US3 min(s) read
Published 15:39 10 Aug 2026 GMT
The grandchildren of the infamous Whittaker family have spoken out about their experiences growing up with America's most famous inbred family.
The West Virginia family went viral after photographer Mark Laita met up with them in an unsettling encounter, which he documented and posted on his YouTube channel.
He's responsible for introducing the secluded, mysterious family to millions, who witnessed some of their weird behavior on his YouTube channel, Soft White Underbelly.
Laita focused on how the family's lifestyle came across, showing how their alleged history of inter-family relationships may have led to disabilities for other members.
They claimed that they have been doing this for generations, as Laita admitted that meeting the family was “one of the most disturbing interviews I’ve ever done.”
But now, he has provided an update on the remaining family members.
It seems that the viral fame has caused the family to split up, leaving grandchildren like Brandon and Luis away from their blood relatives.
The grandsons of Larry Whittaker spoke to Laita about their struggles in the family, and the treatment they got from the public due to their situation.
One explained: "Growing up as a kid, it got pretty rough around the age of five or six. We went into foster care when I was six.
"I spent my seventh birthday in there, and when we got out, we weren't allowed to come back up here. We weren't allowed to see our grandpa."
He opened up on how Larry tried to shoot one of their stepdads as he was abusing the boys' mother, who was a crack cocaine user.
Brandon explained that his mom, Betty, went from pills to crack cocaine, eventually becoming less present in his life, meaning he had to fend for himself from the age of ten.
The likes of Timmy, Lorraine and Ray were taken away by the state, while remaining siblings Betty and Larry have no idea about their whereabouts.
Due to the popularity of Laita's videos, the Whittakers had a lot of visitors, but they weren't best pleased with this.
"Cars would come down here and mess around. I won't lie to you, I went outside, and I would throw rocks at them," Brandon admitted, even using sticks, potatoes and eggs.
The photographer said that there was one particular aspect of his earlier visits that has remained etched in his memory.
He gained access to the family's remote home after dealing with protective neighbours. Accompanied by police, Laita travelled down increasingly isolated roads before reaching the property.
Speaking on the Koncrete Klips podcast, he recalled the strange scene that greeted him.
“We came around to this road, which turns into a country road, which turns into a dirt road.”
He continued: “Then we come to this trailer and then a little shack on the other side of the road.
"And there's these people walking around and their eyes are going in different directions and they are barking at us.”
Laita compared the experience to the movie Deliverance, which depicts a disturbing encounter in rural America.
“One guy, you would look him in the eye or say anything and he would just scream and go running away, and his pants would fall around his ankles, and he would go running off and go and kick a garbage can.”
He said the behavior repeatedly occurred during his visit.
“And this would happen over and over. It was out of control - the craziest thing I have ever seen.”
