The TLC series 7 Little Johnstons is back for Season 5 — and even if you have been watching since its premiere in 2015, it can be hard to keep up with the family.
The show follows the Georgia-based family of seven who all have Achondroplasia Dwarfism, making them the largest family in the world with the genetic condition. This season, fans will watch as Trent, Amber, and their five kids balance life, heartbreak, and renovating a fixer-upper, which is proving to be a HGTV-level disaster.
So, before tuning in, here is everything you need to know about the Johnstons, who called themselves the “the real life seven dwarfs.”
Which Johnstons kids are adopted?
Trent and Amber welcomed their biological kids, Jonah and Elizabeth, before adopting three more kids, who also have dwarfism, from all over the world. There is Anna from Russia, Alex from South Korea, and Emma from China.
“Adoption is not necesarily for everybody. However, everybody can be a part of adoption — whether it’s making donations to a specific family that’s adopting or a specific organization, ” Amber said in a YouTube video. “Our family was created not only by birth, but also by adoption, and Trent and I are extremely proud of that.”
Trent went on to explain that Amber suffered complications during both of her deliveries, prompting them to look into adoption as a safer way to expand their family. “All three of our kids’ stories are different,” Trent added. “We traveled to Russia — we were in Russia for 16 days when we got Anna. We did not travel to South Korea, we were able to hire an escort service to bring Alex to us, and we did travel to China to pick up Emma.”
Are the Johnstons adopting again?
In 2017, Amber and Trent were discussing adopting another baby on the show. “I got notification of a 2-year-old child with Achondroplasia that is available for adoption in China,” Amber told Trent. “And I really have the feeling that he should be a Johnston.”
However, Trent had some reservations about adopting another young kid. “I don’t want to be retired and still have grade school kids,” he said. “The least amount of responsibility we have later in life, the better off we are. If we set ourselves up with another young child and something happens to us, we’ve got this responsibility hanging out behind us.”
So, it looks like adoption might be off the table for now.
What’s going on with the 7 Little Johnston’s new house?
This season, the Johnston family moved into a new home — but discovered major problems below the surface. “We found a new house, and we love the house,” Amber said in the Season 5 promo trailer before calling it a mold sandwich.
“We just got a big mess on our hands,” Trent added of the condition of their new home. Along with a new house, the couple is also hoping to start their own business. “Dad and I have been really thinking about owning our own business,” Amber explained to her five kids. “But there is a lot of risk involved in opening your own mom-and-pop shop. We’re risking losing the house, losing the cars, we don’t know what tomorrow brings. However, we’re in this together.”
Johnston’s family net worth…
It is not known exactly how much the Johnstons get paid from TLC, but according to reality producer Terence Michael, reality show families typically get 10 percent of a show’s per-episode budget. So, if TLC budgets $250,000 to $400,000 per episode, which is the network’s average, the Johnstons are likely earning anywhere from $25,000 to $40,000 per episode.
Tune in to 7 LIttle Johnstons on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on TLC.
Source : https://www.distractify.com/entertainment/2018/10/30/Z10lDlO/7-little-johnstons-which-ones-are-adopted