Myka Stauffer and her husband, James Stauffer, built a successful influencer brand sharing their family’s life to hundreds of thousands of subscribers on YouTube. At the heart of their story was Huxley, a boy they’d adopted from China in 2017. His assimilation into their family fascinated viewers, but their choice to “rehome” him a few years later incited outcry, and lingering backlash that continues today.
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A Life Out of the Spotlight
Myka Stauffer has been largely absent from the public space since 2020, amid a deluge of intense criticism. And even in her absence, questions about her financial condition remain. Although she has never revealed her net worth, estimates are between $25,000 and $152,000. Due to the family’s history of lavish living — its sprawling home, frequent high-end vacations and designer accessories — it’s probable that her wealth hovers around the upper end of that range.
A Controversy in Cartier
The Stauffers have been criticized not only for rehoming Huxley but also for the way they handled his care. When they announced the split, Myka stated that financial and logistical challenges had made it difficult for him to receive the medical and behavioral care he needed. But this narrative was undermined by details from their personal lives. Astute watchers also noticed that Myka often wore luxury goods, including a $6,000 Cartier bracelet, as the family publicly worried about covering expenses for therapy services for Huxley.
This disconnect between their ostensible affluence and their refusal to pay for Huxley’s treatment has consistently been a major point of criticism, with many questioning their priorities.
HBO’s 2025 Docuseries Makes Waves
The controversy over the Stauffers has been revisited in the HBO and Max docuseries An Update on Our Family, which came out in January 2025. The series dives into the tumult behind Huxley’s rehoming as well as the fallout, reviving a public discussion. For some, the Stauffers’ story is a cautionary tale of the ethics of family influencers. For others, it raises questions of how long online scrutiny lasts and whether it’s possible to redeem one’s self in the digital age.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.