Latest news with #MarkLaita
Washington Post
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Diddy trial live updates: Special agent continues testimony in Sean Combs's case
In late 2022, well before Sean 'Diddy' Combs got into real trouble, a man in Los Angeles approached Tanea Wallace with an offer. The man was a scout for Soft White Underbelly, photographer Mark Laita's YouTube channel about people struggling with issues such as abuse or addiction. Wallace, an aspiring singer who sometimes made money doing sex work, took Laita up on it, for $300, sitting for his camera and talking about her life.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Inside the home of ‘most famous inbred family' The Whittakers who ‘speak in grunts' and their life in town called Odd
THE lifestyle of a family dubbed America's most inbred continues to spark curiosity and intrigue. Their lives have been documented online by a filmmaker, who has put the village of Odd, West Virginia on the map. 6 6 6 Producer Mark Laita has shone the lens on the clan, focusing on aspects ranging from their home life to having a haircut and shopping at Walmart. One video titled Breakfast With the Whittakers, first uploaded in 2022, has been watched more than 6.7 million times. In the video, family members communicate in grunts and viewers are given an insight into their home life. Some members of the family have mental and physical abnormalities and Laita previously said he believes inbreeding may have been partially responsible. The family are seen living in a property that is in a decrepit state. Their home looks cluttered as the family try to go about their daily tasks. The clan's porch is strewn with junk and boxes and shabby-looking furniture. Video shows their bathroom covered in filth. But, despite the squalor-like conditions, the family do not appear to go hungry - with freezers stacked with food. Laita revealed the family confirmed that their parents were double first cousins. Joyful moment 'America's most inbred family' goes Christmas shopping at Walmart and picks out their own presents Members of the clan also included Betty, Ray and Lorraine,who are siblings. An unnamed sister and cousin Timmy made up the Whittakers. They also had a brother named Freddie who died from a heart attack. But, the Whittaker clan were rocked by tragedy in March last year. Laita revealed that Larry Whittaker died at the age of 68. "Larry was always a great dude to me," Laita said in a YouTube video where he announced Whittaker's death. "He was always really nice. Larry was always a standup guy, and he and Betty really ran the show well. "Larry will be missed. It's going to be hard on Betty now." LIVES IN THE SPOTLIGHT Laita first met the Whittaker family in 2004 and has shared more than a dozen videos on his channel. But, he didn't start sharing footage until 2020. He shared footage taken inside a Walmart store that captured the clan's fascination when buying groceries. The family was told they could buy anything they wanted. And, they took up Laita's offer, filling three carts full of groceries. In another video, Ray Whittaker couldn't stop looking at himself as he had a haircut. In December last year, the family's mobile home was gutted by fire, Laita revealed in a GoFundMe post. He created a fundraiser to try and help the family move to a new property. More than $7,000 has been contributed to the fundraiser. 6 6 6
