Not many could boast of having over two million people watch one’s wedding, but Jeremy and Audrey Roloff could, when their special moment was featured in TLC’s “Little People Big World.” Jeremy, of average size, is the fraternal twin of Zach, who along with their parents Matt and Amy Roloff has dwarfism. Viewers were given the chance to see what life was like for this extraordinary family, from when the reality TV series premiered on 4 March 2006. They’d seen Jeremy matured from teen to adult, fall in love, and raise a family of his own. As he and his wife left the show in 2018, many were curious as to what became of them, and what was keeping them busy.
A little background on Jeremy Roloff’s family
Jeremy James Roloff was born on 10 May 1990, in Oregon, and was 15 when his family began filming for the docuseries. At that time, his parents had been married for 18 years, and the reason why they stayed together for so long was that they balanced each other out; Amy was practical while Matt was the dreamer and the adventurous one. Jeremy had three siblings – his twin Zach, Molly and Jacob. They lived on a 34-acre farm in Helvetia, where they had a pumpkin patch and a big playground, which consisted of a western town, underground caves, and a pirate ship. Matt wanted to create wonderful memories with his kids, as it was something he could only dream of when he was a child because he spent years in and out of the hospital for surgery related to his genetic condition called diastrophic dysplasia. What Amy feared most when her children were very young was that they would be taken from her. because people might have deemed her unable to fulfill her role as a mother, because of her achondroplasia.
Jeremy and Audrey’s love story
He was a freshman in college when he first met Audrey Mirabella Botti in January 2010, during the winter break. Their friends set them up for a blind date, and as they said their goodbyes, Jeremy thought, ‘It wasn’t a sparks-flying kind of night, and yet something about it had felt so right.’ It left him curious about this girl, who marched to the beat of her own drum, and whose strong sense of self he found refreshing. At that time, “Little People Big World,” had been airing for five years, but she didn’t ask him about the show, which further intrigued him, as it was usually what people wanted to talk about right after meeting him. In Audrey’s case, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, whom she described as the ‘skinny jean–wearing, Taylor Swift–loving, vintage car–driving farm boy.’
Both were not ready for a serious relationship, so they took time to get to know each other better. However, it didn’t take long for Jeremy to realize that Audrey was the woman he was going to marry. He had a tough time breaking down her wall, and he knew that he had to get his act together to be the man who would deserve Audrey. At that time, he was in what he called a ‘season of laziness,’ having lost sight of his purpose in life, and Audrey inspired him to strive to become a better person.
Soon, the time came to make a decision on where their friendship was headed, as she would be off to Oregon State in Corvallis for college, while he would be transferring from Portland Community College to Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. Audrey wondered, ‘Would we be just friends? Would we begin a long-distance dating relationship? Or would we just raise our glasses to an epic summer and move on?’ However, as they met that day, all anxiety left her.
Together, they tied their old shoes, one of his and one of hers, and tossed them over a wire under a train trestle. It was a fitting end to what Audrey referred to as a storybook summer, in which they rode truck beds, walked through train tracks or tunnels, climbed hay bales, and jumped off bridges. Both never wanted to be in a long-distance relationship, but Jeremy said, ‘I think I’ll always wonder what could have been if we don’t at least try. I don’t want to look back on this summer as just a blissful memory with that girl I once knew.’ He then asked her to be his girlfriend, and she said yes; finally, they began to officially date each other.
Prior to this, they’d never held hands or kissed, although Audrey admitted that they had lots of ‘kissable moments’ but refrained from acting on them. He wanted to kiss her, but he had yet to admit that he was falling for her. He didn’t want the emotions brought on by physical intimacy to mess with the friendship that they had at that time. For Jeremy, Audrey was worth the wait, and he wanted a great foundation for what he believed was the love blossoming between them.
