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Karolina Protsenko’s Incredible Life Twists

Published

9 seconds ago

April 18, 2024

Martha Clifford

Karolina Protsenko is a violin prodigy child with over 1.7 billion combined views on YouTube, across her three channels and her family’s channel. Her life started in Kiev, the capital of at-the-time peaceful country of Ukraine, where she was born to a piano player mother and a guitar playing father on 3 October 2008. She lived peacefully for the next six years, but as geopolitical tensions rose in her region, including the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, in 2015 the family decided against staying and moved to Simi Valley, California USA.

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She escaped a living hell

Although the capital is generally the safest part of any country, her parents’ assessment apparently disregarded that fact, which was later proved to have been a prudent choice, given the threat from Russia. As then-president Viktor Yanukovych refused to ratify the people’s decision for Ukraine to begin its integration process into the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), those among the dissatisfied populace received outside funding for an armed revolution, also known as the Maidan Uprising.

Consequently, most Ukrainian cities became unsafe, especially for a 6-year-old girl. Protests were happening everywhere, with radical WWII slogans being shouted left and right. Of course, this was not the whole population – the eastern part of the country supported the president’s decision, and openly opposed the revolutionary movement. Civilian-on-civilian casualties became commonplace as the Maidan grew into a behemoth of unimaginable violence, with even the local authorities splitting according to their political preferences.

As Yanukovych was ousted by the parliament, pro-western Petro Poroshenko took his place. His newly appointed prime minister Olesandr Turchynov showed little interest in negotiating with Ukrainians who stood against the new government, sending the military into the eastern regions to subjugate them through any means necessary.

This decision created a veritable armed conflict, forcing the separatists of the east to take up arms and organize some semblance of a military structure. In spite of mutually agreed-upon treaties, their war continued for eight years, and escalated with Russia’s direct involvement on 24 February 2022. As of late October of the same year, residents of Kiev live with electricity and heating restrictions, while the situation is expected to get much worse over winter. Without a doubt, moving to the US was the most crucial step in Karolina’s rise to prominence.

She took only two years to become a master violinist

Protsenko already had a profound understanding of music when she arrived in North America, which her parents were aware of, and thus wasted no time thrusting her into the study of their craft. Karolina was specifically sent to violin lessons in 2015, and only two years later at the age of nine, she began performing her unique renditions on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, at the same spot that she uses five years later to record her videos.

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What really makes her stand out is that she doesn’t cover songs the way instrument players normally do that. Instead of playing the melody of the song and replacing all of the music with just the instrument, she plays the full track on a loudspeaker, and uses the violin to replace the voice of the singer. This method has obviously enjoyed enormous success, for two distinct reasons.

The most evident benefit of this type of cover is that the audience gets to hear someone’s entire vocal performance turned into an instrument’s sound, which is untouched by all the other parts of the song, as that’s coming from the loudspeaker. Thus, it’s a pure vocal instrumental. The second perk is that singing a very popular song karaoke-style with one’s fingers is a delicate mastery of its own caliber, and Karolina has thus captivated the hearts of numerous passers-by. On top of that, the prodigy adds another element to her performance – dancing.

Karolina is spread across four YouTube channels

The initial idea that Karolina and her parents had was that she would just play in the street as a busker, and share her passion with strangers, with a humble donation box for anyone to add a dime. Like any street musician, she wasn’t expecting to become rich, however, as is evident five years later, the people absolutely loved it, so much so that she is a bona fide internet sensation. Videos of her busking and dancing are a real treat for sponsors, because YouTube turned her into a superstar.

The channel that started it all is Karolina Protsenko, created on 8 December 2016, now with nearly 900,000 subscribers and over 93 million views. This is initially the channel on which the girl’s parents would upload her performances, but as her popularity grew exponentially, they needed a place to condense only street violin content, while the primary channel would be kept for actual music videos.

That second channel is called Karolina Protsenko Violin, and is far more successful, with more than 7.6 million subscribers, as well as close to 1.5 billion views. Her all-time most popular videos can be found on this channel, including the “Dance Monkey – Tones and I – Street Performance – Violin Cover” video, with nearly 60 million views.

This brings us to her third channel, which is simply named Karolina Protsenko Vlog. As the name suggests, that’s onto which her family uploads cutouts from her everyday life, ranging from ballet lessons, orchestra participation, taking her dog to the beach, and trying on various school outfits. It has just over 370,000 subscribers, but still more than 55 million views.

