sent the nearly $1,000 invoice to Kim, demanding that she pay back the amount within 45 days. Instead of paying the invoice, however, Olivia said Kim and Barry started going around their small town and telling everyone Olivia was suing them for “trying to help their kids out.”
Olivia said the events took place between filming Season 1 and 2 of ‘Welcome to Plathville,’ and at one point, Kim even tried to hold out on filming Season 2 until Olivia agreed to back down and “stop suing her”–- something Olivia said was encouraged to do by show executives.
“So I got a call from some executives saying, ‘Olivia, we have always been able to count on you being the bigger person, we really need you to do that now. We really need you to just let this go so we can all move all, we can all be filming again, it’s fine,’” she recounted. “I was not about to be bullied into that so I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ I stood my ground … .”
After more than a month, Olivia said Ethan’s parents finally called him and said they would pay him, but requested that he come to their house to pick up the check. When Ethan showed up, Olivia said Barry handed over a check for the full amount Ethan was owed, along with a dig at his son’s marriage.
“His dad handed him the check for the full amount and looked him dead in the eye and said, ‘Have a nice life living in bondage,'” Olivia said. “That’s the story.”
Olivia went on to claim that what happened was never brought up by Kim or Barry because they knew they “couldn’t win,” as Kim had gone against the MLM’s guidelines by engaging in this so-called “business arrangement” with Ethan. Olivia added that Kim could have even been reported for her actions, per Young Living’s guidelines.
“What was happening was illegal to Young Living guidelines,” she said. “When I brought up that I knew [it was against the guidelines], there was no other recourse than to let it go, which is also why [Kim and Barry] have no comment on what happened … .”
Olivia also claimed to have “so many stories” like this one.
“All I can say is I’m grateful to be removed from that environment and not have anything to do with all of that anymore,” she concluded.
Watch Olivia’s full TikTok below.
@oliviamarieplath Setting some details straight regarding a story I shared in a interview last year about “credit card fraud.”
RELATED STORY: ‘Welcome to Plathville’ Star Kim Plath Has Moved to Florida With Her Boyfriend Ken Palmer, One Year After Divorcing Ex-Husband Barry
(Photos: TikTok; TLC; Instagram)
Olivia is a truly an evil person. She shows her husband no respect and the fact that her husband has to choose between her and her family just shows how much of a looser she is. That should never be a thing that any family has to do. I totally am behind the mother in this situation. Never create an obstacle for a family to have to choose. Every one has to choose. You are wrong
Uhm… that’s not just fraud in the eyes of Young Living.
Stealing $1000 from your own son and trying the wiggle yourself out of everything and blame his wife! Make him pick up his cheque and gaslight and abuse him some more.
I don’t think Moira’s real issue is Olivia, it’s Kim.
I’m sure Kim is guilty of some wrong doing in handling Ethan’s business, no doubt. But Olivia is the most vile person on this show by far. Last week’s episode revealed she’s always been an absolutely horrible person. If Ethan hasn’t left her yet, I’m sure he eventually will see her true colors (it’s inevitable) and run like hell.
That’s not just fraud in the eyes of Young Living.
Stealing $1000 from your own son and trying the wiggle yourself out of everything and blame his wife!
No matter what Kim has done to her family. Alivia is 1000 times worse she has created friction she has divided the family. She has done nothing to reconcile any of it besides acting like an immature selfish little child. She never talks about her own family and there are extensive histories with the law. She just wants to talk trash about Ethan‘s family while pretending she’s above it all no girl we all see you.
I think both can be true. I think his mom probably did convince him to let her use his card for purchases and she would give him a financial kickback I also think once the mom started using the card to buy from herself she got out of control. I think Olivia prob didnt like mom from beginning and tried to stir the pot and eventally convince Ethan he was better off without them. His parents seem odd and shady on the show but you can force someone to hate their family or anyone for that matter. They will eventually resent you for that and turn on you. They all have faults…just like every human in this world. No one on this show is blameless. I like each character ina differnt ways…I do like Barrys arms lol… tho but not those eyes of his…yikes!
Whenever I need to figure out who is telling the true between two woman, I always believe the one with the better boobs.
Stay lit,
NIBS!!! ❣️😘
Glad I’m not the only one who immediately noticed that! 😂
💖🕯️💕
Ethan wouldn’t even have a social security card if it weren’t for that show, Fundies are shameless
So honest question what does a baby or young child who isn’t paying taxes need a social security number for? I am in Canada and didn’t get a social insurance number until I was 15 and went to get my first job. There was no reason to and that was the norm. We now have registered education savings plans and in order to open one for your kids they need a SIN so mine got them as babies but if I hadn’t been planning to save for their education I wouldn’t have bothered. What do Americans need them for before they start working?
Health insurance you need a social security number. Most school enrollment you need a social security number. If you want your child to start learning about money and open a bank account they need a social security number. Most importantly if you want to claim a child on your taxes a dependent you need a social security number for that child.
I believe Olivia.
Also- it’s so annoying how so far this season, Kim keeps alluding to being ready to start dating and asking all of her friends about when the right time to start is. Girl, we know you were already seeing your right-wing boyfriend in Florida, that’s where you were when you got your DUI. Nice try.
So when Kim would place large orders of YLEO, and then only pay for half, was Ethan being charged for stuff he didn’t use or want? Or was she piggybacking on his existing order?
Also, my parents NEVER told my sisters and me what skin care products we HAD to use. They would buy us products unless we chose to buy something else ourselves.
I don’t know where the truth lies in this story but I’ve always gotten manipulative vibes from Kim. She comes across as a bully until she’s ready to be the victim of her own behavior. I think it was pretty cruel to abandon her younger children to play house with a boyfriend, but then again, much of the show has been about poor Lydia being parentified to raise those young girls. Much like Jana Duggar. Kim “deserves” love and freedom and it’s all on Lydia to be the mother. Disgusting.
I believe Olivia on this one. Not saying she isn’t capable of over or under exaggerating details, but Kim is shady and I could totally see her doing this. It’s obviously she was 100% the decision-maker in that family and Barry bowed down, to the detriment of his kids. Kim is an abusive, despicable hypocrite and she owes her kids a lifetime of therapy
This sounds just like the crazy MLM Huns I have de-friended over the years. I have zero doubt Olivia is telling the truth, but I’m sure Kim did think she was helping or something. She isn’t the brightest bulb in the box
Kim probably did something but I don’t understand why it’s necessary to air out dirty laundry on social media especially if it has somewhat been resolved. If someone is going to air it out…shouldn’t Ethan do it anyway?
I believe Olivia. Mama Plath is a controlling narcissist. It’s funny how they all say to “wait for the full story,” then like why don’t you tell the “full story”? Kim refuses to even really talk about it on the show so you know something shade went down. It’s upsetting to see Moriah and Micah try to rewrite history with the family, but blood is thicker than water as they say.