Five years ago, these influencers 'rehomed' their adopted child. Here's what happened to him.

Huxley Stauffer was the young boy who made headlines around the world when his adoptive parents 'rehomed' him.

Huxley was the adopted son of influencers Myka and James Stauffer, who frequently uploaded family content to their YouTube channel The Stauffer Life.

The couple were parents to three biological children — Kova, Jaka and Radley — when they adopted two-year-old Huxley from China in 2017. Following his arrival into their family, they welcomed another biological child, Onyx, in 2018.

What happened to Huxley Stauffer?

Huxley was adopted by the couple in 2017, with Myka routinely documenting the process for her followers. In one particularly poignant moment, she addressed the fact that their future adopted child would likely have 'special needs', according to adoption agencies. Myka, a former nurse, said she and James were prepared for this.

"The only need that our little boy has is a nice family that really, truly cares about him," she said in a video. "I don't know what his medical diagnosis is gonna look like. How much schooling will he need? Will he need a little bit more hands-on? Will he be delayed? But if anything, my child is not returnable."

"We started talking to physicians, we started having meetings, we started doing tons of different things so that we could be really well-educated on different conditions," she said prior to his adoption.

Once he was adopted, Huxley was an integral part of their family life online.

In a written piece for Parade in 2018, Myka explained Huxley's 'needs' were different to what she expected.

"When we came home, we experienced a big surprise with inaccurate file information," she wrote at that time, when Huxley was still in her care.

"Our son ended up having a stroke in utero, has level three autism, and sensory processing disorder. It took a lot of time to process and to readjust to his new diagnosis. We spent 10 months preparing for brain tumours and never once did I read about autism or stroke damage — it was a curveball."

Then in 2020, fans noticed Huxley appeared to have dropped out of filmed family content. Having once been at the centre of almost every photo and video, his absence was clear.

Facing mounting pressure to explain his disappearance from their profiles, Myka and James released a video announcing their decision to 'rehome' Huxley after three years.

The Stauffer family were picture-perfect on social media. Image: YouTube/TheStaufferFamily.

Why did Myka and James Stauffer rehome Huxley?

Addressing their 700,000 subscribers in a YouTube video titled 'An Update On Our Family', Myka and James explained they had given Huxley to another family.

They felt they could not provide him with the level of care required to manage his needs, citing his later-diagnosed developmental disabilities as the reason.

"Once Huxley came home, there was a lot more special needs that we weren't aware of, and that we were not told," James said in the video. "For us, it's been really hard hearing from the medical professionals, a lot of their feedback, and things that have been upsetting.

"We've never wanted to be in this position. And we've been trying to get his needs met and help him out as much as possible, we truly love him."

Myka continued, "There's not an ounce of our body that doesn't love Huxley with all of our being. There wasn't a minute that I didn't try our hardest and I think what Jim is trying to say is that after multiple assessments, after multiple evaluations, numerous medical professionals have felt that he needed a different fit and that his medical needs, he needed more."

"Do I feel like a failure as a mum? Like, 500 pe rcent," Myka continued. "The last couple months have been like the hardest thing I could have ever imagined... after pouring our guts and our heart into this little boy."

Myka and James Stauffer's video announcing their decision went viral online. Image: YouTube/TheStaufferFamily.

The fallout was swift, with the couple being condemned by their followers, who wanted an explanation as to why they had 'given away' their adoptive son due to his autism diagnosis.

In a since-deleted comment on social media, Myka said they had dealt with 'multiple scary things' inside their home 'towards their other children'.

"If these events happened with one of my biological kids, after all the help and after the behaviours we witnessed sadly we would have no other choice then to seek help and get their needs met," she wrote.

However, this comment did receive backlash as it was suggested by followers that she likely would not have rehomed her biological child in the same situation.

In her final Instagram post before turning away from social media, Myka said she was sorry for letting down so many women who 'looked up to her as a mother'.

"I apologise for being so naive when I started the adoption process, I was not selective or fully equipped or prepared," she wrote.

"I can't say I wish this never happened because I'm still so glad Huxley is here and getting all the help he needs. I also know that even though he is happier in his new home and doing better, that he still experienced trauma and I'm sorry. No adoptee deserves any more trauma. I wanted to help so bad I was willing to bring home any child that needed me. For this I was naive, foolish and arrogant."

Where is Huxley now?

After the story gained a huge amount of traction online, Huxley's "re-homing" caught the attention of authorities.

In June 2020, a Delaware County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told BuzzFeed News they were working with "several other agencies" while investigating the process of Huxley's re-homing, adding that they were "confident that the appropriate process is occurring".

It looked like everything was taking place legally, which the Stauffers' legal team confirmed.

"We are privy to this case and given the facts at hand, we feel this was the best decision for Huxley," lawyers Thomas Taneff and Taylor Sayers told PEOPLE in a statement issued in May 2020. "In coming to know our clients we know they are a loving family and are very caring parents that would do anything for their children."

In the five years that have followed the Stauffers' shock announcement about their adopted son, the public have heard very little about his whereabouts.

However, in Myka's June 2020 Instagram statement, she confirmed that Huxley had been successfully placed with another family, and given a new name.

"I also know that even though he is happier in his new home and doing better," she wrote at the time.

"He is thriving, he is happy, he is doing really well, and his new mommy has medical professional training, and it is a very good fit."

His story is part of a new three-part documentary series airing on BINGE, An Update on Our Family, which delves into the lucrative world of YouTube vlogging and how the Stauffers made the most of it. Huxley appears in the documentary only through old YouTube footage, as his identity is now protected.

Myka and James Stauffer are the subjects of a new documentary series. Image: Instagram/@mykastauffer.

His story is part of a new three-part documentary series airing on BINGE, An Update on Our Family, which delves into the lucrative world of YouTube vlogging and how the Stauffers made the most of it.

The documentary will follow weekly episode drops, and features clips and interviews with those close to the story.

An Update On Our Family is now streaming on BINGE.