Lastly, her mother and father have their own channel too, called The Protsenko Family, with 100,000 subscribers and over 20 million views, created on 13 June 2021. The channel features all members of the family, including Karolina and her two baby siblings, as well as the parents’ day-to-day trials and tribulations with three young children.

The married couple also use it to share very important details about themselves, such as moving to a new house, or meeting a bear in the wilderness. In addition, Karolina also has Facebook and Instagram accounts, with over 10 million and nearly one million followers, respectively.

Ellen’s honorary guest

It turns out that Karolina became so popular that Ellen DeGeneres simply couldn’t afford not to invite her to the show. With that, of course, comes a proper introduction – ‘Our next guest is a 10-year-old violinist who spends every weekend performing on the streets of Santa Monica. Her videos have been viewed over 250 million times online. Performing “Sunflower” by Post Malone, please welcome Karolina.’

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She showed up in a pink dress with flowers, and her signature instrument, playing the same song that Ellen showed a video of, along with the whole dance routine and energetic twirls. After she finished the performance and they got to talking, the child star explained that she started playing the violin at six years of age, without even initially understanding the instrument.

She said ‘I just wanted to play an instrument, and my parents asked me what do I wanna play – a violin or a flute, and I just picked violin without knowing what it was.’ Ellen then said ‘And you must practice a lot. How often do you practice?’ Karolina responded with ‘Every day, two to three hours.’ ‘Wow,’ Ellen said ‘that’s why you’re that good, and then you dance around, it’s so entertaining. And then you’re on the streets of the Promenade, right? In Santa Monica. Do you love that?’

The child simply smiled and said ‘Yes,’ after which Ellen inquired about the money she makes, asking whether the people are ‘generous.’ Karolina gave an affirmative answer once again. Ellen asked ‘What are you gonna save up for? What do you wanna do with your money?’ Protsenko explained that she’s keeping the cash for college, but that she also wants a puppy. However, her mother told her that they can’t have one yet due to their house not being big enough, and having no large backyard.

Ellen agreed, saying ‘Yes, and time for a puppy, ‘cause puppies take a lot of it. Also, there’s a lot of dogs that look like puppies, that are a little older, and they don’t act like puppies, ‘cause puppies are a lot. They chew on furniture and they pee in your house. Just to let you know.’

The host then revealed a very generous surprise for the aspiring artist, saying ‘Alright, well I got you something for the next time you perform. Bring it out.’ An assistant emerged from backstage and brought her a blue tip bucket showing a sign with her picture and the text ‘Thank you for your support. As seen on ELLEN.’ The next and even greater gift was the beautiful blue violin featuring Ellen’s face with heart eyes, which Karolina was especially excited about.

: Dwayne Wayans

She’s a selfless soul

Karolina’s family is excited to help wherever they can, and they’re known benefactors of good causes, especially the star herself. In 2018, she performed for free at the California Club in Los Angeles, where the annual gala of the Operation Walk organization was being held. The event in question was hosted by a group of all-volunteer medical professionals, whose aim is to provide free joint replacement surgeries around the world.

It was started in 1996 by prestigious orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lawrence D. Dorr, and over the years has grown into a movement that has helped more than 17,000 people in 25 countries. The organization started in the US, but has since expanded its premises into Canada, Ireland, Thailand and even the United Kingdom. For this group, Karolina performed her rendition of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.

She is also a Teen Cancer America ambassador, and as such went to represent them with her performance at the FaerieWorlds annual music festival. Her family recorded a story-like video about the whole event, that can be found on her YouTube channel.

Hey everyone, hope you all have a great day #karolinaprotsenko #aesthetic pic.twitter.com/5y0LRhZpgK

— Karolina Protsenko (@karolinaprotsen) September 29, 2020

Lindsey Stirling is her idol

When one reflects upon the performing style of Lindsey Stirling, one of the greatest violinists alive in 2022, it becomes easy to see where Karolina draws her inspiration. Unlike most of her colleagues, Lindsey likes to take the violin straight into the action and make herself part of the story of every music video instead of simply playing on the side.

She always puts on a show with a wide range of motions and complicated dance moves that generally shouldn’t be possible while playing a violin. It’s this very style that made her stand out from everyone else, and today it’s her signature. She was apparently surprised to see Karolina following in her steps, and decided to surprise her.

Protsenko was interviewed in “The Access Live TV Show” in 2019, and when she answered that Lindsey is her idol, the hosts happily presented her with a video message from the superstar herself. She said ‘What’s up Karolina? Lindsey Stirling here, and I have seen your videos! Even before they told me about you, I’ve seen your stuff, you are so amazing.’ Karolina found it hard to contain her excitement, grinning uncontrollably at the footage.

