Why Caryn Chandler’s Kids Weren’t Allowed to Be On ‘Little People, Big World’

While the events that have taken place on Little People, Big World have changed drastically over the years, there are a few constants that have stayed the same. Fans are as invested as ever in the Roloff family. Matt and Amy have since divorced, of course, and are deciding what to do with Roloff Farms, but they still remain the focal point of the show. In addition to the divorced couple, we’re also seeing a lot of their significant others, Chris Marek and Caryn Chandler.

We’ve seen plenty of the four Roloff kids over the years, and Matt’s girlfriend, Caryn, has two adult kids of her own. Oddly enough, we haven’t seen them on the show until just recently. Here’s why.

Caryn Chandler seemed to go through a bitter divorce before her relationship with Matt Roloff

Caryn and Matt have an incredibly healthy relationship and have been dating for years. They first met through Roloff Farms, as Caryn was employed there and helped manage pumpkin season. And once Matt and Amy split, it didn’t take long for Matt and Caryn to announce that they were, in fact, seeing each other.

While Matt and Amy’s divorce was a source of controversy all on its own, it seems Caryn was fighting her own private battle. According to Radar Online, Joseph Chandler was married to Caryn for about 20 years before he filed for divorce in 2012 — and there are quite a few interesting details in the court documents as well.

In regards to Joseph and Caryn’s two kids, the documents explain, “Father and Mother shall be restrained and enjoined from making any derogatory comments about each other to, or in the presence of the children, as well as in their respective places of employment.” They also detailed, “In addition, both parties shall refrain from discussing the other parent’s employment with the children, and neither parent shall do anything that might jeopardize the other party’s employment.”

Here’s why her kids were never allowed to be on screen in the past

There’s another aspect of the divorce documents that affected Caryn’s kids. While Brittany, 22, and Connor, 19, are old enough now to make their own decisions regarding if they want to be part of Little People, Big World or not, when the divorce filing was occurring, they weren’t yet at the age where they could decide for themselves. And it seems Joseph didn’t want them to be a part of the show. Radar Online notes the judgment papers stated back in 2013, “Mother will not take [redacted] to her employer’s property without Father’s permission.” They also added, “Neither party will allow the children to be filmed for television without the consent of the other party.”

It seems now that the Chandler kids are older, they’d love to be a part of the show, however. Radar Online reminds us Brittany and Connor made an appearance in front of the cameras, and them having a relationship with Matt is quite important to Caryn. As Caryn said to Matt, “As we continue to get closer and plan a future together, it’s really important to me for you to have a relationship with them and I know they would like that as well.”

We’re learning a lot about Caryn’s children now, too

Brittany and Connor seem eager to get to know Matt even better, as they’ve witnessed how happy he makes their mother. But since they’re now appearing on the show, some old information on Connor is resurfacing. Radar Online reported last year that Connor had a criminal history and was previously jailed for theft and criminal mischief.

Not only that, but the publication also noted Connor dealt with drug addiction in the past, too, and he wrote about it on Facebook. “I was 13 years old when i was first introduced to a drug called Xanax. Biggest mistake of my life was choosing to try it [sic],” he wrote. “I went through 8 Impatient Rehabs, 8 outpatient treatment centers, 2 group homes, 17 times in jail, 3 warrants, 12 hospital visits for overdose, and 4 friends death from overdose before i finally got myself clean [sic].”

Thankfully, it seems Connor is much better off now. And we’re all hoping we see more of the Chandler kids in the future.

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