Lydia Plath Recalls Devastating Memories of Brother’s Death and Reflects on Upbringing

Welcome to Plathville star Lydia Plath can still remember specific details from her brother Joshua’s tragic death when he was just 17 months old.

“I have clear recollections of his childhood. I remember that particular afternoon he was sleeping on his blanket in the sunshine, and then every detail of the accident remains vivid in my memory,” Lydia, 21, shared on the Wednesday, January 7, episode of the “Unplanned” podcast. “I was riding in a car when it occurred.”

Lydia’s mother, Kim Plath, unintentionally drove over her son Joshua with a vehicle in 2008. The incident was determined to be an accident, and Joshua’s cause of death was listed as “head injuries.” (Kim and her ex-husband, Barry Plath, also have nine other children: Ethan, Hosanna, Micah, Moriah, Lydia, Isaac, Amber, Cassia and Mercy.)

“My mom, understandably, panicked, got out [of the car] and pulled him from under the vehicle,” Lydia, who was 4 years old at the time, recalled. “Then she and all my siblings rushed to the house to get the phone. Isaac and I were in the car, and I got out and I saw [Joshua] and it was devastating. I went back into the car and told Isaac, ‘Don’t look. Just exit through the other door.’”

Lydia Plath Expresses ‘Envy’ Towards Sister Who Declined to Appear on Reality Television

Continue scrolling for more of Lydia’s honest reflections on her upbringing and how she is honoring Joshua’s memory:

Dealing with Grief After Joshua’s Tragic Death

“Our family wasn’t typically one to openly discuss emotions and be vulnerable during that time,” Lydia said tearfully. “We didn’t know how to process it, especially with my mother being so deeply involved, we wouldn’t have dared to talk about it around her.”

According to Lydia, her family felt compelled to “suppress their feelings” in order to move forward.

“I sometimes observe it in my mom, a sense of wondering, ‘Does she truly understand how to connect and express her emotions and fully grasp her feelings?’” she said. “Other times, I can imagine she’s unable to because she’s had to shut those feelings off due to the immense pain. So, I believe [Joshua’s death] profoundly impacted our family more than many realize because it happened so long ago.”

She continued, “I think the most difficult aspect, for me as I’ve matured, was how little he was acknowledged. I don’t believe I visited his grave until I was 9 because it was too painful to return.”

Growing Up in the Plath Household

Kim and Barry raised their children on a farm in rural Georgia with strict guidelines regarding everything from their diet to their access to technology.

“Everything we consumed was organic [and] natural. We cultivated a significant portion of our own food,” Lydia said on Wednesday. “It was a lifestyle of health and activity, growing up on 45 acres with horses, cows, chickens [and] ducks. We each had our own garden at one point.”

The Reason Behind Kim and Barry Plath’s ‘Protective’ Upbringing

“My parents both experienced difficult situations in the world and wanted to shield us from them,” Lydia said. “My mom was an only child with a single mother who struggled with alcoholism, and her mother wasn’t really present in her life until she was around 12 years old.”

Following Kim’s “challenging childhood,” she was determined not to let her children face similar hardships.

“That led to a more sheltered upbringing than most, which I think has its merits,” Lydia acknowledged. “However, I don’t think you need to ignore reality to protect your children from it.”

Clarifying Misconceptions About the Plath Family’s Religious Beliefs

While speaking on the “Unplanned” podcast, Lydia refuted the idea that Kim and Barry’s strict rules were driven by religious conviction.

“I was raised in a Christian home, but I don’t think my parents effectively conveyed that the way we were raised was because that’s what God wanted,” Lydia said. “It felt more like a lifestyle my mom desired. She wanted a large family, land [and] all of those things.”

The Plaths primarily practiced their faith by reading the Bible together and occasionally participating in or hosting “home groups” with other local families.

“We weren’t affiliated with a church,” Lydia said. “It was always difficult to find people, families who genuinely sought the heart of the father and weren’t just focused on a superficial lifestyle or legalistic rules and outward appearances.”

According to Lydia, the Plaths also did not adhere to fundamentalism or the IBLP teachings like the Duggars.

The Impact of Kim and Barry Plath’s Divorce on Their Children

Kim and Barry announced their separation in 2022 after two decades of marriage.

“I think there was a period, shortly after my parents separated, where I didn’t want to be involved in any relationships,” Lydia said. “It felt like, ‘What’s the point?’ because this marriage I had looked up to my entire life had essentially ended.”

After “processing” her feelings, Lydia eventually found love with her now-husband, Zac Wyse.

“I’m not going to let fear dictate my decisions,” she stated. “With [my marriage], my parents had been separated for three years from when we met, so I had time to come to terms with it.”

Lydia and Wyse got married in February 2025, just one month after Kim and Barry finalized their divorce.

Zac Wyse Addresses Speculation Regarding His Sexuality

Shortly after Wyse proposed to Lydia, her future brother-in-law Ethan questioned whether he was secretly gay.

“I didn’t feel the need to engage with that narrative because I wanted to nurture what was going well,” Wyse said, explaining how he informed Lydia of the comments without giving them much weight. “There were numerous things that transpired, and I did share a number of them with her in due time when they were relevant.”