Lindsey continued, saying ‘You’re killing it. Keep chasing your dreams. Keep working hard, because, girl, you’re gonna get to wherever you wanna go. You’re awesome.’ The child star rubbed her face in disbelief, as the hosts revealed that there was another video message for her. This time, it was from Howie Mandel, who wanted to tell her to keep working hard, and come back to “America’s Got Talent” next year.

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It’s a little-known fact that Karolina auditioned there, but didn’t get the green light from enough judges. Howie thus assured her that violinists simply need to continue working hard, because he has one in his family and knows it to be the case. He called rejection ‘a suit of armor’ that Karolina can now use to her benefit, and come back better and stronger.

Protsenko then said she would be coming back to “America’s Got Talent” later on, explaining how she always feels empowered, thanks to virtually unlimited support from her classmates and online audiences.

Karolina has found her phobia

According to the video posted by her father when she was almost 14 years of age, Karolina seems to have an unexplainable fear of ticks. Since they are in the arachnid family, and technically not insects, it’s safe to assume she has arachnophobia – an irrational fear of spiders.

She found a tick on the ear of Cashew – the family dog. Since ticks need to be removed carefully so as to avoid their teeth remaining stuck inside the flesh after the removal of the body, her father approached the issue with a creative solution. He used a plastic fork and hydrogen peroxide.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkWiPawDskZ/

After disinfecting the wound with the topical solution, he put the tick through the fork and began spinning it in circles slowly, allowing for proper and safe extraction of the head with all of its teeth. The dog was fine and everything went according to plan, but Karolina simply couldn’t stop crying, calling the experience ‘the worst day of my life.’

Her own musical business

While Karolina primarily makes her livelihood through tips and ads on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, she also has six albums listed for sale on her website. While none of the songs featured in them were originally created by her, the renditions on offer across the CD’s carry the customary musical brilliance that the child displays in the streets every weekend.

Martha Clifford

As an Author at Net Worth Post, I guide a dedicated team in the art of revealing the stories behind the world's most influential personalities. Fueled by a relentless curiosity and a knack for uncovering hidden stories, I immerse myself in the intricacies of our subjects' lives, weaving together accurate data and compelling narratives. My involvement spans the entire editorial process, from the seed of research to the final flourish of publication, ensuring that every article not only educates but also captivates and motivates our audience. At Net Worth Post, we are committed to providing thorough investigations into the net worth and life achievements of innovators across diverse sectors such as technology, culture, and social entrepreneurship. My method merges meticulous research with eloquent storytelling, designed to bridge the gap between our readers and the remarkable individuals who redefine our tomorrow. Through spotlighting their journeys to success, the hurdles they've surmounted, and their contributions to society, we aim to give our readers a deep and inspiring insight into the luminaries who are paving the way for progress and ingenuity in the modern era.

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Why was Jenelle Evans fired from “Teen Mom 2”? What happened?

Published

2 seconds ago

April 18, 2024

Martha Clifford

Jenelle Evans gained notoriety for her multiple arrests, heroin addiction, custody battle with her mom, and tumultuous relationships. The public had been privy to her complicated life from her unplanned pregnancy up to the present, via the reality television shows she had been part of, her book entitled “Read Between the Lines: From the Diary of a Teenage Mom,” and her social media posts. Considering that every move she made drummed up interest in “Teen Mom 2,” her exit from the hit series had people speculating on the reasons why.

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Get to know Jenelle

Jenelle Evans was born on 19 December 1991, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She was only three when her mom, Barbara, kicked her dad Robert out of their house. He was a musician, and his work at a recording studio wasn’t enough to pay their bills. His family, it seemed, was not his priority, and he would rather hang out with his friends than be with his wife and kids during his free time. They were married in 1984, and went their separate ways after a decade with the divorce finalized by October 1994; they shared custody of the kids. Her mom had to work twice as hard to earn more money to provide for the family.

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The last time Jenelle saw her father was when he was supposed to pick her and her siblings, Ashleigh and Colin, up one weekend, but he just drove away after seeing them waiting on the porch with her mom’s boyfriend; she was 11 at that time. She never knew why he stopped coming after that. Jenelle hated living in Scranton, not that it wasn’t a nice town, but she never really had any friends, and didn’t fit in at school. The family moved to North Carolina in 2004 for a fresh start.

