Whittaker Family Issues Apology to Mark Laita

The Whittaker family, often referred to as America’s “most inbred family,” has publicly apologized to photographer Mark Laita, who first documented their lives. Mark discovered the Whittakers two decades ago but only began filming them in 2020 after maintaining contact.

The family, consisting of siblings Lorraine, Timmy, and Ray, lives on a farm in Odd, West Virginia. Following their appearance on Laita’s YouTube channel, Soft White Underbelly, the Whittakers gained significant attention. However, their relationship soured when Mark uncovered that they had been dishonest with him.

Initially, the family claimed that 67-year-old Larry Whittaker had passed away, prompting Mark to help fundraise for the funeral, contributing $1,000 of his own money. When he learned that Larry was, in fact, alive, the family apologized but continued to deceive him.

Mark had also given Larry $700, supposedly to help him and his daughter BJ start anew in North Carolina, but Larry kept the money for himself. Despite vowing to cut ties, Mark visited the family again over the summer, documenting the reunion on YouTube. In a heartfelt moment, Larry approached Mark, expressing remorse for the family’s actions, saying, “I’m sorry for what they’ve done to you.”

Mark graciously accepted the apology, admitting he missed the family. He humorously remarked that they likely missed the financial support from their appearances on his channel. Now on better terms, Mark launched another GoFundMe for the Whittakers in late August, aiming to raise $100,000 to assist with their living expenses and home maintenance. As of now, the campaign has raised over $600.