Family-centered reality shows have been a source of entertainment and sometimes unexpected controversy for several years. While the Bates family from “Bringing Up Bates” gained quite a huge following before their show’s cancellation in 2022, they haven’t been safe from criticism of their strict lifestyle, somewhat outdated household rules, and other eyebrow-raising incidents the family has been involved in.
Given the often negative attention the Bates has been attracting, it’s unsurprising that people assume that the inner relationships of their family have taken a downturn as well. Nevertheless, there’s no evidence of the Bates children putting distance between themselves and their parents, even those who we’ve seen following their own paths in life.
However, are the lives of the Bates as blissful as they appear to be, or is that just an image built for TV? What’s going on with them these days? Keep watching to find out.
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The Reason Their Show Was Canceled
The cancellation of “Bringing Up Bates” in 2022 took many fans by surprise, especially those who weren’t up to date with the family’s social media escapades. The show had been on air since 2015, when it premiered as a continuation of the original TLC show “United Bates of America”, though this new show was aired by Up TV instead.
For the longest time, nothing seemed to be extremely ‘off’ about the family or the show, though those peaceful times weren’t meant to last. In November 2021, one of the family’s daughters, Carlin posted a video from a game night which had one of the children featured in the video lying on the floor, while another child pretended to hurt him.
The scandal began when someone shouted “George Floyd!” at the situation, clearly referencing the aforementioned Afro-American man who was murdered by police-inforced asphyxia in May 2020. The video wasn’t taken lightly by people who came across it, resulting in a backlash which led Carlin to delete the video, and vehemently deny that the comment was racist.
Up TV didn’t ignore the situation, as in January 2022 they promptly canceled “Bringing Up Bates”, even though the show’s 11th season had been almost entirely filmed at that point. Though the network didn’t mention the controversial video in their statement, it’s fair to assume that the backlash influenced the cancellation.
Their Connection To The Duggars
There are many similarities between the Bates and the Duggars, the family featured in “19 Kids and Counting” and its famous spin-off TLC series. For a start, both families were numerous, starred in reality shows, and held very strict religious beliefs.
Though the Duggars’ fame was notably bigger than the Bates’, a huge part of their audience couldn’t help but make lots of comparisons between the families, especially given how the dynamics of their members seemed slightly different, despite some other similarities.
Whether the comparisons hold any truth is up for debate, especially given how the Duggars found themselves in a worldwide famous scandal, after the oldest son Josh was accused of sexual harassment, and was eventually imprisoned for other gruesome crimes. On top of that, the Duggars and the Bates have been connected to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), which was founded by Bill Gothard, who himself was accused of sexual and psychological abuse by several women.
Even though the Bates’ patriarch Gil is on the board of IBLP, his daughter Erin announced in 2016 that she wasn’t affiliated with the organization. This led people to believe she was also cutting ties with her family, though that hasn’t been proven at all.
The Shirt Scandal & Problematic Room
Besides the aforementioned controversies, the Bates family has also been criticized for other incidents. One of the most famous was an old family picture in which the family’s daughter Michaela is seen wearing a shirt with a confederate flag, deemed as a problematic symbol.
Michaela and the rest of the family have been strongly criticized for the shirt, though the incident is mostly discussed in fan-centered forums these days. Nonetheless, this isn’t the only instance in which the family has been criticized for their political stances, as there’s also a room in their house which contains confederate flags and similar symbols. The existence of this room is known because the family posted pics of it on their now-deleted website.
Baby Blanket Controversy
Another controversy the Bates family has been assumed to agree with, is the usage of blanket training in their children. This method attracted the attention of the general public when the Duggars came under fire for using it following the release of “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets”, which showcased some of the darkest secrets about their family and their religious associations.
The issue with this method is that it’s considered harsh and negative for kids, though the controversy hadn’t reached the Bates until daughter Katie posted a picture of her baby sitting on a blanket, surrounded by toys. The image was too similar to the aforementioned method, leading many to jump to conclusions about the way she raised her kids.
While Katie vehemently denied said accusations, it’s widely assumed that the Bates’ matriarch Kelly Jo used this technique with the children.
What Are The Bates Doing Now?
Regardless of the several controversies the family has been involved in, it doesn’t seem that any of these have affected the family beyond the cancellation of their show. As seen in the family’s joint Instagram account, they often celebrate the accomplishments of their family, especially when it comes to the birth of grandchildren.
As well, in early 2024 the family posted a series of pictures and videos showcasing their gratefulness for the staff of “Bringing Up Bates” and “United Bates Of America”, though it’s unclear whether this means they’re reconnecting with TV producers for a future show.
As to offspring not communicating with parents, there’s little evidence of that, other than the relatively normal separation of generations with different interests.
All in all, it doesn’t seem that the Bates are disappearing from public life any time soon, but the continuity of their reality star status is still up for debate, given the nature of their scandals.
