Is ‘7 Little Johnstons’ Scripted?
The Johnston family on TLC’s 7 Little Johnstons have attained much fame for their blended family of little people over the years. Trent and Amber Johnston have a few biological children of their own, and they’ve also adopted a couple of kids. Fans adore watching the Johnston kids grow up — but how real is it? Here’s what to know about whether 7 Little Johnstons is scripted.
Is ‘7 Little Johnstons’ scripted?
7 Little Johnstons follows Trent and Amber Johnston as they navigate life with their five children, all of whom identify as little people. Now that the show’s in its 13th season, the kids have entered adulthood.
Jonah Johnston is the oldest of the Johnston kids at 23 years old. Trent and Amber adopted the next oldest child, Anna Johnston, from Siberia, and she turns 23 years old in May 2023. Elizabeth Johnston — the only biological child of Trent and Amber’s aside from Jonah — turns 22 in 2023. Trent and Amber adopted Alex Johnston from South Korea and Emma Johnston from China. Both Alex and Emma turn 18 in 2023.
The show’s current season gives viewers a glimpse into what life’s like for the family as the kids age. From serious relationships to graduating from high school and moving out, fans continue to watch the major changes that affect the family. But is 7 Little Johnstons scripted?
Thankfully, it seems like most of what occurs on the show is authentic. TLC follows the Johnstons as they face real-life obstacles, and it doesn’t look like the network stages the events. Additionally, Trent and Amber have talked about the show in interviews. Trent told the First Class Fatherhood podcast that he’s interested in sharing his real life on camera. Additionally, he stated that he and Amber still hold down other jobs, so they’re not relying on the TV show for all of their income.
Some fans question the relationships between Trent and Amber Johnston and their kids
The events in 7 Little Johnstons likely aren’t scripted for the show, and fans generally haven’t questioned the authenticity of what’s really going on in the Johnston household. With that said, some fans think a few of the Johnston kids don’t have close relationships with their parents.
“No, it’s so apparent the kids all have no relationship with one another or the parents and have to fake it for the camera,” a fan on Reddit wrote. “I think Anna and Emma are the only ones with some kind of friendship. It’s painful to watch.”
Others believe the fame of the show changed the family as a whole, making the program feel inauthentic. “Having money and whatever ‘fame’ totally changed them,” another viewer wrote. “Amber babied everyone and is now hitting a midlife crisis with the kids no longer needing her.”
The Johnstons get awarded a decent paycheck for appearing in the series
As long as fans keep tuning in to 7 Little Johnstons, the Johnstons will likely continue the show, scripted or not. The family could make a hefty paycheck per episode.
Reality producer Terence Michael shared that the families of reality stars typically earn about 10% of the show’s proposed budget. Michael then went on to estimate that TLC likely budgets between $250,000 and $400,000 per episode, meaning the Johnstons would earn between $25,000 and $40,000 per episode. Split between seven cast members, each Johnston might take between $3,500 and $6,000 each per episode.
Elements of this article were first reported by In Touch Weekly.
7 Little Johnstons Season 13 airs at 9 p.m. ET on TLC
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