Olivia Plath recently revealed she’s dating again in 2024, but the identity of her new boyfriend, Brendan, remains a mystery. She mentioned their first encounter was a completely unexpected one at a wedding. Apparently, she was not really looking for a romantic spark as she had other priorities in her life at the time. But everything just happened naturally, and she ended up connecting with this “amazing guy.” The whole thing came as a pleasant surprise and a welcome change following her divorce a year ago.
Olivia’s preference for privacy makes a lot of sense when you consider her highly publicized marriage. You can’t blame her for taking a different approach this time around and keeping things private. After all, who would want to face the ridiculousness of public scrutiny and needless online interference? The reality star reckons social media is often overwhelming and draining, unlike her show, ‘Welcome to Plathville,’ where she has more control over what’s shared.
Olivia Plath’s Aunt’s Dating Advice Led to a New Boyfriend: Who Is Brendan?
After her divorce, Olivia Plath asked for help from her aunt on how to approach dating again. Her aunt told her not to be obsessed with finding someone, and to focus on enjoying things she’s fond of, and the right person who shares similar interests will eventually cross paths with her.
The advice was spot on because Olivia met her new boyfriend, whose name is apparently Brendan (misspelled as ‘Brendyn’) when she was not expecting anything to happen. She was not actively pursuing someone and ended up with a special person simply by engaging in activities she loved.
The 26-year-old was previously married to her ex-husband Ethan Plath. Their relationship started in their teens when they bumped into each other at a Christian event. They reconnected a couple of years later and decided to date long-distance. Ultimately, they took their romance to a new level when they got married in October 2018.
The couple’s marriage lasted half a decade before it became apparent that they wanted to separate in ‘Welcome to Plathville’ Season 4. Both of them confirmed their divorce on Instagram, with Olivia citing personal growth and other reconcilable differences that they could no longer manage as reasons for their split.
Per Olivia Plath, one of the major issues in their marriage was the dynamic within Ethan’s family. She found it difficult to remain in a marital relationship with someone who always prioritized his family. She believes this will be a major challenge for anyone who gets together with her ex-husband in the future.
Despite them going their separate ways, Olivia has offered dating advice to Ethan, telling him it’s better to stay single and look for therapy or counseling (something he was reluctant to do in their relationship) while he works things out. The two remain on respectful terms in spite of their decision to no longer spend the rest of their life together.
Ethan, meanwhile, is struggling to get over Olivia, so she is kind of worried for him. His ex-wife also acknowledged that whoever gets into a serious relationship with Ethan would need to factor in his close bond with his family, which was the major reason for the breakdown of their marriage.
Ethan and Olivia Plath: How Family Conflicts and Public Scrutiny Led to Their Split
Ethan and Olivia Plath first met in 2014 at a Christian family event called the Smokey Mountain No Greater Joy Shindig. At that time, they were late teens and didn’t instantly develop genuine romantic feelings for each other, especially Olivia, who didn’t find Ethan appealing or impressive. They also spent very little time together except for dancing at the event. The duo didn’t connect again for two years because of their distance as well as the lousy internet connection.
Fast forward to 2016, and the couple soon began dating. Their early relationship started long-distance, and they managed to maintain it for a year before officially falling in love. They fell deeper for each other and ended up getting engaged on November 3, 2017. Olivia and Ethan took their relationship to a whole new level after they got married at a wonderful wedding ceremony in Whigham, Georgia, on October 13, 2018.
Olivia Plath couldn’t contain her excitement as she took to Instagram and called it a privilege to begin her life’s new chapter with Ethan. She initially had a great relationship with Ethan’s family, but this did not last for long after the change in dynamics following their wedding as more and more problems began to creep in. The root of the issue was Ethan’s inability to balance his role as a husband to Olivia and his loyalty to his family, especially his parents and siblings.
It was evident that Olivia was stressed out by Ethan’s family, particularly by his mother, Kim Plath, who would often stick her nose in her business. Viewers were able to witness this family tension unfold on ‘Welcome to Plathville,’ which made matters worse and led to further strain between the couple. The problems seemed to manifest out of thin air, partly down to the public nature of their relationship. Olivia Plath started to loathe the fact that their private struggles were showcased on the reality show. Subsequently, she began to distance herself from Ethan’s family, which put her husband in a difficult position, feeling torn between his wife and his parents.
By ‘Welcome to Plathville’ Season 5, Ethan looked helpless and clueless to juggle his family’s expectations and his responsibilities to Olivia. The issues between Olivia and Ethan’s sister, Moriah Plath, got worse with Olivia reluctant to resolve her issues with the family. The couple then moved to Minnesota, hoping to repair their relationship, but all it did was create further distance and tension between them. Things got really bad after one particular incident when Ethan drove like a maniac in the snow, totally freaking Olivia out since she’d been in a bad accident before.
By Season 4, Ethan had already admitted that the pair was close to divorcing several times. Rumors about their divorce started swirling in June 2023 after Olivia Plath’s sister dropped a hint, saying they were “in the middle of a divorce.” Even though they moved to Minnesota to try and fix their marriage, they still couldn’t work things out.
In early September 2023, ‘Welcome to Plathville’ Season 5 showed Ethan and Olivia Plath drifting even further apart, realizing they didn’t see eye to eye on big things like politics and religion. By October 2023, they made it official on Instagram, announcing their divorce and saying they had simply grown apart. When Ethan and Olivia first met, they had a lot in common, but over time, they grew into completely different people. They both admitted that their personal growth took them in different directions, and they eventually realized they didn’t share the same beliefs or goals anymore.
Ethan’s close bond with his family, especially his loyalty to his mom, Kim Plath, was a huge source of tension in their marriage. Olivia couldn’t get along with Ethan’s family, which led to nonstop arguments and a lot of emotional stress, playing a big part in their eventual split.
Ethan and Olivia Plath were together for almost seven years, five of those as a married couple. In their divorce announcement, Olivia thanked Ethan for the good times and the memories they made together. Ethan shared that he would always care for Olivia, even though they were now going in different directions.
