Reality TV Couples
Why Did ‘Welcome to Plathville’s Ethan & Olivia Split? Their Breakup Explained
Welcome to Plathville is returning with Season 7 on July 22 and will document Ethan Plath‘s new relationship following his breakup with ex-wife Olivia Plath. Ethan and Olivia got married in 2018, but just five years later, they announced they were separating.
“Ethan and I have decided to go our separate ways,” Olivia shared at the time. “I have ambivalent memories of us being 18 years old, innocently dreaming of forever – but the partner you choose is a reflection of the world you want to live in, and at 18 I didn’t know who I was or what kind of life I wanted to create for myself. 7 years later, I’ve already begun my journey of questioning, deconstructing and rebuilding and I know that is a process that I will continue to prioritize throughout my life.”
In his own message, Ethan added, “Olivia and I have parted ways. It just didn’t work between us, though Lord knows we both gave it all we had. It seemed we were constantly pulling each other in opposite directions in life with different goals.”
So, what really caused the split? Scroll down for everything we know about the couple’s relationship issues.
Why did Ethan and Olivia Plath split?
Some of Ethan and Olivia’s biggest issues stemmed from her differences with his conservative family. “When we were dating, I knew that I was being controlled in what we were allowed to do, what we’re allowed to say,” Olivia told Us Weekly in 2017. “I remember the night it clicked for me was the night we got engaged.”
She recalled Ethan’s mom, Kim Plath, waiting up for the couple. “She, like, grabbed my hand and looked at the ring, and the first thing she said was, ‘Oh, I want to trade rings with you. And I was like, ‘Okay, that’s really weird.'” She claimed Kim began treating the wedding “as if it was hers.”
“[She] basically told me what we were going to be doing,” Olivia added. “And that was the moment where I was like, ‘I don’t want to be controlled like this.’ I never got to tell my mom that I was engaged before [Kim] posted online. That’s how my mom found out.”
The tension continued after Ethan and Olivia tied the knot. “It was just, like, a pattern that she tried to make a lot of decisions for me,” Olivia explained. “And I was fresh out of my parents’ house and figuring out who I was, and I didn’t want decisions made for me.”
Olivia and Ethan also had different ideas about where they wanted to live. While Ethan was content with staying in his family’s rural Georgia town, Olivia was desperate to get out and experience city life. Olivia even moved out of the former couple’s marital home during Season 3 of Welcome to Plathville.
They settled this issue by moving to Tampa, then later Minnesota, but Olivia’s drama with Ethan’s family continued to pile up. Plus, the pair started realizing they weren’t as compatible as they originally thought. “When we first got married, we were pretty much on the same page,” Ethan said on Season 5 of the TLC show. “Political beliefs, religious beliefs, and now we’re on opposite ends of the book.”
Are Ethan and Olivia Plath divorced?
Although divorce papers were filed in February 2024, and Ethan and Olivia signed them on an episode of Welcome to Plathville that August, Olivia revealed in April 2025 that the split still hasn’t been finalized.
“He filled [the papers] out incorrectly,” Olivia alleged in a TikTok video, adding that she tried to reach out to Ethan to fix the issue, but he blocked her on social media.
Who is Ethan Plath dating now?
Ethan is now in a relationship with Teegan Nichols. He went public with their relationship in January 2025.
“Proud to introduce my sweet girlfriend!” Ethan captioned a now-deleted Instagram post at the time. “She truly is one of the sweetest, kindest, and patient people I’ve ever known! Looking forward to the next year and what it has to bring. Wishing everyone a very happy new year! Here we go 2025!”
In her April TikTok, Olivia said that Ethan unblocked her and told her they needed to get divorced “immediately.” She claimed that the reason for the rush was because her ex “got engaged,” adding, “Imagine proposing to a girl, and being like, ‘Will you become my wife?’ And she says, ‘Yes,’ and he says, ‘Oh, I have to legally divorce my other wife first.'” However, Us Weekly reported that Ethan and Teegan were not engaged.
Their relationship will be featured on Season 7 of Welcome to Plathville.
Is Olivia Plath in a relationship now?
In 2024, Olivia introduced her boyfriend, Brendan, on an episode of Welcome to Plathville. The current status of their relationship is unclear, but fans have speculated that they broke up.
Welcome to Plathville, Season 7 Premiere, Tuesday, July 22, 10/9c, TLC