Her relationship with her mother was volatile too, as they argued all the time. Jenelle claimed to love Barbara, but they didn’t have a close bond. She considered herself a daddy’s girl even if he had been part of her life for only a short time. Some said that she romanticized her memories with her dad, and only remembered him as a cool and fun-loving guy.

Broken relationship with siblings

Her family was dysfunctional – she opened up about how every gathering they had ended in a shouting match, and in the rare moments they tolerated each other, it didn’t last long and they would go back to feeling either hatred or indifference. With what most people knew about Jenelle now, nobody would have guessed that her mom once said that out of her three children, she was the normal kid, as she didn’t need medication or therapy. Her siblings had their own demons, and Jenelle described her relationship with them as broken.

Growing up, they only got along when they were doing something that would get them into trouble. Ashleigh, the eldest, was a brat who had no time for her; they would fight over every little thing, and it often turned physical. In 2006, her sister was arrested for assaulting her and their mom – Barbara said that Ashleigh at that time was off the medication she was taking for her mental health problems.

Jenelle gravitated toward her older brother, who didn’t mind her tagging along with him and his friends. However, Colin had what she called ‘outbursts of rage’, and would lash out at others and even at his family. Usually, she could calm him down, but there were times when he was too out of control that she became frightened of him. He accidentally set their house on fire, and so their mother sent him to a ‘special group home’ that was better equipped to handle him, as he was reportedly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2007, Colin was charged with injury to personal and real property, as he kicked and punched the truck of his mom’s boyfriend, as well as the front door during an altercation.

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“16 and Pregnant”

As it appeared that unplanned pregnancies among teens were prevalent in the US, MTV launched the reality TV show, “16 and Pregnant” on 11 June 2009, to feature their stories. Jenelle was introduced in its second season aired in February 2010. At 17, she had given birth to her son, Jace, with her boyfriend Andrew Lewis the father.

Andrew, her first baby daddy

They met online and went on their first date when she was 16. Andrew was several years older than her and had the propensity to drink, which she found really cool. Her fascination with him had got to a point in which she let him dictate what they would do, and basically became a doormat for him. She said, ‘He came and got what he wanted from me, when he wanted it…We had to talk when he wanted to talk, no matter the odd hours.’

In December 2007, her mom called the cops when she ran away after they had a confrontation, only to find her at Andrew’s house. Months later, Jenelle was arrested after Andrew’s mom reported her to the police, saying that she’d broken into their home and refused to leave. She wasn’t charged on condition that she wouldn’t come uninvited or stay past a reasonable hour.

Andrew wasn’t interested in becoming a dad, and he was gone soon after Jace was born in 2009. It seemed that over the years, there had been attempts to reconnect with his son, but he never really followed through.

“Teen Mom 2”

Since “16 and Pregnant” only covered stories of pregnant teens until their babies were a few months old, fans wanted to know how life had changed for these girls, as they became young mothers and struggled with the responsibilities that came with it. There was a time when people were ashamed to talk about such things in public for fear of being judged and ostracized. However, it seemed that many no longer shied away from delving into a highly sensitive topic, and had come to accept this as and often sad reality of life. The spin-off series attracted millions of viewers – some found it horrible, and criticized the show for turning these teens into celebrities and glamorizing their situation. Others said that it was a docuseries that served as a cautionary tale for young people.

Teen Mom 2 New Season SEE WHO MADE THE CUT! https://t.co/7UuiMZirMF pic.twitter.com/s371jLSeEp

— Jenelle Evans (@PBandJenelley_1) July 23, 2022

“Teen Mom” premiered in December 2009, and featured four girls from the first season of the original show. Jenelle and three others from the second season were the focus of “Teen Mom 2,” which started airing in January 2011. People had been witness to how Jenelle had evolved as a person and as a mother. Her life wasn’t easy, as she continued making bad choices. Being a mom didn’t stop her from doing whatever she wanted, and fans couldn’t decide whether trouble always followed her, or she was the one looking for trouble, as she ended up with bad guys, a substance abuse problem, and numerous arrests.

Almost overdosed on heroin

Much of her trouble began when she took heroin – it was Kieffer Delp who introduced her to this highly addictive drug. At that time, Jenelle was reportedly assaulted by her boyfriend Gary Head, and sought comfort and support from Kieffer. It turned out that his way of doing it was by having her take drugs. She said, ‘Before I knew it, I was shooting up four or five times a day. I was hooked.’ Within one month, she was hospitalized thrice, and came close to dying, as she once blacked out and woke up on the bathroom floor without remembering what happened. She called her mom to ask for help, then quit cold turkey, and struggled through withdrawal symptoms.

