Welcome to Plathville’s Ethan, Moriah and Micah Plath Slam Mom Kim’s Houseboat: It’s ‘Different’

Welcome to Plathville star Kim Plath moved to a Florida houseboat and it’s become clear that three of her children — Ethan, Moriah, and Micah — aren’t so excited about the change.

“This is your house?” Ethan, 26, said in a teaser for the Tuesday, July 30, episode of Welcome to Plathville, shared by Us Weekly.

Kim, 51, quickly replied, “Yes,” before adding, “Well, there’s more to it. It’s not just this.”

Kim debuted her houseboat on the season 6 premiere of Welcome to Plathville, which debuted on TLC on July 16. The mom of ten lived in her new home with her three youngest daughters, Amber, 15, Cassia, 13, and Mercy, 11, following her split from Barry Plath in December 2021. Apart from their three daughters, the former couple — who married in July 1997 — share Ethan, Hosanna, 24, Micah, 23, Moriah, 21, Lydia, 20, and Isaac, 18.

Kim’s eldest children weren’t shy about sharing their true feelings about their mother’s new housing arrangement when she wasn’t around.

“Looking at the boat, I think we’re all thinking the same thing, but none of us are actually saying it,” Moriah privately told producers. “The boat doesn’t run. Do the lights work? How does this even work?”

Micah was equally unsure about his mom’s home, asking, “How far do you have to go to go to the bathroom? How far do you have to go to shower?” In addition, he noted that the “water looks kinda brown.”

Meanwhile, Ethan questioned if the houseboat had abilities to “run” on the water. The matriarch simply brushed off the question, replying, “It hasn’t run in a year,” as she continued to show off the kitchen, sleeping quarters and the outdoor sitting area.

“My mom went from her and my dad and all these kids in this house to split and then she’s on the boat. That’s home now,” Ethan said in a confessional interview. “And the boat doesn’t even run. She can’t get on the water. She’s stuck in the dock.”

In Touch confirmed Kim filed for divorce from Barry on June 26, 2024. She cited their date of separation as December 31, 2021, and also asked for primary custody and child support for their minor children.

“Plaintiff shows that she is a fit and proper parent to care for the minor children and that she is entitled to both temporary and permanent primary custody of the minor children,” court documents obtained by In Touch read.

The pair initially announced their separation after 24 years of marriage two years earlier, on June 28, 2022. “After considerable thought and discussion, we have decided to end our marriage,” the former couple said in a statement. “While this was not an easy decision, we know it’s the best choice for both of us. We have been through many highs and lows in our 24 years of marriage and as we navigate this new chapter in our lives, we will coparent our amazing children.”

Prior to their announcement, the TLC couple documented their looming marital issues on Welcome to Plathville season 4.

“Barry and I have decided to live separately for a while,” Kim said in one episode. “The easiest way to do that right now is whenever one of our rental properties is vacant, I pack a bag and I go and I stay there.”

Welcome to Plathville airs on TLC Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.