Rumors have been circulating that the TLC reality show breaking amish It may not be as real as fans think, so we decided to dig a little deeper into this theory! Scroll down to see everything we know about whether the show is real or fake.
Does ‘Breaking Amish’ have a script?
The series, which ran from 2012 to 2014, focused on “temptations abound as a group of Amish youth explore life beyond their Amish culture,” according to the network. “Ultimately, they will make the most important decision of their lives: remain Amish/Mennonite or become English and face the consequences of being rejected by family and friends.” It has become increasingly popular ever since, with the spin-off go back to the amish returning for season 7 in March 2023.
In 2012, TLC and the show’s production company, Hot Snakes Media, issued a joint statement via HuffPost which addressed speculation that the scenes were designed to boost ratings. Around that time, it was theorized that some of the cast members had already embarked on their lives outside of the Amish community.
“There is a lot of information floating around about the group that appears on breaking amish. Much of this is not true, but some of it is, and it will be addressed in future episodes,” she read.
Hot Snakes went into more detail about this for Variety He explained, “Our contracted Amish and Mennonite growers introduced us to Amish and Mennonite men and women who were already determined to leave. They had already made the decision to go out and see the world, with or without us. They bravely allowed us to follow them on this journey.”
Various controversies have led viewers to believe that the show is scripted. For example, Jeremiah Raber It is said that he left the Amish community at the age of 18. However, in 2012, at age 30, he was filmed doing modern tasks like using a cell phone “for the first time.”
He discussed the theories surrounding the show in a 2015 interview with the site Blast Zone Online, noting that people may not fully understand the community. “A lot of people think they know how the Amish live because they may have lived around or heard certain things about the Amish.” he shared. “Where I’m from there are 13 types of Amish. The strictest ones are like the movie. Witness. The more modern ones have electricity, cell phones, computers, etc., so they have to realize that not all Amish are the same.”
Jeremiah also said he couldn’t say the show was “100 percent real” because some of the reality TV moments required some planning. “Each location we go to has to be set up in advance, which means the owner of each location has to sign a release before we film at that location,” he noted. “Yes, there are parts that are written. Every reality show is that way of making things juicy and interesting for the viewers.”
Another controversy over the cast is over rebecca byler and abe schmucker, who were allegedly filmed meeting in New York “for the first time,” even though they had been together for a while before the episode fans saw on TV. Rebecca was also a divorcee, which is particularly frowned upon in the Amish community.
Other eagle-eyed fans have discovered social media profiles and more, all of which add evidence to support this theory.
Meanwhile, cast member kate stoltz would not address whether or not the show was written while speaking exclusively with In contact in February 2018. “I really can’t [say]. I’m sorry,” she said at the time.
Nonetheless, We still think this is great TV!
