Sean Hartless, part of the “polyamorous quad” featured on TLC’s Polyfamily, has been exposed for allegedly having a past that includes multiple ex-wives and at least three other biological children– none of which were mentioned on the controversial series.
While the concept of ‘Polyfamily’ has garnered a certain amount of criticism on social media, Starcasm reports that there are multiple controversies surrounding Sean’s past that were seemingly just glossed over by the family when introducing themselves to viewers. In addition, incidents from Sean’s past— including him being investigated for “inappropriate sexual interactions with a minor child online” in 2016.
As fans of ‘Polyfamily’ know, the series follows two married couples as they navigate living together and raising a family as a “closed quad.” That “closed quad” consists of Sean, his wife Taya Hartless, his girlfriend Alysia Rodgers, and Alysia’s husband Tyler Rodgers, who is also Taya’s boyfriend.
Viewers were told on the show that, before forming their quad, Sean and Taya had been married for six years and Alysia and Tyler had been married for 11 years, during which the latter couple welcomed two children together. After becoming a closed poly quad, the family welcomed three children, though the paternity of the three kids is unknown…by choice.
Before all this, though, Starcasm reports that Sean tied the knot with a woman back in 1999, whom he went on to welcome a daughter with the following year. In September 2001, Sean’s (first) wife filed for divorce and was awarded custody of the couple’s daughter.
Court documents obtained by Starcasm show that Sean got married for the second time in May 2003 to a woman he had welcomed a daughter and son with (reportedly twins) in 2002.
(So for those keeping track at home, that’s two additional wives and three additional children of Sean’s that TLC failed to mention.)
While Sean’s first wife was awarded custody of the couple’s daughter in 2001 upon their divorce, she went on to file a motion in September 2003 to temporarily discontinue Sean’s parenting time with their daughter, due to the child allegedly being in “immediate danger.” Prior to that filing, Sean had been permitted visitation with his daughter for five hours on Thursday evenings and every other weekend; however, court documents state that in September 2003, his daughter began “crying and throwing tantrums before every weekend visitation” with Sean.
The documents allegedly describe “troubling physical symptoms” the daughter exhibited following visits with Sean, with the motion also alleging that Sean was leaving his daughter unsupervised with his stepchildren upstairs in his home. The Department of Human Services (DHS) and police reportedly later informed Sean’s ex-wife that one of Sean’s stepchildren “had been referred to the ‘Sexually Acting Out Committee.’” In September 2003, Sean, Ex Wife No. 1 and a psychologist reportedly met to create a safety plan to ensure that Sean’s daughter would never be left unsupervised with Sean’s stepchildren; three months later, a judge signed an order allowing Sean to have supervised visits with his daughter at a visitation center.
Fast forward more than a decade, Sean’s second wife filed for divorce in May 2016. That same day (literally), both of Sean’s ex-wives filed motions for temporary custody modifications due to the concern that their children were in “immediate danger.” Sean’s ex-wives noted in their respective motions that they had been informed by DHS that Sean was being investigated for “inappropriate sexual interactions with a minor child online.” (According to Starcasm, no criminal charges were pursued related to the allegations against Sean.)
Sean’s second ex-wife also stated in her motion that Sean had not seen their two children in months and that Sean wouldn’t tell her where he was currently living. A judge went on to sign off of both of the wives’ motions, after which, Sean was only allowed supervised visits with his three children.
While Sean has yet to confirm the reports about his past, a Reddit account allegedly belonging to his biological son recently replied to posts about both the TLC show and Sean, with the individual claiming that Sean is a “bad person.”
“ … The show makes him look like a bad person, and that’s because he is,” the individual commented on the PolyFamilyTLC subreddit earlier this month. “As long as people don’t like him that’s and know that he is a bad person [then it’s] just funny. He left his other family’s. I just wonder how long for this one.
Despite his feelings towards his biological dad, Sean’s alleged son said he and his family are doing well without Sean in their lives.
“My whole family is doing great, the scumbag left like almost 10 years ago we couldn’t be better,” he wrote.
The two-hour season finale of ‘Polyfamily’ aired earlier this week on TLC. The network has yet to announce if there will be a Season 2 of the series.
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(Photos: TLC)
19 Responses
He also was tayas coach at PC
Some of you in the comments don’t have reading comprehension skills and if you’ve never dealt with DHS you wouldn’t know, so let me explain this to you.
He was accused of leaving his daughter from Ex 1 with STEP children ie., kids that weren’t his (presumably wife #2’s from a previous relationship). THAT is who, if anyone, likely abused his daughter. Wife one made a stink so she got him put on supervised visitation. Obviously his less than 1 year old twins weren’t a threat of harm to the 3 year old.
A DECADE later wife #2 divorces him and files a nearly identical motion as wife #1, on the EXACT same day to strip him of parental rights due to an allegation made to DHS, which apparently was unfounded because TRUST if something actually happened he’d have been charged. He wasn’t.
With two disgruntled exes it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what went down.
And if wife #2 was SO worried about him, and the initial allegations were remotely true then why did she stay another entire decade.
Cherry on the sundae is a Reddit from the “alleged” son (who would be well into his 20’s by now) talking smack about him when he admittedly hasn’t seen him in a decade.