Nude photos of Janelle leaked online

Tired of having small breasts, Jenelle had her breast augmented to a full “C” cup in 2012. She was quite happy with her enhanced curves, as she said that it was a big boost to her confidence. When she was devastated when she learned that her topless photos, before and after the surgery, circulated online for the entire world to see, and couldn’t stop crying about it. She accused Kieffer as the one responsible for the leak, saying that he took those photos while she was still under the effects of anesthesia. Kieffer admitted on Twitter that he never would have done it if she didn’t break his heart, and then ‘talk shit’ about him. The two had a huge fight after her ex-boyfriend Gary sent her flowers while she was recovering from her surgery – after kicking Kieffer out of the house, Gary kept her company and they talked about getting back together. Of note, Jenelle had an on-off relationship with the two guys.

Jenelle had an abortion

It was not surprising that her relationship with her first husband, Courtland Rogers, ended considering that she married him on a whim in December 2012, after her split from Kieffer. She moved back to her mother’s house in an attempt to wean herself off heroin addiction, and get her life back on track. When she learned that she was pregnant with Courtland’s baby, she thought it best to have an abortion. Having another baby was unfair to her son, Jace, when she didn’t have custody of him. Her mother was supportive of her decision, accompanied her to the clinic, and even paid for the procedure.

Over a dozen arrests

Jenelle was often in the news for being on the wrong side of the law. Her history of arrests dated back to October 2010 when she was dating Kieffer Delp; the two were arrested for breaking and entering the home of a friend’s mother in Oak Island. She was also charged with drug possession and was sentenced to one-year probation, but violated its terms by testing positive for THC. Over the years, she was arrested for several reasons, which included cyberstalking her former boss, beating up a girl in a fit of jealousy, violating a domestic violence protective order, and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

Custody battle over her son, Jace

Barbara Evans had been granted full custody of her grandson, Jace, since 2010, but Jenelle had visitation rights. At that time, it was quite evident that Jenelle was not ready to become a mother, as she lived without a care in the world. However, it didn’t stop her from trying to get her son back, and she and her mom often ended up in court. Her relationship with Barbara was never good, but there were times when it was her mother whom she turned to when she needed help. When Jace seemed to be acting up and Barbara couldn’t handle him anymore, she and Janelle agreed to co-parenting.

Fired from the TV show

Jenelle’s wild and crazy antics made her one of the most controversial stars in “Teen Mom 2.” The production didn’t need to create drama or intrigue, as the story of her life was perhaps better than anything that a writer could have come up with.

In May 2019, it was reported that Jenelle was fired from the show because her husband, David Eason, whom she married in September 2017, killed their French bulldog named Nugget. David admitted to shooting Nugget after it bit their two-year-old daughter, Ensley, on the face. ‘You can hate me all you want, but this isn’t the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively,’ he said as he defended his action. ‘The only person that can judge whether or not an animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME.’ He uploaded a video of his daughter moving her face closer to Nugget and the dog snapped at her; a close-up photo of Ensley revealed a red mark on her cheek, but there was no clear indication that the skin was broken. Meanwhile, a heartbroken Jenelle shared a photo of her with Nugget on social media, and wrote about how much she loved her dog.

As a result of this scandal, the couple temporarily lost custody of four-year-old Kaiser, and Ensley. Several people testified against David and Jenelle about issues at home that put their kids at risk, and the Child Protective Services ordered that Ensley and nine-year-old Jace were to stay with their grandmother, Barbara, while Kaiser would stay with her father, Nathan Griffith. The parents could only visit the kids for an hour once a week, with supervision. The couple parted ways for a while, but reconciled and regained custody of Ensley and Kaiser after five weeks.

David has no longer been part of the show since February 2018, due to his homophobic statements on social media, while Jenelle continued to film for MTV. In April 2019, the network finally cut ties with Jenelle after a decade of working with her, and although she was shocked, she respected their decision. In a statement issued by her management team, Jenelle was said to be moving forward, and would focus on her family and business endeavors.

