The Whittaker family from Odd, West Virginia, became a worldwide phenomenon after the 2004 documentary about them was released. Since then, a lot has happened, and many aspects of their past have remained unknown. Now, two of the family’s grandchildren have spoken out, revealing the painful truth about their upbringing.
In 2004, one family living in the small rural town of Odd, West Virginia, suddenly became known around the world. The Whittakers were featured in a documentary by filmmaker Mark Laita, who later described them as “America’s most inbred family.”
The documentary introduced viewers to siblings Ray, Betty, Larry, and Lorene, along with Lorene’s son, Timmy. Their family history was complicated — and deeply complicated.
The siblings were descended from two generations of first cousins who had married. But there was an even more unusual connection in their family tree.
Two brothers, John and Henry Whittaker, were identical twins. John was born in 1897 and later married his first cousin, Ada.
The couple had nine children, including a daughter named Gracie Irene Whittaker, born in 1920. Meanwhile, Henry married Sally, and they had seven children. One of their sons was also named John, born in 1913.
The Whittakers – update on ‘America’s ‘most inbred family’
Then, in 1935, the two cousins — John and Gracie — married. Together, they had 15 children. The complicated family history would have a lasting impact on later generations, with members of the family experiencing a range of physical and intellectual disabilities.
Years later, their story would attract worldwide attention after the Whittakers appeared in Laita’s documentary, giving viewers a rare glimpse into a family whose history had remained largely hidden from the outside world.
Laita later described it as “one of the most disturbing interviews I’ve ever done.”
The Whittakers were asked about inbreeding, but it appeared they didn’t seem to understand that it could be due to their ancestral line. For example, Laita asked family member Kenneth why their eyes weren’t facing forward, to which he responded,” might be coal mining.”
While the Whithakers became known worldwide through the documentary, things didn’t turn for the better.
In November 2025, The Daily Mail reported that Ray, Lorene, and Timmy Whittaker all had vanished from their West Virginia property after state officials quietly removed them from the home. Their surviving relatives blamed the fame.
Grandsons of the Whittakers reveal painful truth about their childhood
Their sister, Betty, and brother, Larry, said that they had been left behind without explanation. Moreover, they explained they’d had no contact with their loved ones since.
“They said they were helping them, and they couldn’t live here no more,” Betty told The Daily Mail. “I miss them a lot. I raised them.”
Larry added, “I’ve been staying at home, waiting on a phone call, but that’s all I know. They haven’t called or let me know nothing. They won’t tell us where they at.”
So, how was it growing up with the Whittaker family? A few years ago, Larry Whittaker’s grandsons, Brandon and Luis, appeared in a YouTube clip on Mark Laita’s channel, offering insight into their family’s struggles and the treatment they received from the public because of their situation.
“Growing up as a kid, it got pretty rough around the age of five or six. We went into foster care when I was six. I spent my seventh birthday in there and when we got out, we weren’t allowed to come back up here. We weren’t allowed to see our grandpa,” they said
The boys opened up on how Larry tried shooting one of their stepdads as he was tormenting the boy’s mother, Betty. She had gone from using pills to heavy drugs, becoming less and less involved in their lives. From the age of ten, they had to take care of themselves.
“Cars would come down here and mess around”
Mark Laita’s videos of the Whittakers became an internet phenomenon. It led to many visitors, but the family itself didn’t always appreciate it.
“Cars would come down here and mess around I won’t lie to you, I went outside and I would throw rocks at them,” Brandon explained. “I’d bring out potatoes and eggs. I would use rocks and sticks and just throw it at them.”
