By India McCarty
Former LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD star Jacob Roloff has rebuilt his life following his stint in the world of reality TV.
“This spring marks 10 years since I got my money from the show I was on for over 10 years of my life,” Roloff wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “I was 18 and finally had the agency to not sign the contract, so I didn’t, and promptly left home mostly due to disgust for the show and reality TV in general. I used that money to build my world back again with my wife, rather than capitalize on it for all it was worth, for better or worse.”
He added that he is “grateful” for his new life on Roloff Farms with his wife and son, “growing things and stewarding the land.”
“What I want to do for as long as I am able is to emphasize and deepen a reform back to community based agritourism,” Roloff continued. “Farmland is sacred now. Especially in a world of nearly lost topsoil and diminishing nutrient density in our foods. And on a larger scale, with farmland all over the country being bought and developed, I am grateful for the opportunity to be where I am to steward this land the best I can.”
Roloff has been open about his decision to step away from LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD and live a life out of the spotlight.
“I get comments on here all the time about how people ‘miss me on the show’ or telling me I should ‘do a few more episodes’ with the family,” he wrote in a 2016 Instagram post. “I’m posting this to say that that will never happen.”
Roloff said he does “appreciate” people wanting him to spend time with his family, but “the family that is filmed is not my family. They are the Roloff Characters and I have scarcely anything in common with them, nor do I want to be a character myself.”
“I am with my family and I love them,” he concluded. “I’m just here to say you’ll never see that from me on TV again.”
A major component behind Roloff’s decision to end his time on television were his claims that a former producer molested him during production.
“It is often much easier to think about things than it is to talk about them, and so this disclosure has been delayed, but through that delay I have found the fortitude and words,” he wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.
Roloff stated, “As a child, after what I realize now was a long grooming process, I was molested by an executive field producer for LITTLE PEOPLE BIG WORLD, Chris Cardamone.”
“I choose to disclose it now as it remains a traumatic memory that needs to be exorcised of any further power over my development,” he concluded. “I am certain that this is a positive moment for me, and another step toward a brighter future.”
Roloff’s story is far from rare. The entertainment industry was rocked by QUIET ON SET, the explosive docuseries that shared stories from former child stars who had been exposed to inappropriate and abusive behavior.
Like many who rose to fame as children, Roloff is much happier these days, out of the spotlight and with his family.
Read Next: QUIET ON SET: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDS TV
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