Both promised to write letters in the traditional way in the years that they would be apart, and it began on 25 August 2011, when he gave her one before he left for college. Part of his letter read, ‘I am looking forward to our next chapter, as God is on our side. I will be praying for you and for us.’ Two years later, Audrey broke up from him, as she was overwhelmed with having to deal with a health problem, as well as the pressure of school and their long-distance relationship. After the break-up, Jeremy grew closer to another woman named Kate. When he and Audrey got back together, his relationship with Kate, even if it was strictly platonic, bothered Audrey and became a big issue between them. He eventually ended his friendship with Kate.
Jeremy popped the question in March 2014, and shared the news via Instagram, writing, ‘I asked this beautiful girl to be mine, and she said yes. Drowning in grace.’ Audrey showed off her diamond ring, and expressed her joy after he proposed, when she said, ‘You’re the one I want to team up with for life. Jeremy…to say I love you is an understatement.’ Five months later, they exchanged wedding vows in a vintage-themed ceremony in front of the white chapel at the Roloffs farm. He said, ‘To begin a life with you and live out the years is what I was built to do. Audrey…finally, I make you mine.’ After their honeymoon, they moved to Los Angeles and lived there for a year, before starting their family in Bend, Oregon.
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Why did the couple leave the show?
In 2018, Jeremy and Audrey announced that they would no longer be appearing in “Little People Big World.” It wasn’t a decision they made on a whim, as they had been thinking about it for some time. For Jeremy, being part of this show for 17 seasons had been amazing, but he believed that it was time for him and his wife to embark on what the Lord had called on them to do. He was grateful for all the love they received from everyone throughout their journey, and further said that they would continue to support the family as they ‘carry the LPBW torch onward.’ The network released a statement wishing the best for Jeremy’s family. In an interview in 2019, Jeremy admitted that the show was something he never really said yes to, but just grew up doing it. Not to be misunderstood, he said that he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, but they had been ‘making TV’ for 14 years as a family business. and felt that it was time to do something else. They still did cameos, as they hung out with family or celebrated special occasions.
Fast forward to January 2022 – an Instagram story surfaced about a Question & Answer segment that Jeremy did. The reason he gave for leaving the hit TLC docuseries sparked controversy, as he said, ‘It became something I didn’t want to associate with anymore…Audrey and I had other things we wanted to do besides fabricating drama on TV.’ A fan asked Tori Roloff, Zach’s wife, about this, but she said that ‘Each individual family has to make their own decisions. It still works for our family…it needed to end for them.’
Many wondered what brought on Jeremy’s statement, and some believed it had something to do with the Roloff farm, as his father rejected his offer to buy it in 2020. Matt had once said that the farm was his legacy to his children, but when Jeremy and Zach wanted a portion of it, they couldn’t agree on the price. Amy, who already sold her share of the over 100-acre farm to Matt after their divorce, even said that the boys wouldn’t be able to afford it despite her ex-husband’s claims that he gave them a family discount. Matt admitted to being happy that the sale fell through.
Some viewers were appalled by the way Matt handled the situation with his sons and questioned the presence or the role of his girlfriend Caryn in the negotiation process. However, others defended his action as they said that it was Matt’s right to get what he could for the property, considering he reportedly spent over $2 million in renovations over recent years. In May 2022, he put a 16-acre plot of the family farm on the market for $4 million; it included the main house and the red barn.
"Little People, Big World" star Jeremy Roloff has announced that he and his wife Audrey are leaving the reality show https://t.co/FvtwzC9IwA pic.twitter.com/xRp7I6wCcF
— CNN (@CNN) July 11, 2018
What’s keeping Jeremy Audrey Roloff busy these days?
Beating 50 Percent
The couple launched Beating 50 Percent, a ministry focused on ‘reviving covenant marriages,’ which was a term used for a union with God at its center. They inspired couples to work on their relationships, and make them thrive. On their website, they had merchandise on sale including the marriage journal designed to help couples ‘connect, communicate, and grow in love’ by committing to write down one’s feelings once a week. They also had the 50-year anniversary journal called Memories of Us, in which one could record their love story; it was an heirloom book that could be passed down to one’s children.
