Stauffer Family Doc Examines Rehoming Controversy With Adopted Son Huxley

Myka Stauffer has found herself under the spotlight once again nearly four years after the YouTuber and her husband, James Stauffer, shared they had rehomed their adopted son, Huxley.

In the new docuseries An Update on Our Family, Vox Media Studios takes a deep dive into the family vlogging industry and the controversy that followed the Stauffers.

“For two and a half years, Huxley was the star and then he kind of just disappeared from the channel,” one participant said in the trailer. Another guest added, “People were asking, ‘Where is Huxley?’”

According to People, the docuseries includes the moments loyal followers grew suspicious that Myka and James were possibly hiding something about their then-4-year-old, Huxley, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder after his adoption from China at 2 years old.

In April 2020, James posted footage from the inside of his car on his auto maintenance YouTube channel, Stauffer Garage. At the time, some viewers observed that Huxley’s car seat was missing from the backseat.

Another possible red flag was when subscribers noticed that comments about Huxley’s absence were being deleted. The mystery only continued when Myka and James changed their videos with the toddler from public to private.

In May 2020, the Stauffers announced they’d come to the decision to reverse the adoption. After undergoing multiple assessments and evaluations, Huxley’s team of doctors recommended he spend time with other families better equipped to care for him.

“There’s not an ounce of our body that doesn’t want Huxley with all of our being. There wasn’t a minute that I didn’t try our hardest,” Myka said in the family’s announcement video. “Do I feel like a failure as a mom? 500 percent. So when we get insidious, hurtful comments, it really makes it hurt worse.”

After receiving criticism for their decision, an attorney for the Huxley’s also issued a statement noting that Myka and James — who are also parents of Kova, Jaka, Radley and Onyx — never considered putting Huxley in foster care. Instead, his new family was hand-selected to ensure a good fit.

“They were forced to make a difficult decision, but it is in fact, the right and loving thing to do for this child,” the statement read via People. “In coming to know our clients, we know they are a loving family and are very caring parents that would do anything for their children.”

Myka’s last post on Instagram was an apology for all “the hurt that I caused” to the adoption community and her followers. She also set the record straight on some rumors surrounding her family’s journey.

“We did not adopt a child to gain wealth. While we did receive a small portion of money from videos featuring Huxley and his journey, every penny and much more went back into his care,” she wrote in June 2020. “Secondly, we are not under any type of investigation. I’m hoping to share more from my side of the story soon. And lastly, I’m so sorry for letting you down.”

An Update on Our Family, which includes clips from Myka’s since-deleted YouTube videos, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6. A wide release date has yet to be announced.