He didn’t leave, he was forced out.
It’s probably why the guy is 1) terrified of losing custody of his current kids and 2) has his guard up and comes off as an AH.
Do you genuinely think if he was 1) really a predator Alysia and Tyler would be in a relationship with him and have their kids around him? And 2) after the Dugger scandal/debacle that TLC wouldn’t completely vet a family like this? 3) With any legitimacy to any of this the family would put themselves on blast. ESPECIALLY when they already knew they’d get judged.
Of COURSE they didn’t mention his former wives/kids. They’re not on the show, it’s irrelevant to the storyline.
And that might not even have been the family’s decision, the producers could have chosen to eliminate that info. Perhaps, maybe even to rage bait all of you … gasp!
Because obviously they knew this would come out.
There is another Reddit spreading gossip about this family, lots of comments from one person with an account that doesn’t use a real name claiming ambiguous, negative things as if they’re facts when what is said is easily proven wrong.
Everyone should know by now how TLC spins this crap. Ya’ll just need to have someone you love to hate.
And just so we’re clear. No, I don’t know him. Yeah he comes off as a jerk on the show, but watch how he apologizes and comforts Alysia end of episode 5 (6?) when she’s crying about the intimacy boundary, gets up from the couch, then comes back. He cares, he’s just uncomfortable with emotional expression so he has his guard up and bristles easily. Can you blame him after everything he’s been through.
I’m not defending him if he has in fact done reprehensible things. I’m simply saying, don’t be deceived by the way he’s being presented.
Btw this was filmed over 2 years ago and the family is doing just fine!
Initially, I was impressed with their “sit downs” and their ability to calmly explain the nature of their relationships as well as their expectations, vulnerabilities and concern for their children. From a viewer perspective, I thought Tyler/Taya were married as well as Sean/Alesia. I’m having a hard time seeing the opposite! I was so happy to see their newest addition be so nurtured, cared for, and so darn cute! I have concerns that Taya will not always be 100% fulfilled with “just a quad” life and Alesia looks to be needing some personal time to figure herself out and who she wants to be(?) On top of this, I wish the children were more of a priority for them as they will need preschool soon as well as some more traditional out-of the-house socialization/learning. I have high hopes for them and the show, but feel both are gonna crack! PS. Producers, please toss out Sean’s ankle length sweatpants with elastic ankles. I’d dry out sexually, too! Ha
I have watched this train wreck. It’s 4 horny people talking about sex and who’s night is it all the time. The poor kids.
i agree with you
So “poly” really is not a thing. It is just perverted degenerates doing their thing. It’s insane that TLC and other media outlets are working over time trying to make it happen.
I agree. They don’t even have the excuse of being raised with it as a part of their religion or cult like the polygamists do. They’re straight up just trying to justify their degenerate lifestyle, so I’m not surprised at all that something like this in one of their backgrounds came out so quickly.
It’s part of a larger agenda – a dysfunctional populace yields a more powerful gov’t. That’s why TM is still on. Did that show influence a bunch of young girls think it was okay to have a kid they couldn’t provide for? Of course!
Break the family unit and usher in communism. They’re doing quite well. It’s sad that children. are the first casualty of this.
What an absolutely shocking surprise that someone living the polygamous—or fundamentalist Christian “way of life”—somehow has a whole set of skeletons in their closet!
It’s not like it always ends up coming up with these poly- or highly anti-BC shows!
People who are on the absolute fringe of any liberal vs conservative, secular law vs religious law….are going to be the abusers and the freaks. Their narcissism tells them they’ll never be found out for their past abuses, and they seek out the cheap money of having TLC (or MTV with the teen moms), film them and hope for an edit that makes the show compelling…
A show that basically shows that the film crew witnessed, but ignored, a shit ton of abuse, won’t be taken up,
This show has nothing to do with religion. Please leave Christianity out of it.
This show isn’t….but the other shows where bizarre family arrangements ARE based on religion (the Duggars…) often aren’t what they seem and have massive skeletons in the closet.
This post very much infers he sexually assaulted his step kids who then sexually assaulted his daughter from a previous relationship….that he left alone with the kids he probably sexually assaulted.
have never (and will never) watched this show, but just from the photos here ~ how this ogre 👹 got even ONE person to sleep with him is far beyond me. 🤷🏼♀️
and seems like he’s an a-hole 🍑🕳️ to boot ~ like, if that’s how you look you should at least be fun, kind, witty…
Is it really too much work for TLC to hire one person to look into their cast members?
I didn’t care much about the show, and now I really don’t like it at all. What does his current wife think about how he left his other children and doesn’t have a relationship with them. Ugh!!
In her own words she said she has always been protective of him. They met at work. I think he was her boss. This was maybe 2-3 episodes ago.
This show is so creepy. They are all disgusting. In what world does a foursome work? He grosses me out in so many ways and to read this I am not at all surprised.
That pretty much sums up my feelings on it too. Those poor kids! What a sick and dysfunctional household to be raised in.
If there’s a Tell All, I want to know how often the sheets are changed. Yikes!
oh you are so right on this i was thinking the same thing