Later on, she said in interviews that she believed that the reason she was no longer part of the show was not entirely because their family dog was killed. It was hard for her to comprehend why she was let go over something that happened off-camera, but not when she was doing illegal things, buying and taking drugs that were even caught on film. Also, she claimed that she was told over the phone that she was ‘let go for this season’, but not ‘fired’, although MTV didn’t clarify matters regarding this issue.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkJyUQ1O_J9/

One theory she had about parting ways with the network was that she was butting heads with the production over how she was portrayed on the TV series. At times, she felt like a puppet that did whatever they wanted her to do; she wanted to have a say in what was being aired about her. She also had something to say about the money she earned from filming. Admittedly, she said that they were paid well to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars each season, but felt that she should have been given more. When negotiating for renewal of contracts, she was given a five percent increase whenever she asked for a raise. With each new season, the rate was supposed to go higher, so to avoid that, new episodes were added to the previous season, instead of making them part of a new one.

Despite her discontent, she was grateful for the opportunities that came her way because of the reality series. She hoped to be back on TV even if it was just one season, for a chance to show that her life was not as horrible as the production made it to be. Jenelle wanted a redemption story, one that would show her in a positive light.

There were rumors going around that she would be part of the spin-off series, “Teen Mom: The Next Chapter,” but she was quick to deny it in a video she posted in September 2022 on her YouTube channel. She was invited to a reunion special, but declined for reasons that she didn’t want to share. Jenelle said that she would rather create her own show and do her own thing, rather than go back to “Teen Mom 2” and be part of a clique. For fans who wanted to know about what her life was like after the reality show, she said that they just had to watch her vlogs online, at least for now, as she hinted that she was filming something.

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Why was “Escaping Polygamy” canceled?

Published

3 seconds ago

April 18, 2024

Martha Clifford

Polygamy had become a favorite topic on reality-television shows, and “Escaping Polygamy” captured the interest of cable viewers quite easily. While other polygamy series centered on exploring the dynamics of people participating in this unconventional relationship, this TV show focused on individuals who escaped, or wanted to leave the polygamy community. After being on air through the Lifetime Network since 2014, fans wondered why it stopped airing new seasons, when no cancelation announcements were made by network officials.

Table of Contents

All about “Escaping Polygamy”

“Escaping Polygamy” was labeled as a documentary reality-TV show, which featured three young ladies in their twenties who were former members of the Mormon fundamentalist group called the Kingston Clan, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. These ladies made it their advocacy to help members of any polygamy group who wanted to leave that life behind and start anew.

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Understanding polygamy in the United States

In the US, polygamy, or the practice of having more than one female spouse at the same time was declared unlawful under the federal law, the Edmunds Act, punishable by imprisonment or fine. Back in 1852, when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the LDS Church announced that they were allowing plural marriages as it was part of their sacred doctrine, it became a huge issue, and started both political and social debates. This persuaded Wilford Woodruff Sr., the fourth president of the LDS Church, to ban its practice in September 1980. However, there were members of their church who refused to obey the order and broke away from the original group. They created new religious sects known as Mormon fundamentalist groups and continued with the practice. While it was considered a crime in all 50 states, Utah and Colorado had a high tolerance for its practice, as long as they would not advertise it.

The origins of the Kingston Clan

Not all the people featured in “Escaping Polygamy” that the three ladies helped escape were from their former group. They also received requests from other religious sects, such as the AllRed and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). However, the main focus of their stories in the show was the Kingston Clan, also known as the Kingston Group, the Kingstons, or what the former members usually referred to as The Order.

It was Charles Elden Kingston who founded the new sect after his father, Charles Sr., broke away from John Y. Barlow’s group, Short Creek, one of the splintered sects from the original council headed by Lorin D. Wooley. The fundamentalists believed that Lorin was granted special priesthood authority to continue supervising the Mormon plural marriage practice, by Wilford Woodruff’s predecessor John Taylor. The Order wasn’t as huge as the FLDS, but it had still accumulated thousands of members over the years.

In 2019, it was believed that the Kingston Clan had approximately 6,000 members. The group was initially known as the Davis Country Cooperative Society, or DCCS, and worked as a political, social, and economic movement. John Ortell Kingston took over the group when Elden died, and created a religious sect called The Latter-Day Church of Christ.

More EXCLUSIVE Behind the Scenes Photos – MaryAnn's "A Daughter's Revolt" Season 4. ?❤️⭐️ We sincerely value and appreciate you ALL! ? #EscapingPolygamy @Lifetimetv #TeamMaryAnn #MaryAnnStrong pic.twitter.com/jLgQTrsanV

— Secrets of Polygamy ~ Escaping Polygamy (@SecretsPolygamy) August 27, 2018

Ortell had 13 wives, and had seven sons with his second wife, Ladonna Kingston, who was known to be his favorite. Those sons run the Kingston Group today, and one of them was Paul Kingston. He had 27 wives and was appointed the leader of The Order after Ortell died. It was believed that between these seven brothers, they had 90 wives who were their half-sisters or half-nieces; there were 850 children in all. One of the seven brothers was John Daniel Kingston, the father of the main stars of “Escaping Polygamy.”

