The Real Reason Jacob Roloff Left Little People, Big World

We first met the Roloff family in 2006 when Little People, Big World first aired on TV (via IMDB). The early show revolved around the lives of parents Matt and Amy as well as their four children: twins Zach and Jeremy, younger sister Molly, and youngest brother Jacob. Three of the children are averaged sized, while Zach Roloff is a little person like his parents (under 4ft tall). 

As Little People, Big World returned for a 14th Season on April 2nd, viewers will notice that youngest Jacob is again, notably absent — the youngest Roloff sibling departed from the production upon turning 18. Also missing is daughter Molly, who simply lives too far away to be part of regular filming. This isn't new from seasons past, and there are plenty of youngsters to take on the role of the baby of the family — most notably Zach and Tori's son Jackson. The season is sure to be action-packed with twists and turns galore. Zach and Tori face struggles as new parents in addition to fighting through health and financial woes. Matt and Amy are posed with questions about their ongoing partnership at the farm after divorce as viewers ask will they — or won't they — sell the Roloff Farm they've owned since 1990.

So why, exactly, has the youngest Roloff brother been missing from the show for so long? And what's he up to now?

The youngest Roloff sibling long expressed dissatisfaction with the show. Jacob explained his departure to readers on Instagram in 2016, "For me, noticing how the agenda of the crew doesn't work well with the health & happiness of our family is what made me decide quite a while ago that I would not be a part of it as soon as I was able." The youngest Roloff sibling long expressed dissatisfaction with the show, departing from the production upon turning 18. According to reporting by In Touch, that doesn't mean he spends less time with his family or wants viewers to stop watching his family members. "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," he explained. "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."

But longtime fans don't have to worry about saying goodbye to Jacob Roloff. Outside of the show, the 23-year-old can still be found sharing his travel and adventure on Instagram and on his website with wife Isabel Rock. But even without the youngest Roloff sibling, viewers are sure to be entertained by this growing family and their unique lifestyle in episodes to come. Fans can find episodes starting from the beginning on TLC.