Why did YouTubers James and Myka Stauffer give up Huxley? Revisiting adoption scandal amid five year social media absence

YouTubers James and Myka Stauffer are in the spotlight once again following the release of an HBO docuseries that explores the reason behind the couple placing their son into a new home three years after they adopted him.

The family revealed in 2020 that their son Huxley was living with "a new forever family" after they adopted him from China. Their whole journey was chronicled on their YouTube channel, The Stauffer Life.

They broke the news in a video titled An Update From Our Family, which also serves as the title of the new docuseries. James said in the May 2020 video:

"International adoption, sometimes there's unknowns and things that are not transparent on file. And once Huxley came home there was a lot more special needs that we weren't aware of and that we were not told."

He added that the family felt Huxley would be better suited with a family that could care for his "severe needs." In the wake of his adoption dissolution, Huxley was renamed, and per Entertainment Weekly, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder level 3 at the age of 2.

James said: "We've never wanted to be in this position. And we've been trying to get his needs met and help him out as much as possible...We truly love him." Myka went on, noting: "There's not an ounce of our body that doesn't love Huxley with all of our being."

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All we know about why James and Myka Stauffer rehomed their adopted son as the latter revealed she felt like a bad mom

James and Myka Stauffer share four biological children: Daughters Kova and Jaka, and sons Radley and Onyx. The two are based in Columbus, Ohio, and while they were once prolific YouTubers, they have been absent from the social space for almost five years. Their last post on Instagram dates back to June 24, 2020.

Myka's personal YouTube channel has long been taken down, and so has the family's channel. People magazine reports that James continues to operate Stauffer Garage, which tackles car flipping cars, cleaning, and detailing.

The HBO docuseries will premiere on the platform and on Max on January 15, 2025. It draws on a 2020 feature in New York magazine, and spans three parts. It explores the family's decision through sit-down interviews with former subscribers and journalists, while also sharing unseen footage that depicts what may have really contributed to the couple's decision.

At the time, speaking on how she felt about giving up for adoption, Myka Stauffer said in the video:

"Do I feel like a failure as a mom? Like, 500 per cent," Myka continued, noting the agency "found somebody that they felt would be ultimately the best fit and he is thriving, he is very happy, he is doing very well and his new mommy has medical professional training and it is a very good fit."

As for why the family decided they would be sharing the news publicly, Myka Stauffer said it's because "you guys have been there for us for so much and I want to fill you in on what's going on."

In a post on Instagram dated February 2020, she said "the last couple days have been hard" for the family, adding: "I don't want to sugar coat anything...I wish autism and adoption trauma had a manual to direct you through it all."

Myka Stauffer's last post featuring Huxley dates back to March 28, 2020.

"Last month was the hardest month I have ever had as a mama. And I'm still working through all of it," Myka wrote. "But instead of leading with my heart, I'm following yours."

In the wake of the couple's announcement, they were met with intense backlash on social media. Myka Stauffer responded at the time, saying she wanted "to first off apologize for the uproar and take full responsibility for all the hurt that I have caused."

Myka continued: "This decision has caused so many people heart break and I'm sorry for letting down so many women who looked up to me as a mother. I'm sorry for the confusion and pain I have caused, and I am sorry for not being able to tell more of my story from the beginning." She added: "I could have never anticipated the incidents which occurred on a private level to ever have happened, and I was trying my best to navigate the hardest thing I have ever been through."

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The upcoming docuseries based on the couple is directed and produced by Rachel Mason. James and Myka Stauffer do not make any appearance in the docuseries, though they feature in archival footage.