Jacob Roloff has never been one to hold back.
Not when it comes to fatherhood, not when it comes to politics and not even when it comes to the negative way he apparently looks at his own loved ones.
Earlier this week, the 25-year old jumped on Twitter to lament his financial situation, making it sound to followers as if he’s really struggling in this regard — and perhaps a bit regretful that he walked away years ago from Little People, Big World.
But not too regretful, Jacob emphasized.
Because he doesn’t think very highly of those who sign on for reality television.
“Did I screw up not selling my soul for TV & ad money?” asked Jacob on this social media platform, adding:
“Hope not lol but rent is too damn high and I work too damn much. Life is for vibes.”
Jacob is married to Isabel Roloff and the couple welcomed its first child, a son named Mateo, in December.
Back in 2016, Roloff quit Little People, Big World… saying something at the time sort of similar to what he Tweeted above.
“For the sake of ‘the episode’ and ratings I’ve seen a lot of STORYLINES drawn up (loosely) about our lives,” Jacob said way back then, adding:
“And when I was standing here, behind the scenes and watching it from an outside perspective I just couldn’t stop laughing.”
Why was Jacob reacting this way?
“Laughing at how hard the producers have to try to get us to follow the talking points, and at how ridiculous the talking points are.”
Roloff concluded at the time by saying bluntly:
“The family that is filmed is not my family. They are the Roloff Characters and I have scarcely anything in common with them, nor do I want to be a character myself.”
Jacob was trashing his family as phonies back then, although he later walked back the remarks to some extent.
“I don’t want people to think that I’m living in a resentful sort of way towards the show… I’ve moved on from it,” Roloff said in May 2017.
“It’s just a natural progression of leaving the place you came from, moving on away from home, traveling away from home. Just getting away.”
He’s also on very good terms these days with his parents and his siblings, often sharing photos of himself and his nephews and nieces on Instagram.
In December 2020, Jacob opened up about a very personal and painful experience that must have played at least some role in his decision to walk away from the series, as well as the entertainment industry in general.
Jacob said he was molested by a Little People, Big World producer.
“By revealing this, I may be more fully understood and my perspective on issues such as child sexual abuse, child exploitation, and the collateral costs of reality television may be received more clearly,” wrote the youngest of Matt and Amy’s kids about 18 months ago.
Jacob also took this opportunity to connect what transpired with him to the soul-sucking nature of reality TV..
Wrote Roloff:
“I continue my own contemplation on the voyeurism involved in the entire enterprise of reality television — a massive spectacle of drama and pain and argument and invasion, with a little joy sprinkled over, that viewers watch completely disassociated from the complex humans inside the simplistic “characters” they see on TV.
“Yet, there is no inherent causal connection between reality television production and childhood trauma.
“We are still sprinting ahead with the enterprise deaf, dumb, and blind, asking for forgiveness later, instead of asking harder preliminary questions of ourselves.
“The profits were indeed sweet. The actual experience was more complicated.”
As you can see, Jacob has many feelings about this genre.
Sadly, he has a very understandable reason for thinking this way, too.
To conclude his message on this topic in late 2020, Roloff said that he doesn’t blame his family members at all for what happened, writing:
It must finally be emphasized that all fault lies with the predator, and no fault lies with any of my family. I am certain that this is a positive moment for me, and another step toward a brighter future.