Best-selling books
“A Love Letter Life: Pursue Creatively, Date Intentionally, and Love Faithfully” by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff was published in April 2019, and made it onto the New York Times bestseller list. More than 100,000 books were sold, and many were inspired by their love story. “Creative Love: 10 Ways to Build a Fun and Lasting Love” published in January 2021 was a great follow-up book, that provided practical advice on having a fulfilling relationship. Many congratulated them, but there were those who criticized the couple for giving marriage tips when they had been married for only a few years.
Starting a family
Jeremy and Audrey’s first child was born in September 2017, and they named her Ember Jean, as they spent many of their summer nights in 2011 by the campfire sharing meaningful conversations about life and dreams. They took ‘Jean’ from their favorite book, “A Severe Mercy,” which encouraged Jeremy to be patient but persistent in pursuing her. Their second child, Bode James, was born in January 2020. ‘Bode’ means “messenger,” and they wanted their son’s life to be a message of love, hope, and truth to many people. It was also a nod to Audrey’s maiden name, Botti, and James was Jeremy’s middle name. Their youngest child, Radley Knight, was born in November 2021.
They received a lot of flak for some of their parenting style. One time, Bode knocked a bag of shredded cheese off the counter, and its content spilled on the floor. They didn’t stop their son from putting cheese right off the floor into his mouth, instead of throwing them away, Jeremy put them back in the bag. They obviously saw nothing wrong with any of this, as she posted it on her Instagram, but most fans were shocked, as they found it gross.
A new home in Hillsboro
In June 2022, the couple shared via Instagram that they’d purchased a farm with a house built in 1979, for $1.5 million. The photo they posted showed that within view of their four-acre property were their favorite spots, at or near the train trestle where he asked her to be his girlfriend and his wife. The 4,414-square-foot home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The property also came with a detached building, measuring 1,660 square feet, and it had a garage, a shop, and a unit with a kitchenette and a full bathroom. Audrey said that they were in the process of renovating their new home. Their first house was listed at over $700,000.
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Marriage trouble
Early in 2022, fans who closely followed Jeremy and Audrey via their social media accounts had begun speculating that their marriage was on the rocks, as they kept throwing shade at one another online. In February, as Audrey posted a video to promote a healthy drink, she captioned it with ‘Single parent mode powered by Olipop.’ In her Instagram story, she posted a photo of a meal that Jeremy prepared for the kids, consisting of honey sticks, yogurt, and a whole carrot. Her response to a fan commenting on using a fork on the yogurt was ‘Lol didn’t even notice that. I was so focused on the carrot.’ Some believed that it was not incompetence on Jeremy’s part, but that he did it purposely so he wouldn’t be asked to do it again.
Audrey’s birthday came and went, but Jeremy didn’t post a birthday greeting for his wife. This was a big deal for a couple who never failed to post for special moments as affirmations of love. Many would argue that he had not been posting that much of late anyway, as he had been busy doing lots of things, including renovating their home. The couple celebrated her 31st birthday riding a motor canoe, and having a picnic dinner on the river. She said that it might become a tradition for them, as they also did it on her previous birthday.
If indeed they were having trouble, it was nothing unusual, as almost all marriages have their ups and downs. Audrey said ‘We fight, struggle, cry, and face challenges just like anyone.’ Back in 2019, she opened up about how heartbreaking it was for her when there was a lot of ‘heated fellowship, morning hugs missed, and date nights postponed.’ They were exhausted and overworked in pursuing their dreams and reaching the goals they set for themselves, that they lost sight of what was most important in their lives. One evening, as they went on a drive, they found themselves near a trestle, recalled how their journey as a couple began, and they were reminded of the love that they worked hard to protect and nurture. They assessed what went wrong with their relationship, and fixed it.
Being on “Little People Big World” brought them fame, which Jeremy and Audrey capitalized on, as it was good for their business. However, it came with a price, because it also opened them up for public scrutiny. Some judged them, or said things that weren’t true about them, but they didn’t let the hatred or the bashing get to them. ‘We just encourage each other, and acknowledge that they have zero perspective,’ Jeremy said. A template for others, perhaps?