TV Premiere and premise of “Escaping Polygamy”

Andrea, Jessica and Shanell shared the same father, Daniel Kingston, and they all belonged to one of the most powerful polygamous cults in America. Andrea’s mom was the 7th wife. while Jessica and Shanell’s mother was the sixth. The reality-TV series started when these three members left The Order. They were made to believe since the day they were born that it was a commandment of God to live a polygamous lifestyle, and claimed that they were taught that it was all about religion, but later realizing that it was all about sex. According to them, The Order ruled over the families by fear and intimidation. After they escaped, they started helping other individuals who wanted to get out of the polygamous community. “Escaping Polygamy” made its television debut on 30 December 2014, initially aired on the A&E cable channel, but later moved to the Lifetime Network.

The main stars of “Escaping Polygamy”

Initially, the reality-TV show introduced three ladies, but later adding more women whom they’d helped break free from their former group. They also joined in rescuing those who were still unwillingly trapped in the polygamous way of living.

Shanell was married to one of her cousins when she was 18 years old; she said that she was physically abused almost daily. At the start of the show, it had been five years since she escaped from The Order. Jessica, at 14 years of age, was courted by her 42-year-old Uncle and would have been his third wife if she hadn’t managed to get away. Andrea was told all her life that if she left the group, she would go to hell, however, she said that being in The Order was already like living in hell.

It was difficult for them to leave The Order at first, because it meant abandoning everything and everyone they had known all their life. The three girls made a pact when they were younger that they would someday get out, and they did. After their successful escape and transition outside, they made helping others to get out of their former group one of their main goals in life. They said that they needed to make the other believers realize that they wouldn’t be punished for leaving the abuse and the pain. Other former members of their religious sect including Amanda, Mary and Kolleen also helped the girls in their advocacy.

Meet the different women they rescued in “Escaping Polygamy”

Over the course of the four seasons of the TV show, they helped many former members of The Order. Here are some of the stories that were told about these girls:

Melanie who was being forced to marry one of her relatives

It started when Jessica continually received weird text messages from a random person. It said, ‘I want to leave and I want to leave now but I’m scared and I don’t know who I can trust.’ They replied, but made sure to use the right words because they were also wary since they had previously received many threats from their former group. They didn’t give out their trust easily, so they took proper precautions when dealing with people asking for help.

Jessica met the person in a gym, and she immediately recognized her as one of her half-sisters, but couldn’t remember her name. The 18-year-old girl introduced herself as Melanie, and the main reason she wanted to leave home was that their father, Daniel, was forcing her to marry one of their relatives. She had already been given a list of potential husbands, including an uncle, two cousins, and three brothers-in-law. She was the youngest of 11 kids from Daniel’s second wife, and Melanie was taught all her life to help build the kingdom of God and their religious sect. She shared that she had a poor life growing up, and would participate in monthly dumpster diving to help put food on the table. The girls successfully rescued Melanie from her home, but not before they had a huge confrontation with Melanie’s mother.

Kathy who wanted to protect her remaining unmarried daughter

Shanell was contacted by one of her cousins named Mark, who’d left The Order years ago to help in getting his mom, Kathy, out of the group. Kathy Brown was born and raised in the Kingston clan and stayed with the community all her life. Growing up in The Order, they were encouraged not to get an education, instead being taught that their main goal was to marry and have a family. She and Robby Brown had 16 children, and she felt blessed that 14 out of the 16 kids were boys, as they wouldn’t suffer the horrors of polygamy perpetrated on females. She claimed that she was physically abused, especially when the second wife came into the picture.

Mark said that the rescue would be quite risky, as she was the first wife of Robby, which meant that she was the legal wife and that Robby also had rights to Mark’s younger siblings. Kathy was wary of the plan because her husband was one of the ‘numbered men’ in The Order, meaning that Robby was one of the high-ranking men in the group. It was Paul Kingston who personally designated him with the number 63. Members of their group were taught to respect these ‘numbered men’ as they were considered the patriarchs of their Church. However, Kathy was highly motivated to leave The Order, because she needed to protect her remaining unmarried daughter, Becky, who had just turned 14 years old, so had reached the age at which the men in their group started courting her, and later would be given to a much older cousin or uncle for an arranged marriage. They planned the rescue carefully, as they knew the legal issues that came with Kathy being the legal wife. Fortunately, they made it out successfully and moved into a house that was prepared by her older sons, who were working hard to support them during the difficult transition. All the kids were excited about the house, and most of them were surprised that it had enough space for everyone.

