Let’s be real for a second. There are reality TV shows, and then there are shows that just grab you by the collar and refuse to let go. Breaking Amish? That was one of the latter. I mean, here were these young folks, raised in a world so utterly different from ours – no internet, no pop music, horse and buggy for crying out loud – suddenly dropped into New York freaking City. It was like watching aliens try to navigate Times Square, but these weren’t aliens. They were just kids, trying to figure out if the world they knew was truly the world they wanted.

Remembering the OG Crew and Their Big Jump

Remember that first season back in 2012? Man, it felt like everyone was talking about it. TLC really hit a nerve with that one. You had Kate Stoltz, Jeremiah Raber, Abe Schmucker, Rebecca Schmucker, and Sabrina Burkholder. Five people, five totally different personalities, all with one massive question mark hanging over their heads: Do I stay Amish, or do I go?

And you know what? It wasn’t just some silly premise. This was big stuff. We’re talking about leaving your entire family, your community, your identity, for a taste of, well, everything else. Pizza! Taxis! Clothes that weren’t handmade! And if I’m being honest, a lot of us watched because it was fascinating, but also because it felt a little bit voyeuristic, right? Like, should we even be seeing this intimate, life-altering struggle?

The show, which then spun into Return to Amish (because of course it did, you don’t let a good thing die), followed them as they grappled with choices that most of us make without a second thought. Trying on jeans, getting a haircut, going to a club. For them, it was monumental. And honestly, watching their initial reactions to everything from escalators to cell phones was pretty wild. It makes you think about all the stuff we take for granted.

The Reality of Breaking Away – It Ain’t Easy

The thing is, the show made it seem like this grand adventure, and it was, but it also showed the messy parts. The culture shock, the judgment from home, the internal conflict. It was a lot. And that’s why people kept tuning in. Because it felt real. Or, at least, real enough for reality TV.

So, What Happened to Them All? Seriously, What Now?

Alright, alright, enough reminiscing. The real juicy stuff is what happened after the cameras stopped rolling on their initial journey. Because breaking Amish isn’t just a TV show arc; it’s a whole new life. And for these folks, it’s been a rollercoaster. A bumpy, unpredictable, sometimes heartbreaking rollercoaster.

“Leaving your past behind isn’t a one-time decision; it’s a daily battle, especially when your past is literally everything you’ve ever known.”

Let’s dive in, shall we? Because their lives now? They’re pretty damn far from the quiet, simple existence they grew up with. Like, miles and miles away.

• Kate Stoltz: Talk about a glow-up! Kate, who always seemed to have that spark, that drive for something more, went full-on fashion. She moved to New York, pursued a modeling career, and actually became a pretty successful fashion designer. I mean, from bonnets to high fashion? That’s a trajectory you don’t see every day. She’s got her own clothing line, she’s living that city life. Good for her, honestly. She really leaned into it.
• Jeremiah Raber: Now, Jeremiah… he’s been a whole different story. Always a bit of a firecracker, always stirring the pot. He’s had a rougher go of it, let’s just say. Lots of drama, on and off screen. He eventually married someone outside the Amish community, Carmela, and their relationship has been, well, it’s been a lot for reality TV. Arguments, reconciliations, accusations. It’s been messy. Really messy. He’s definitely embraced the “English” world, but maybe not always the easiest parts of it.
• Abe and Rebecca Schmucker: These two were a couple even before the show, and they stayed together through thick and thin. They actually got married on Return to Amish. They had kids, and from what I can tell, they’ve tried to build a more stable life. They’re still very much in the “English” world, raising their family. It seems like they’ve found their rhythm, which is, honestly, kind of nice to see amidst all the chaos. It’s not always headline-grabbing, but sometimes quiet stability is the real win.
• Sabrina Burkholder: And then there’s Sabrina. Her journey has been the toughest, and frankly, the most heartbreaking to watch. She really struggled with addiction after leaving the Amish community. She lost custody of her children for a time, battled homelessness. It was a really public and painful downfall. But here’s the thing, she’s been working incredibly hard on her sobriety, got her kids back, and seems to be in a much better place. Her story is a stark reminder that leaving a strict community doesn’t automatically mean happiness; sometimes it just means trading one set of problems for another, much harder one. But she’s fighting. And that’s impressive.

What This Actually Means

Look, Breaking Amish and its spinoffs were more than just guilty pleasure TV. For some of us, it was a fascinating look into cultures colliding, into personal freedom versus tradition. It showed us that leaving a community isn’t some magic bullet. It’s hard work. It’s navigating a world you barely understand, often with no safety net.

The lives these cast members are living now? They’re not “shocking” in the sense of being salacious gossip (though there’s plenty of that too, let’s be honest). They’re shocking because they represent such a complete, fundamental shift from everything these people were raised to be. Kate’s designing clothes, Jeremiah’s battling relationship drama on national TV, Sabrina’s fighting for sobriety and her kids. These aren’t just characters; these are real people who made choices with monumental consequences.

It’s a powerful reminder that while we might crave freedom, freedom itself comes with its own set of burdens. And sometimes, the most shocking thing isn’t what they’ve done, but simply the fact that they’ve survived it all, and are still trying to figure out who they are, years later. That’s a story that never really ends, does it?