Priscilla who tried many times to leave The Order

Amanda received text messages from a 17-year-old girl named Priscilla, a friend who asked for her and Kolleen’s help to successfully leave The Order. Apparently, she’d tried a couple of times to escape, but all her plans failed as she was still a minor – in Utah, anyone under the age of 18 was regarded as a runaway if she or he left home, and would be returned by the police to their parents’ care. She had the option to apply for emancipation, which was a legal process that terminated any parental authority over a child, but five days before the court hearing, people came into their house to forcibly take her to an institute for troubled kids, as instructed by her mom. Priscilla’s mother and grandmother thought it would make her more obedient to The Order, but the program made her even more determined to leave the religious sect.

Priscilla Tucker was born and raised in The Order. Her father died in a vehicular accident when she was two years old, and her mother became the second wife of Linc Kingston. Priscilla informed them that their leader, Paul, wanted to have a meeting with her, and she was afraid that it would be about marriage. Amanda and Kolleen were worried that the meeting would end with Priscilla becoming engaged – normally, a wedding would take place three days after the engagement, so they had to move fast. Priscilla knew that if she didn’t get out at that time, it would be harder in the future, because she might have kids of her own by then.

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Amanda contacted Christine, a friend in Las Vegas who was in a child rights advocacy group, and she was willing to welcome Priscilla into her home. They were advised by a former member that the moment Priscilla ran out the door, it must be straight to the car, and they needed to leave immediately for Las Vegas without looking back. In Las Vegas, it wasn’t a crime to be a runaway, and the police wouldn’t necessarily bring minors back to their parents if they could prove that they were doing well in their current residence. The girls helped Priscilla escape, and united her with Christine.

Real or Reel narrative of abuses inside The Order

There were allegations that the show was scripted, and presented a false narrative in general about the Mormon fundamentalist communities, by exaggerating the fear that was brought on by past convictions of some former leaders of other huge polygamous groups. Some members of the Kingston family said that the TV producers even made false claims in the stories that were depicted. Allegedly, these young women were offered $5,000 for their participation in the program, lured to leave their homes in exchange for money, but the producers did little to nothing to help them after they left the group. This was reportedly confirmed by Christine who helped Priscilla escape in the first season.

Also, a huge lawsuit was filed by a former escapee, Mary Ann Kingston, against more than 200 members of the Kingston family as well as their business empire. She said that she fled an arranged marriage to her uncle, David Ortell Kingston, which was forced on her at the age of 16. Her father Daniel Kingston had hit and whipped her with a belt until she lost consciousness. He served prison time for it, as he pleaded no contest when he was arrested, while the others settled after battling it out in court for seven long years.

Theories why “Escaping Polygamy” was canceled

While there were no official announcements of any cancelations from Lifetime Network, no new episodes were aired. The last time the fans watched an episode was back in April 2019, entitled “Top Ten Escapes.” There were many controversies surrounding the show and one of them was that the producers were sued by Melanie’s mother, who was one of the girls who’d escaped during the first season of the series. Apparently, at the time they fetched Melanie from her home, her mother told them they were trespassing, but the camera crew continued to film the situation in the yard. Some of the fans believed that the production crew settled with the mother, because that particular episode was no longer available on Lifetime Network’s programming menu.

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There were real problems in the Kingston family as revealed during the Mary Ann Kingston case, and some were similar to the experiences depicted in the show. The Order wasn’t able to refute the abuse allegations that happened in their community, even if they presented that it wasn’t the norm in their group.

There were also allegations that some of the girls that they helped escape were harmed during filming – such claims might have contributed to the show’s demise, along with the possibility of more lawsuits being filed. While the TV network wasn’t included in the Mary Ann Kingston case, it was reported that the lawsuit wasn’t only exhausting, but quite expensive as well. These legal issues could have discouraged the Lifetime Network executives from continuing with the production of the show.

On the other hand, the non-renewal of “Escaping Polygamy” could also be just a simple and direct result of the decline of TV viewership after four seasons. Whatever the real reason behind it, polygamy remained a fascinating topic for many people, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the TV series made a comeback after the producers straightened out the controversial issues associated with it.